In 2017 I saw the original Broadway production of The SpongeBob Musical…and as I took my seat in the Palace Theatre I asked myself, “Are you really doing this?” Let me explain - I was in high school when SpongeBob SquarePants debuted on television. I was in college when it became an institution. So, I missed a lot of the hype. All I knew was the absurd premise of a yellow sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea, has a starfish for a best friend, and flips burgers for a living. So why was I seeing this show? Well, I had heard so much about Ethan Slater’s portrayal of the titular sponge, and I wanted to see it for myself (he should have won the Tony Award).  I also wondered about the score which wasn’t written by a single composer and lyricist, but was assembled from original contributions by such diverse and renowned artists as David Bowie, Panic! at the Disco, Cyndi Lauper, The Flaming Lips, Sarah Bareilles, Steven Tyler, Lady A, and John Legend. This show was clearly either going to be a revelation or a huge mess.  What I did not expect was that I would leave that show with an earnest and genuine smile, an uplifted heart, and a new appreciation of one of the oddest cartoon characters ever created.  The show had overcome any lingering cynicism and snark I may have carried in – and when the national tour launched, I made sure to attend and to take friends.

So, let me assure you of some things right now: if you have only a passing knowledge of the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom – you can see and enjoy this show. If you think this show is only for children – you will be astounded by how relevant and pointed the plot is in the face of some very real, adult issues (even eight years after its premiere). If you think that SpongeBob is an annoying and perhaps even corrupting influence on young people – I urge you to take a hard look at the cartoons we grew up watching. A sarcastic rabbit with a fondness for drag, a pant-less pig with a stutter, and a mentally unstable duck with a lisp aren’t too far removed from the delightful absurdities of that underwater pineapple.

The Chattanooga Theatre Centre’s production is just as joyful, colorful, and well-sung as any I have seen. The costume design, sets, lighting, sound, and direction are flawless. They honor the original production while also displaying innovations to fit and highlight the Theatre Centre stage. Jordan Alexander, who was one of the funniest parts of last season’s La Cage aux Folles, is a spectacular SpongeBob. It’s deceptively hard to portray a well-known character, especially a cartoon, as an homage and not as an impression. Alexander brings everything you want in the character, but also shows off a wonderful voice, comedic sensibility, and physical presence. Austin Adderholt plays Patrick, the loveable starfish, with a skill equal to Jordan Alexander’s. Adderholt’s delivery of the character’s dim-witted dialogue gives way during songs to an absolutely glorious singing voice.  You may not expect to be moved to tears by The SpongeBob Musical, but the song “I (Guess I) Miss You” in the second act speaks so simply and unself-consciously about friendship and love – and is performed here with such expertise that you very well may discover that you have developed a decidedly damp eye.

Our central characters find themselves facing a very dangerous situation when a volcano threatens to destroy Bikini Bottom. Sandy Cheeks, an ocean-dwelling, Texan squirrel and friend to SpongeBob is an easy scapegoat. She may also be the town’s only hope. Heidi Brock plays Sandy here and wonderfully portrays the character’s hope and intelligence while also showing the sadness of being made to feel an outsider by your own community. Not that Bikini Bottom isn’t filled with outsiders. Myles Robinson is a delightfully droll Squidward – Spongebob’s put-upon co-worker. Poor Squidward just wants a chance to perform and Robinson takes full advantage of that eventual opportunity in a thoroughly enjoyable tap number that highlights Lindsay Fussell’s choreography.

Ariez Sun plays Mr. Krabs, owner of the Krusty Krab restaurant, and Kaylyn Yancey is his daughter Pearl – a whale. They may not be the same species, but their struggles with teenage rebellion and their ultimately loving relationship prove that families are families no matter how they look.  Both performers are wonderfully matched to their characters and had the audience laughing throughout the show while also showing off terrific voices.

Though the residents of Bikini Bottom are more than willing to blame each other for their impending doom, there is only one real villain in their midst: Plankton. Along with his robot wife, Karen, Plankton schemes to use the threat of the volcano to relocate everyone to a new home where he can be king and everyone will love his restaurant, The Chum Bucket, rather than the Krusty Krab. Levi Witt and Carlee Blankenship are Plankton and Karen, and I cannot imagine a better pair for these roles. Blankenship’s Karen is the perfect partner and foil for Witt’s hilariously out-sized evil genius. Her reactions to his antics are perfect. Witt’s background in improv and amazing comedic prowess make him a real stand-out of this production. His delivery of Plankton’s rap during the song “When the Going Gets Tough” is worth the price of a ticket all by itself.  I hope we get to see him in future shows on the Theatre Centre stage!

Filling the stage along with these characters is a terrific ensemble. I have to compliment the very talented Vincent Hale’s music direction. The choral work in this show is astoundingly gorgeous.  He’s really brought something special out of this cast.  Let me also compliment John Echols who serves as the Foley Artist – a role you won’t find in many musicals. Echols spends the whole show creating almost constant sound-effects at a breakneck pace and of infinite variety. Watching him is like watching a conductor perform the most unusual symphony known to man. His performance along with Robert Dann’s fantastically off-the-wall Patchy the Pirate only add to the joyous madness of this heartwarming show.

Director Josh Ruben is to be congratulated for his work as ringmaster of this circus of a musical. I can’t think of a better way to round out the summer than by catching a performance.  Take your family, take your friends, take yourself – nobody will leave disappointed or without a smile.  If you are already a SpongeBob fan, you are sure to love it, and if you aren’t…you will be.

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 rock out 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 tickets to see it again. See. You. There.