The problem with Spongebob- Page 2

[RexInLights]

Posted: 6/13/18 at 11:00am

I've never seen a single episode of the Spongebob TV show and I enjoyed the musical a great deal for its imagination, optimism, and joyfulness. So while this may have been your problem with it, it's not a blanket problem at all.

Updated On: 6/13/18 at 11:00 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 6/13/18 at 11:06am

I really enjoyed SpongeBob. It was the best adaptation of the season, hands down, and possibly one of the best adaptations in musical theatre. It took a property that, on paper, seems impossible to adapt to live performance and did so with aplomb and a boundless well of creativity. I also appreciated its messages (unlike Jesse Green, I DO think it has something to say, and something important, too!), which is something the cartoon series doesn't really do.

But at the end of the day, it is still held back, pretty much by design, by its source material. A musical based off a madcap, frantic Saturday morning cartoon- no matter how well it translates to the stage- is still going to feel more shallow than something serious-minded like The Band's Visit.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/25/18 at 11:15pm

Didnt want to start a new SB thread, so pulling up this old one that seems appropriate.

I didn't have much desire to see this. However, based on all the positive comments on this site...especially the rooting for it to do well at the Tonys... combined with the availability of cheap tix had me often trying to convince my teen son to go. He (who watched GADS of SB as a kid) had no interest. 

So, I had the opportunity to be spending the day in the city alone and took the plunge. I can honestly say I kept an open mind, but good God in heaven, did I despise this. I hated nearly everything about it, including the audience. 

It hurt my ears, it hurt my eyes and most of all my (theater loving) soul. Am I a theater snob? Probably. No offense to those that enjoyed it, but I'd easily become After8 if I had to experience more shows like this. (And yes, I can appreciate the imagination it took in creating the costumes and set)

When did they start teaching lighting designers that every show must blind the audience at least once a performance?  (That's a general criticism, hardly what turned me from being a fan.)

I was rooting for the demise of Bikini Bottom, it couldn't come fast enough.

[hamiltonboys]

Posted: 8/26/18 at 4:10am

I ended up seeing Spongebob a few weeks ago. I was a huge fan of the show growing up, and I’ve been listening to the cast recording since it came out.

The show itself was as fun as I thought it’d be. The crowd was probably the most enthusiastic I’ve ever seen on Broadway (I think even more so then the crowd was when I was at Hamilton).

The set was amazing- glad it was honored at the Tonys. Especially the volcano of boxes and ladders. The book was hilarious- jammed full of references to the show, but funny enough on its own.

I really only had a few quibbles. I was not a fan of Wesley Taylor’s Plankton. The actor on the recording does the “voice” a lot better. Wesley had some weird accent that made it hard to understand anything he said. The rap number is a lot more fun when listening to it on the recording. In the theatre it was a lot cringier than it thought it would be, but the audience seemed to love it. “No Control” also felt super out of place.

The first act as a whole was entertaining, but the plot really meandered along. The second act seemed a lot more cohesive and consistent in tone. The volcano climbing scenes were awesome to watch as well.

Curtis was on as Spongebob. He did a great job, but I wish we would have seen Ethan. The standouts were Squidward, Mr. Krabs, and Pearl. The cast as a whole were so energetic.

My dad saw it with me. He really did not want to see it, but I convinced him. After act one I could tell he was not a fan so far. Afterwards, he told me that he loved the second act. I think it takes a bit to warm up to the weirdness of the show.

To end on a positive note: “I’m Not a Loser” is one of the best musical numbers I’ve seen. Just pure joy. It almost made me tear up. Maybe it wasn’t necessarily the number itself, maybe it was out of my sadness that this quirky, joyous musical would soon be gone. I’m glad I got to see it while I had the chance.