Spongebob Review

[timsim1999]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 12:36pm

Yesterday I saw Spongebob on Broadway at the 2pm matinee. My thoughts on it is that was the show was phenomenal. The cast was really good and the set and music was amazing.The only downside was that after the show, none of the cast came out to the stage door, but other than that it was really fun! After watching the show, I didn't understand how the show only won 1 Tony Award because it really deserved more than 1.

[taylortrensch]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 1:27pm

The cast of Spongebob and many other shows have said that they don't stage door after matinees on two show days. I also think it goes without said that everyone would like to rest in between shows. Glad to hear you enjoyed the show though.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 6/24/18 at 12:17am

Saw this at yesterday at Saturday matinee. Had a very good time. I know it’s probably sacrilege to say here, but I actually enjoyed it more than My Fair Lady the night brfore. And before you accuse me of only liking fluff, my favorite show of this trip so far is Angels in America.

I wonder if anyone else got Hamilton vibes during Sheldon’s rap number. If so, do you think that was intentional? I know that Patrick’s number was inspired by ALW’s Superstar.

I skipped stage door as I was informed by usher that the cast usually skips stage door after matinees.

Updated On: 6/24/18 at 12:17 AM

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 6/24/18 at 9:25am

I also enjoyed the music much more in the show. I have casually enjoyed the cast recording, but I appreciated it much more while in the audience.

One other question: i need to go back and listen to the OBCR, but it sounded like some parts of the songs’ notes have been lowered to perhaps Ethan’s more natural range in comparison to the OBCR. It did not dampen my enjoyment of the show, but I did notice sometimes he would for instance start off in a lower range and then move into Spongebob’s higher range all within the same song. Anyone else notice this? If so, I’m wondering if this was necessary to preserve his voice. I’d think those higher unnatural ranges would play heck on the vocal chords.

[veraclaythorne2]

Posted: 6/24/18 at 10:19am

Miles2Go2 said: "I also enjoyed the music much more in the show. I have casually enjoyed the cast recording, but I appreciated it much more while in the audience.

One other question: i need to go back and listen to the OBCR, but it sounded like some parts of the songs’ notes have been lowered to perhaps Ethan’s more natural range in comparison to the OBCR. It did not dampen my enjoyment of the show, but I did notice sometimes he would for instance start off in a lower range and then move into Spongebob’s higher range all within the same song. Anyone else notice this? If so, I’m wondering if this was necessary to preserve his voice. I’d think those higher unnatural ranges would play heck on the vocal chords."

The notes have definitely been lowered since the show started in November. I think I started noticing it around February, but I could be mistaken. It's most notable in the "Won't anyone believe in me" sequence in "Bikini Bottom Day" and the end of "Simple Sponge." I saw Curtis Holbrook go on in April, and he went for the higher notes at the end of the latter. Ethan still sounds incredible, of course, and I have to imagine it was done to preserve the voice. The role is beyond demanding, and not just vocally!

[Gink]

Posted: 6/24/18 at 2:38pm

We saw it for the second time last week--we saw it previously in Feb--and the notes have definitely been lowered! We thought the energy was a little off too. 

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 6/24/18 at 8:46pm

1).  The cast can't stage door because the teeangers are out of control.  There was a teenager who is an "Spongebob Instagram Stan" who was hiring cars to follow Ethan home and starting fights with cast online.  They had to find her school and tell her Dean because it was so out of control.  It's scary how entitled social media has made these teenager "stans".  It's really really scary how these children think they're owned anything more than the performance their parents money paid for.  I feel really bad for what the extremely sweet/earnest/hard working cast has to deal with because I don't think these kids realize how uncomfortable they're making the cast.  I started noticing around the time of Heathers how out of control and overbearing to cast members a certain faction of the theatre fan community has gotten.  It's NUTS.  

2).  I saw a preview of the show in November and I saw it again in May.  It was... kinda disappointing.  I LOVED IT in November and raved about it to everyone and really advocated for the show.  I was totally won over in a major way.  The audience was also electric and the cast could tell.  I thought the energy was very very very off when I saw it again in May.  I still had a good time but I didn't have The Best Night Ever like I did in November.  But the audience in May was tepid badly behaved kids and it was a two show day.  And I know that plays a factor so I haven't been hard on it.  It was just a bit of a bummer to take a group of friends to see the show for their first time, after I'd been raving about it, and they couldn't see what I saw in November because it wasn't really there anymore.  

Updated On: 6/24/18 at 08:46 PM

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 6/24/18 at 9:21pm

Sondheim: WHAT. THE. HECK!! What is wrong with people?!?!?!

So the cast isn’t allowed to stage door, period?

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 6/24/18 at 9:24pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Sondheim: WHAT. THE. HECK!! What is wrong with people?!?!?!

So the cast isn’t allowed to stage door, period?"

I don't think that they're not allowed to, I think they don't really feel comfortable anymore.  

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/25/18 at 1:24pm

I started noticing around the time of Heathers how out of control and overbearing to cast members a certain faction of the theatre fan community has gotten.  It's NUTS.

You should've seen social media when the original cast of Wicked were still performing.  The insane rants if Idina didn't grace their presence at the stage door after a performance were beyond nasty.  Towards the end of the run, the stans were firmly divided into Chenoweth and Menzel camps and went to war.  I haven't seen anything as bad as the original Wicked stans before or since.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 6/26/18 at 5:13pm

Confession: just listened to first part of Spongebob OBCR in LaGuardia Delta Skyclub until I got to (Just a) Simple Sponge as I boarded plane. So giddy! The three glasses of cabernet i had in Sky Club might also have something to do with it. I refrained from acting it out at least.

I’ll get home around midnight. I told my friends I’d appreciate if they could arrange to put on a restaging of Angels in America, Three Tall Women, The Iceman Cometh or Spongebob Squarepants upon my arrival home as it would lessen the pain of leaving NYC.

Updated On: 6/26/18 at 05:13 PM

[taylortrensch]

Posted: 6/26/18 at 5:37pm

Sondheimite said: "1). The cast can't stage door because the teeangers are out of control. There was a teenager who is an "Spongebob Instagram Stan" who was hiring cars to follow Ethan home and starting fights with cast online. They had to find her school and tell her Dean because it was so out of control. It's scary how entitled social media has made these teenager "stans". It's really really scary how these children think they're owned anything more than the performance their parents money paid for. I feel really bad for what the extremely sweet/earnest/hard working cast has to deal with because I don't think these kids realize how uncomfortable they're making the cast. I started noticing around the time of Heathers how out of control and overbearing to cast members a certain faction of the theatre fan community has gotten. It's NUTS."

 

The cast CAN and DOES stage door except after matinees on two show days. I was the one who posted information about that crazy Spongebob fan but that has NOTHING to do with the fact that they don't come out after matinees on two show days. The cast would like to rest and eat in between shows and that's it - period. Also, she did not hire cars to follow Ethan home - she's not even 15 years old. I'm not defending this girl but if I were you I'd refrain from spreading false information when you clearly don't know anything about the situation.

Updated On: 6/26/18 at 05:37 PM