It’s the best day ever! The best daaaay eveeer— but only if you’ve got your tickets to see Silhouette Stages’ production of The SpongeBob Musical! Campy and wholesome, this quirky little diamond-in-the-kelp musical comedy is suitable for all ages and is bubbling over with talent, enthusiasm, and a great deal of F-U-N to be had by all! Co-Directed by Debbie Mobley and Robyn Yakaitis, with Musical Direction by Mari Hill, and Choreography by Tori Worth, there’s some nautical nonsense for everyone splashing around on the stages at Slayton House.
The SpongeBob Musical is a show that’s low-key aware of itself. And the entire production team— from the two co-directors right down to the spot-ops— really grasp this notion and run with it. As a whole, the show’s designed aesthetic perfectly captures the campy spirit, hokey nature, and charming kitsch that Bikini Bottom has to offer. You’ve got the live-band on stage and just outside the stage, house left, you’ve got a live foley artist, Arielle Miller, hanging out on her own little kelp-stand, surrounded by surfboards. It’s an excellent feature— this live foley artist— adding adorable and hilarious sound-effects all throughout the performance and really amps up the overall experience of this live-stage musical.
Set Designer Bill Pond washes the stage with nautical humors, finding the perfected balance between the Silhouette Stages’ vision of Bikini Bottom and the Bikini Bottom that the masses are large know, love, and recognize. One of the most touching pieces is the grand-clam-bandstand that gets wheeled out/featured in the second act. It’s flanked in an arch by 25 unique surfboards (that look a little like homemade ironing boards covered in tropical and nautical prints and designs). Why is this touching and special you ask? Count how many performers are credited in the ‘SpongeBob Cast’ and you just might find that the number of cast matches the number of surfboards. There’s also a ‘seawall’ which ropes the live orchestra into their designated space on the stage, decorated with netting and nautical bits of flotsam and jetsam. Pond pulls out all the campy stops when it comes to creating the giant volcano (think painted and decorated rolling ladders) and Patrick’s Star-Throne is a real treat. Pond and the entire set-build team is really setting out to inspire with creative and cheeky scenery, all of which brings you fully into the realm of Silhouette’s Bikini Bottom.
Following suit— or in this case, square-pants— Costume Designer Mica Weiss gives you all of the allusions of the sea-characters without having these over-the-top insanities like a giant rubber and yellow foam suit for SpongeBob or full-on-furry-style costumes for characters like Mr. Krabs or Larry the Lobster. Weiss gives these characters more human costumes with hints at their nautical counterparts, like the boxing-glove claws on Mr. Krabs or the iconic purple-splat shorts that Patrick star is known for. Where Weiss really gets to let loose the creativity cannon is in the sartorial selection seen on the ensemble. The bright orange, shell-bejazzled blazer for the mayor of the splash-faded tie-dye affair featured on Perch Perkins all showcase the wondrous imagination that Weiss has put forth in the show’s overall outfitting process. The true pièce de résistance arrives late in the second act, when Squidward (whose attached-tentacle-pants are really wild) gets into his big solo number and is accompanied by the Sea Anemones, in their blazing, sassy Rockette-inspired costumes, which also lean towards underwater creature couture.
The show’s lighting, designed by TJ Lukacsina, is spot on (pun perhaps intended) and marries well with the background projections, created by Projectionist Andrew Yakaitis. You get a solid blend of things from the SpongeBob cartoon projected on the backdrop of the stage, which enhances the overall familiarity one might hope to experience when seeing a cartoon-come-stage-musical, whilst having perfect lighting to draw the audiences’ attention to more nuanced moments. There’s a particularly effecting bit during “(Just a) Simple Sponge” which features the use of darkness and precision spot-light work, crafted by Lukacsina, to achieve the effect of some vibrant hand-puppetry work, which ends up looking like floating sponges. It’s a really clever idea and brilliant execution, adding a wondrous impact to the number as a whole. The shaky-red light whenever the volcano is having issues is also a nice touch.
Money bags, Krabby Patties, the leader-staff once Patrick becomes the worshiped-savior of the Sardines, and of course the exquisite Gary The Snail (voiced and mobilized by Forrest Roca, who is hands-down the most adorable meowing-snail one could ever hope to encounter) are all the impressive byproduct of Properties Mistress Jessie Krupkin. When you get to loose your imagination on a place like Bikini Bottom— the ocean’s wavy surface is the limit and Krupkin does not disappoint, particularly when it comes to some of the smaller, detailed props, like the guitars that belong to the band The Electric Skates!
Having a live orchestra (and adorably outfitted into the scenery the way they’ve done here at SpongeBob) makes all the difference in taking a good show into the territory of a great one. Lead by Musical Director Mari Hill, the live orchestra tackles a whole host of musical chaos in this production as all of the show’s songs are written by differing pop-artists of the time. Featuring Billy Georg on drums, Jeff Eckert on bass, Virginia Moses on keys, Thomas Potts on guitar, and mike Monda on keys, Hill’s orchestra delivers wave after wave of delightful music. And usually when there’s a live orchestra at the community level, they earn praises for vamping during lengthy scenic changes, but as this show runs so well-oiled, with such swift shifts, you never get a chance to hear the orchestra vamp.
There’s energetic choreography abound under the design work of Choreographer Tori Worth. One of the big outstanding numbers is “I’m Not a Loser” (a ‘They Might Be Giants’) song, which features Squidward and his Sea Anemones doing flashy moves, including a razzle-dazzle kickline. Worth’s choreography also includes some much-expected clap-n-stomp movements near the conclusion of “Super Sea Star Savior.” Co-Directors Debbie Mobley and Robyn Yakaitis truly keep the enthusiasm flowing, keeping that indefatigable energy pumping in frenetic waves all throughout the performance. Even the more ‘down’ moments, of which there aren’t too-too many, sort of burble with that unseen intensity that keeps the show tightly paced and moving swiftly along. But it’s all the little things that Mobley and Yakaitis include— almost like Easter Eggs, when you think about it— that make this show a little something extra. Half the audience nearly died laughing when Squidward starts reading off the ‘rider’ for The Electric Skates and blurts out “The Sea Cow as white as milk.” This particular reference even gets a callback from Squidward later in the show which once again has the audience losing its mind in laughter. There’s all sorts of little bits— like when Patchy The Pirate (Don Lampasone) kicks off the top of Act II with “Poor Pirates”and the ensemble is all garbed-up and decked-out in pirate gear…except for one individual who is literally wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates jersey. How many hilarious little bits and barbs of this nature can you find all throughout the production?
Mobley and Yakaitis have brought together a strong and supportive ensemble. Featuring Shaelyn Betances, Angela Cava, Katelyn Dixon, Bethany Jani, Don Lampasone, Kelsey McDaniel, Al Norman, Marci Prince, Forrest Roca, John Sheldon, Samantha Sheldon, Tori Worth, Angie Townsend, Debbie Watts, and Nick Yarnevich, they’ve got a good two dozen characters or so all wrapped up in their midst. Betances, McDaniel, and Samantha Sheldon comprise the screaming, boogeying rocker band The Electric Skates and can be seen rocking out to their best life during “Bikini Bottom Boogie” while John Sheldon is the curmudgeonly Old Man Jenkins. The ensemble at large doubles up as Sardines, who mince, wriggle, giggle, and chant in unison when praising Patrick as their savior, Pirates, who heave-ho and shout-chant that silly shanty at the top of Act II, and Anemones, who showcase the show’s finest choreography during Squidward’s 11’clock number late in the second act. You also get features from Debbi Watts, playing the Mayor, Marcie Prince, playing Mrs. Puff, and Nick Yarnevich, as Larry the Lobster. Keep your ears out for the unseen French Narrator (a crucial nod of homage to the SpongeBob Squarepants Cartoon), voiced by Marshall Gibbs.
If there’s a noteworthy standout amongst all the ensemblists its Mica Weiss in the role of Perch Perkins. The hilarity that ensues as Weiss’ character becomes more and more disheveled, every time that Perch Perkins appears to report on the state of affairs in Bikini Bottoms is exquisite. The booming news-anchor patois and cadence is sublime and Weiss’ facial expressions are so animated you won’t be able to watch anything else whenever the rainbow-clad-perch is on stage.
With a high-belting voice that’s perfect for the role of Pearl, Leah Freeman tackles this supporting character with wailing grace (see what I did there? See. SEA!?) Capturing the essence of a petulant teenager who cannot possibly conceive that there are worse problems than her ‘shopping trip to the mall being ruined’ by the impending doom of Bikini Bottom, Freeman is a delight to watch and even more of a delight to hear sing. You get that wailing belt during “Bikini Bottom Boogie” but you really get a sense of her vocal prowess and overall singing capabilities during her duet with Mr. Krabs, “Daddy Knows Best.” Enter Mr. Krabbs (Robert Howard), the money-grabbing, profit-loving, Krusty-Krabb-owning character that adds a little zest to our underwater buffet of characters. Howard affects his vocalization to pay homage to the cartoon character’s iconic sound without trying to mimic it (this is the trend that all of the principal performers set forth to follow in this production and it works really well in this performance, allowing the audience to recognize the characters while still feeling like they’re receiving an individualized take rather than a cookie-cutter show.) Howard maintains his vocal affectation during the duet with Pearl, and while Howard patters through the number, Freeman belts her soul out and it’s really a fantastic song.
What musical theatre endeavor would be complete without an antagonist? Or in this case— *GASP* a villain!? Plankton (Adam Goldsmith) accompanied by computer-wife Karen (Jessica Long) are a comic duo of dastardly dynamism. Mwha. Ha. Ha. Haaa. Goldsmith’s vocal affectation is also on point when it comes to channeling that evil sound of villainy. And he patter-raps with amazing speed, articulation, and intensity through “When the Going Gets Tough.” Long chooses not to adapt her voice in the monotone robotic fashion one might expect from ‘computer-wife-Karen’ and it works just fine. The pair of them have quite a few laugh-worthy moments. Goldsmith’s Plankton is loaded with little bursts of diabolical genius and he provides the perfect microcosm of chaos in this zany but fun-filled, light-hearted adventure.
The balancing wheel of the bicycle that is Patrick and SpongeBob, Sandy Cheeks (Summer Moore) is so much more than just a ‘land mammal.’ Her crisp countrified accent reminds everyone that this rootin’ tootin’ squirrel is indeed from Texas. Moore is loaded with gumption in her portrayal of Sandy, even when the town turns against her. She truly finds her mojo and sets the whole scene on fire… in so much as one can set anything on fire underwater…during “Chop to the Top”, a duet featuring the show’s titular character. Science minded, calmly-collected, and all-round fun, Moore’s portrayal of Sandy is truly top notch.
Show-stealing, scene-stopping Squidward (Seth Fallon) is a hilarious and hysterical romp that will have you rolling in the aisles with all of his grumpy, sarcastic nature. Fallon has a cheeky fourth-wall-blurring interaction with Arielle Miller, the show’s Foley Artist, whenever he squeak-walks on stage and it’s an extra burst of giddy giggles to watch that play out. The overall demeanor, displeasure, and generalized sarcastic ennui that Fallon brings to the character makes his burst-out 11-o’lock number that much more sensational. A triple threat in those tapping-tentacle shoes, you get powerhouse singing, divine acting, and some fancy footwork that is simply smashing. And the two funniest non-scripted-Easter-Egg callbacks come from Fallon, so there’s that. A true knockout in this underrated character, Fallon is bringing the funny and then some, particularly during “I’m Not a Loser.”
They are B-F-Fs!!! Even if Patrick (Geraden Ward) doesn’t know what that stands for! Patrick and SpongeBob (Matt Wetzel.) SpongeBob and Patrick. PatBob. SpongeRick. They’re two peas in a sea-pod just like Ward and Wetzel. Together again for the first time (as they’ve both done shows with Silhouette Stages just never together until now) you get to see this dynamic duo navigate the humor, hilarity, intensity, and deep-bonded friendship that is Patrick and SpongeBob. The show is campy, kitschy, and hokey as hell. But you get this amazing, heartfelt number from the pair of them in the second act— “(I Guess I) Miss You” and it’s really moving in a touching and slightly tear-producing sort of way. Ward and Wetzel have superb vocal capabilities and when their voices twine together in this number, it’s really something special.
As the vibrant pink star whose lights are always on even when no one is home upstairs, Geraden Ward is making Patrick Star a real sensation. Ward brings a uniqueness to Patrick while still hitting on those oh so loveable-dumb-moments that makes everyone love the empty-headed sea-star. (Look to see what instrument Ward brings to the ‘everyone will be the concert’ moment at the end. HILARIOUS!) There’s something endearingly wholesome about Ward’s portrayal. They aren’t just playing dumb for comedy, they’re living Patrick’s simplicity to its fullest and making the audience really feel the dedication and commitment that Patrick shares for his best-friend-forever, SpongeBob. And of course, during “Super Sea Star Savior” you get an outrageous moment of wondrous individuality— Patrick Star. In fishnet stockings. Ward masters the cadence expected of the Patrick character while still making it their own, especially when it comes to the zinging one-liner responses that Patrick is so noted for having.
As the titular role, Matt Wetzel is radiance incarnate. Silly, hilariously animated, physically engaged, and all-around the best sponge ever, Wetzel is so much more than the song might imply; he is not just a simple sponge! The versatility that Wetzel showcases is second to none. He’s bouncing about with naïve glee while simultaneously processing the severity of the situation that Bikini Bottom is facing with the impending eruption of the volcano. You get these hysterical moments, that Wetzel is playing for intense truth (you never see Wetzel trying to be funny; he’s being dead serious and that’s what makes it funny) like when SpongeBob is struggling and failing to lift a very simple backpack, or straining his body beyond compare to climb just one rung of a ladder; all of these moments are what bring this heightened sense of comedy to the forefront of the show. And you get the full-on belting voice during “(Just a) Simple Sponge”, which is the number with the magic dark-light sponge-hand-puppets, as well as an emotional outpouring from Wetzel as he tries to find the character’s self-worth. “Best Day Ever” both at the top and the bottom of the show, are led by Wetzel and his infectious enthusiasm really sparks alive and spreads to the rest of the cast faster than a clownfish zipping through sea anemone. He’s the perfect fit for this “simple sponge” and really wins the audience over right from his first entrance on the stage.
If you wish to experience the nautical nonsense, with all of the enthusiasm and joy that The SpongeBob Musical has to offer, then Silhouette Stages has your ticket! No, literally. They have tickets for the remaining performances— just hit up their box-office before a big-ole wave crashes onto the shores of Slayton House and washes this production away for the season!
Running Time: 2 hours and 35 minutes
The SpongeBob Musical plays October 6th 2023 through October 22nd 2023 Silhouette Stages at Slayton House Theatre in the Village of Wilde Lake Columbia— 10400 Cross Fox Lane in Columbia, MD. For tickets please call the box office at (410) 216-4499 or purchase them in advance online.
To read the interview featuring SpongeBob (Matt Wetzel) and Patrick (Geraden Ward) click here.
