Theater Review: ‘The SpongeBob Musical’ by Kokandy Productions

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CHICAGO – What began in Chicago in 2016 … as a preview to its eventual Broadway run … comes back to where it now belongs. The passionate and ebullient Kokandy Productions presents “The SpongeBob Musical,” and yes, it will satisfy fans of the cartoon series with flash, dash, and since it’s under the sea, SPLASH!

Play Rating: 4.5/5.0

What impressed me most about this production … originally created and produced by Nickelodeon … was the enthusiastic talent of its young and very vibrant cast, especially the manic energy of Quinn Rigg, who portrayed Squidward. Also Frankie Lee Bennett, as SpongeBob, nailed the squishy persona as the show’s centerpiece – part tumbler, tart commentator and wondrous innocent. The memorable songs were commissioned from rock stars, including David Bowie, the Plain White T’s, John Legend and Steven Tyler/Joe Perry of Aerosmith. For ticket info and more, click SPONGEBOB.

Frankie Leo Bennett as SpongeBob Squarepants
Photo credit: Evan Hanover for Kokandy Productions

In an edgier themed book, an impending apocalypse is threatening Bikini Bottom, the home of SpongeBob Squarepants (Frankie Leo Bennett). Mount Humongous is about to blow, volcano style, which would wipe out the surrounding undersea environment. This affects SpongeBob’s home life and his roommate Patrick Star (Isabel Cecilia Garcia), his neighbor Squidward Q. Tentacles (Quinn Rigg) and Sandy Cheeks (Sarah Patin), the submersible squirrel. The panic is also at SpongeBob’s workplace, The Krusty Krab, including Mr. Krabs (Tommy Bullington), his daughter Pearl (Jennifer Ledesma) and fast food rivals the Planktons, Sheldon (Parker Guidry) and Karen (Amy Yesom Kim). The undersea folk, the heroes and the villains have to figure out how to prevent the explosion in just 24 hours, which includes a benefit concert by The Electric Skates.

The main cast and ensemble is bright and jovial, creating the cartoon characters through slight make-up and mannerisms. They fashioned a crazy quilt of song, dance, multimedia and even a dedicated character who doubles as a cartoon sound effects artist (Ele Matelan). With so many moving parts, there were some hesitations, but the pure energy brought down the house. The choreography (by Jenna Schoppe) was magical, showcasing spectacular movement in the the small theater, which was greeted with both cheers and open mouthed awe. It was absolute entertainment, liberated by a cast that was having a damn good time.

The songs in the show have an interesting cache … they were assigned to different pop and rock musicians for a specific moment in the story. Thus the boys of Aerosmith (“Bikini Bottom Boogie”), David Bowie/Brian Eno (“No Control”) and John Legend (“I Guess I Miss You”), among others, contributed to the overall soundtrack. My favorite was written by They Might Be Giants (“I’m Not a Loser”) and featured the rock star performance of Quinn Rigg as Squidward, and its staging was the highlight of the show.

Quinn Riggs (Squidward) and Ensemble in ‘The SpongeBob Musical’
Photo credit: Evan Hanover for Kokandy Productions

The only complaint, and it could be minor if you score a comfortable seat, is the length of the show. The first act was one hour, 40 minutes, which was challenging even for the hardiest of musical mavens, much less a show that arguably is aimed towards kids. Turning that aside, the overall outcome was exuberant and worthy of its good clean fun. Sing it with me … “Ohhhh, Who lives in a pineapple under the sea … “

By PATRICK McDONALD Editor and Film Critic/Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com