SpongeBob Heads to Broadway

[JamesG]

SpongeBob SquarePants Musical to Splash Onto Broadway
by Ashley Lee
8/31/15


SpongeBob SquarePants is headed to Broadway.

A new nautical-set musical based on the popular Nickelodeon animated series will debut on Broadway in the 2016-17 season. It will make its world premiere in Chicago, beginning performances on June 7, 2016, at the Oriental Theatre. The limited engagement will run through July 3.





Co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau, The SpongeBob Musical includes music by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Jonathan Coulton, Dirty Projectors, The Flaming Lips, John Legend, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, Panic! at the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants and T.I., with an additional song by David Bowie and additional lyrics by Coulton.

It features a book by Kyle Jarrow, and music supervision by Tom Kitt.



The production's creative team includes scenic and costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Kevin Adams, projection design by Peter Nigrini and sound design by Walter Trarbach.

Casting will be announced shortly. It will be produced by Nickelodeon.





The stage jump is just another frontier for the Bikini Bottom-set television series, which premiered in 1999 and has been the most watched animated program with kids for more than 13 consecutive years.

It is also the most widely distributed property in Viacom history, seen in over 185 countries and translated into more than 50 languages.

Its two feature films, 2004's The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and 2015's The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, grossed $140 million and $311 million worldwide.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...roadway-818938

[JamesG]

SpongeBob SquarePants Headed To Broadway: Palace Theatre Become Bikini Bottom in Late 2017
by Erik Pedersen
June 5, 2017


Absorbent and yellow and porous is he — and soon a Broadway star to boot. A new SpongeBob SquarePants musical is headed to the Main Stem, which previews starting November 6 at the Palace Theatre and opening night on December 4.

It is, of course, just the latest beloved IP to have a go at the Great White Way after such mega-successes as The Lion King, Wicked and Aladdin and more recently School of Rock, Groundhog Day and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.





The SpongeBob SquarePants cast will include Ethan Slater as everyone’s favorite pineapple-dwelling fry cook, Danny Skinner as his best pal Patrick Starfish, Gavin Lee as SpongeBob’s neighbor/co-work/sort-of nemesis Squidward, and Lilli Cooper as the air-breathing squirrel Sandy Cheeks.

The full cast will be named later.





An overview of the story for the show, which originally was announced in August 2015: Stakes are higher than ever before as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world.

Chaos erupts. Lives hang in the balance. And just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage.





“We could not be more thrilled to bring Nickelodeon’s iconic SpongeBob SquarePants to the theater in an original musical conceived specifically for Broadway,” Nickelodeon Group President Cyma Zarghami said of the show that originated in Chicago last summer.

“We are also incredibly honored to be in such a gorgeous house as The Palace, where audiences will be immersed in the fun and surprising world of Bikini Bottom.”



Added James L. Nederlander, president of the Nederlander Organization:

“We are very happy to welcome Nickelodeon and SpongeBob SquarePants to Broadway. The Palace is the perfect size and scale for this new musical, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to open our doors to it.”

http://deadline.com/2017/06/spongebo...re-1202107567/

[Tubehead]

sorry i hate spongebob my brother used to watch it!! he was still in high shcool!! i don't see why people like it so much!! i guess i just like the older classic cartoons the best!!

[JamesG]

Broadway’s SpongeBob SquarePants Musical Sets Closing Date
by Greg Evans
July 9, 2018


"SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical" will tap its last dance on Sunday, September 16, concluding a 10-month run at the Nederlander Organization’s Palace Theater.

Producers say a North American tour will being in fall 2019 (details to be announced) and school and youth group licensing rights will be available in early 2019.




In the closing announcement, producers – led by Nickelodeon with The Araca Group, Sony Music Masterworks and Kelp on the Road – attributed the Broadway closing to previously planned major theater renovations set to begin mid-September.

The musical, directed by Tina Landau, with book by Kyle Jarrow, music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Tom Kitt and choreography by Christopher Gattelli, was nominated for 12 Tony Awards but took home only of the trophies last month: For David Zinn’s Scenic Design of a Musical.




"SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical", which began previews on November 6, 2017, and opened on December 4, 2017, will have played 327 regular performances and 29 previews when it closes September 16.

https://deadline.com/2018/07/broadwa...te-1202422980/

[Bonniegirl]

Cool!!! I'm a big SpongeBob fan!! I'd love to see this!!!