SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS Previews — Page 4

If you have seen this show and have enjoyed it, I'm genuinely happy for you. I wish I could make the same claim. Unfortunately, I couldn't wait to get out of the theater. I found myself agreeing with the majority of what Ripped Man has stated.

The songs were not memorable, the plot is a mess and the production value just seemed very cheap.

The crowd sitting around me look disinterested. Saw a couple of people sleeping during the first act.

On the positive, the cast is giving it everything. I appreciated the amount of energy and passion they are throwing into the production.

If this is a kid's show, it's WAY too long and boring. If this is a show for adults, it's also way too long and boring. A thirty minute cartoon can not sustain a 2:40 musical.

Walking out, it reminded me of Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark. Like Spiderman, I felt the merch was the best part of the show. They will likely sell a lot of t-shirts and hats but not sure the same can be said for full priced tickets.

Updated On: 11/7/17 at 11:50 PM

I was there last night and had a lot of fun. I would definitely call this a spectacle as the show goes beyond the proscenium and the production values are pretty impressive. Overall, the leads are all great and work hard with the material, which at the end of the day is a cartoon story. Gavin Lee's performance even with a small role is great and his moment to shine will likely earn him a Tony nomination. I would love for Ethan Slater to also be recognized, he is charming from the beginning, has an incredible voice, and physically works very hard (seeing him jump, twist, turn so many times made my joints ache). And yes, Ethan wears pants now as opposed to shorts in the Chicago production, the pants overall work better for the look.

Pearl, 19-year old Jai'len Josey, has an amazing voice and she is definitely a stand out, though no Tony-nominee material as someone had suggested above (but then again Elizabeth A Davis in Once got one, so anything is possible). (Side Note - Casey Nicholaw needs to at least consider her for Dreamgirls, she would definitely tear the house down as any role really).

The direction feels a little loose towards the end and it might need a little more focus to make it more potent, it's a little long currently.

For a 2nd preview there were minimal mistakes (microphones in and out, Patrick tripping) but perhaps the most apparent one was during the 'Chop to the Top' choreo with Sandy, she had a quick interruption when a prop moved when it wasn't supposed to and made Lilly stop in her tracks briefly as she has to dance around it.

I would recommend it to people, it was just a lot of fun, and they succeed at making you feel nostalgic about SpongeBob as if it were a long distant memory, despite it still being on TV. One song about lost friendship definitely made some fans around me cry, so good on the production for finding the heart in that moment.

Updated On: 11/8/17 at 07:45 AM

I thought it was colorful, endlessly inventive, and sweet natured.

It's also aimed squarely at the kiddies more so than other Bway family offerings.

Regarding production values, I thought they were ace. I especially loved the way they did the volcano.

The pirate subplot needs to go (apologies to Sara Bareilles).

Tom Kitt deserves some kind of award for finessing the disparate songs into a cohesive sounding whole.

Not exactly capris. More like rolled up highwaters. Same length, though.

Saw the preview last night and this has got to be the most pleasant surprise Ive had in a long while. I went in thinking "hmm why does this need to exist again? A SpongeBob musical?" But within a few seconds of the opening number as the characters are introduced one by one, the music and actors exude so much unadulterated joy, heart, and fun that I was completely won over. Is it trying to reinvent the wheel? Not at all. But it will give you a full evening of non-stop energy and joy.

I had a few minor quibbles: 1. The Patchy the Pirate segments feel very under-realized. He really is missing something, be it audience interaction, some sense of spontaneity, or a killer introduction. 2. I was surprised that they mostly made the songs by different artists work cohesively (thanks to some smart orchestrations it seems). But there are a couple that felt a bit jarring. And while most of the songwriters nailed it, some of the songs had incredibly simple lyrics in repetition (like, ya know...pop songs) which made me wonder if getting such a wide variety of artists involved was necessary. 3. Some sound balance issues still need to be worked out, especially in the early moments. But this is extremely common in early previews and will surely be worked out soon.

But the positives far outweighed these. Ethan Slater is perfect as SpongeBob and will absolutely get a Tony nomination (and I expect many more roles will be coming his way). He exudes more energy than one could imagine. Gavin Lee has a fun tap number that shows off his dancing skills and makes the crowd go wild. Jai'Len Christine Li Josey plays Pearl (the whale, Mr Krabbs daughter) and at just 18 and in her Broadway debut is showcasing one of the biggest voices you're ever likely to hear. All of the cast members were brilliant at incorporating iconic bits from the show and really felt like cartoon characters come to life. Its also clear the designers had an absolute blast with this show. The scenic and lighting design are incredible, like a tiki bar on crack. There's also someone doing live sound effects, which was a neat touch to bring about the feel of the show (Spongebob makes squishy noises when he steps, tossed items make ridiculous crashing sounds, etc). If you have kids you want to bring to a show, I dont think I could recommend this one enough. The little ones last night were eating it up.

Bikini Bottom Day is in my head and it will not leave. LOL

I also like Tomorrow Is. Does it still close Act 1? Does it have alot of emotional impact performed live? Seems a little out of place amid the other pop and rock numbers, but it's quickly growing on me.

And apologies if this has already been discussed, but if the score gets a Tony nom, do all the songwriters get noms and Tonys if they win, or maybe just Kitt will be recognized? Has a show like this ever been nominated?

Oh yeah, I'm in love with Ethan Slater. And since his best friend is "Patrick" I'm a shoe-in to be Ethan's BFF, right?? :)