CTC’s SpongeBob SquarePants the Musical opened last night to roaring crowds. We’re talking audience at rock-concert level of screams for every single number – and why wouldn’t they? All the music is written by Grammy-Award-Winning Rock Stars, including a flock of Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famers: John Legend, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Yolanda Adams, David Bowie, Lady Antebellum, Cindi Lauper, Sara Bareilles, T.I. and Panic at the Disco. A terrific range of catchy musical styles, from rock to power-ballad, rap to gospel.
SpongeBob won "Best Musical" from the Drama Desk Awards and Outer Critics Circle Awards; 12 Tony nominations (including Best Music, Best Orchestrations, Best Book, and Best Musical). CTC’S opening night audience jumped to standing ovation before the show was even done. Energized by a joyful cast, CTC’s expansive, imaginative production is a stunning visual wonderland of a show.
The colorful explosion of the immersive opening sequence alone is mind-blowing - Award-Winning Choreographer Lindsay Fussell at her finest - and the thrills just. never. stop. Hot direction and non-stop pacing seamlessly zips scenes into fantastical seaworld marvels while the laughs, songs and dance just keep charging on. SpongeBob SquarePants the Musical is gorgeous, high energy, and quite simply, a fantastically imagined pro-turn from a master story-teller - seasoned regional Director Josh Ruben. As magnificent and fun, and as magical a production as Chattanooga has seen in years - not to be missed. A gloriously singing, on-fire dancing, and colorfully costumed power-cast inhabits one of the finest most lush, colorful, and extensive sets ever on the CTC stage.
Directed within an inch of its hilarious life by multi-award-winning Josh Ruben (NHS Fine Arts Chair, he holds the prestigious CTC Star Turn Award for his hilarious “Nostradamus” rendering of “It’s A Musical” in Something Rotten), Director Ruben brings the dash, the funny and split-second-timing panache to this high-energy, zing-filled show, even laying in with finesse sensitively directed moments of the heart-meltingly feel-good story that we all need this summer.
CTC Designer in Residence Adam Miecielica has outrageously outdone himself and Bikini Bottom too. The stage, gorgeously awash with bottom-of-the-ocean bubbly cerulean blue, rolls, swirls and lights-up. Sets spin from brightly colorful props, beautifully setting a moment, to the absolute set masterpiece of the show, Mount Humongous - an enormous ‘stage-filling’ set piece “SpongeBob” and “Sandy” desperately climb (to save the apocalyptic world.)
While SpongeBob and Sandy hang on for dear life, the mount (rather, two enormous ‘jungle-gym’ mountains), are in constant rotation, turning and spinning around each other as SpongeBob and Sandy simultaneously climb through and over, singing while their world “spins,” creating hauntingly intricate pictures - all flashed expertly by the inspired under-sea Lighting Design of CTC’s Resident Lighting Designer, Jeff Davis.
See the unbelievable theatrical mastery of the Mount Humongous sequences. A stirring tribute to the spectacular collaboration of the entire SpongeBob Creative Team which includes Projection Designer (a wonder of cartoon punchlines), Sarah Miecielica. (Clearly the Miecielicas are a CTC design force). It’s all on display here - set design, lighting, immaculate direction; heart-stopping, show-stopping compelling acting (while singing fabulous songs fabulously); and all this magic-ed by the expertise of the spirited tech crew rolling and controlling the mountain. An “all-in” conflagration that made this incredibly difficult theater magic happen as if effortless magic. This scene alone is what we buy tickets for.
As fantastic as the visual party is, the “Sound Explosion” is rock-concert incredible. Expert Music Direction from CTC Award-Winner Vincent Hale (Dean of Fine Arts CCA, recently seen as the suave Curtis in CTC’s sellout, Dreamgirls).
The cast vocals are majestically gorgeous. Every. Single. Number. Stacked harmonies, lush tones, every actor - from leads to ensemble - sing like they’ve got their own Grammy. And should you doubt the level of sheer talent, wait for the lushly chills-inducing heart-stopping full-cast acapella near the end of the show. Sound Design from tech gurus Chris Hamilton and Christy Arthur of Dalton is professional perfection. From “undersea” reverbs and special effects, to illuminating those glorious vocals – solos to full-roar ensembles - while expertly tracking mics and vocal-levels for an enormous school of fish.
And here’s to the expert cast. Led by a spritely happy Jordon Alexander (SpongeBob), don't miss his incredibly moving, standout number "Simple Sponge" by Panic at the Disco. Beautifully sung, he energetically helms this musical masterpiece of a concept by Director Ruben, all choreographed so movingly by Lindsay Fussell at her finest, with stunning Vincent Hale vocal support of the ensemble. And then...lookout for SpongeBob’s nemesis, newcomer Levi Witt in his CTC show-stopping debut as the hilarious eville “Planckton.” You cannot take your eyes off the comic genius of Levi Witt (Georgia State Best Actor) – every cool move and every wild vocal captivates the audience and the denizens of Bikini Bottom who join his eville song (by T.I.), "When the Going Gets Tough," a raucous, full-cast rap number. I’m giving him my personal award for “Best Eville Voice” and waited for his return to the stage. Planckton/Witt is accompanied by his beautiful computer-eville wife “Karen,” full of sass giving as good as she gets, played by the beautiful and coyly witty Carlee Blankenship (Georgia State Championship Best Actress, also in her CTC debut).
All are standout vocalists and dancers, and so many standout performances. In particular watch for: Myles Robinson bringing the house down as the adorable, dynamic four-legged yet tap-dancing “Squidward” – tapping out Fussell’s choreo at its Broadway Best; Ariez Sun striding the stage as the ever fiery, yet lovable, “Mr. Krabs;” Macy Bedard as “Mayor” in her CTC debut, a forceful, charming “voice of reason” for Bikini Bottom with stratospheric vocals; and in the gospel give-it-up - and does she ever – role of "Pearl," Kaylyn Yancey, she sings like there’s no tomorrow, you’ll ‘wait’ for her too; the sweet but dim-witted “Patrick” played by Austin Adderholt sails the show to the heavens with the Yolanda Adams written show-stopper “Super Star Sea Savior” featuring fabulous stand-out vocals from Aja Gibson; “Sandy the Squirrel,” played by the perky and unstoppable, lush-voiced Heidi Block; William Splawn as the importantly on point ‘doom and gloom’ “Perch the Newscaster,” bringing all his scenes with solid baritone vocals and pro command; Ethan Joyce as the ‘Get off my lawn,‘ “Old Man,” even without a song, is simply hilarious in every cane-swinging moment as is Avery Moore, the smart-aleck “Lobster”; Cartoon icon “Patchy the Pirate,” expertly swashbuckled by Robert Dann, kicks off Act I and II in rousing high “Arg” style; and the denizens of Bikini Bottom themselves – from the “Sardines” to the “Electric Skates Rock Band,” vocally led in superior rockout style by Lee Larson (yes, they rock and roll while zooming on electrified skates and skateboards – while singing Aerosmith!); and certainly not least, an animated John Echols provides hilarious on-stage “Foley-Artist” cartoon sound effects that get their own laughs.
SpongeBob is non-stop action - every song a show-stopping number with that signature Lindsay Fussell show-stopping Choreography; the Vincent Hale show-stopping Music Direction; the gorgeous sets, lights, and sound design, colorful designed costumes from Cole Spivia, happy props designed by Prop Master Jacqueline Kleiner; and a highly talented, ebullient cast and tech crew marshalled by Stage Manager Rodney Strong and Assistant Stage Manager Kleiner - all under the leadership and direction of Multi-Award-Winning Director, Educator, and Alliance Theatre Teaching Artist, who’s a funny, funny man, regional Director Josh Ruben – in his wildly spectacular, gorgeous CTC Directorial Debut.
CTC's SpongeBob is a triumph, the Smash Hit of Chattanooga’s Summer Season! Laugh. Sing. Bring the family, bring a date! With Audience dancing in the aisles (yes, they spontaneously danced Saturday night!) SpongeBob SquarePants the Musical is THE happy feel-good show of the year. I’ve already got my tiks to see it again. See. You. There.
Show Dates
Thursday through Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday Matinees at 2:30 pm.
The show runs through August 3.
Get tickets online at : https://ci.ovationtix.com/35678/production/1200585
Or Call The Box Office : (423) 267-8534
(Open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.)