Chatham Life & Style

by Rachel Kasten & Emory Kasten, staff writers

The SpongeBob Musical

University Theatre at NC State University

Titmus Theatre, Frank Thompson Hall

March 31 - April 10, 2022

Learn more about NC State’s University Theatre at theatre.arts.ncsu.edu

A stay at home order, xenophobia, government failing to handle a major crisis, mistrust of science, and people capitalizing on others’ fears to make money…is The SpongeBob Musical actually more prescient in the age of covid? Don’t be ridiculous; it’s about a cartoon dish sponge living in a pineapple under the sea.

The SpongeBob Musical was made for three groups of people: (1) children, (2) those who have some nostalgia attached to the SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon, and (3) those willing/able to watch the show under the influence of an illicit substance. Unfortunately, I am not a member of any of these groups, so The SpongeBob Musical is most definitely not for me. The plot (such that it is) is: a volcano close to Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob's undersea home, is nearing eruption. Amid fear and chaos, could an optimistic sponge and his friends save the day? Going into intermission I was honestly dreading spending another hour in the neon undersea, but after I let myself escape into the utter nonsense of the show’s premise (and general physics/mechanics of its world), I came to appreciate the effort, enthusiasm, and talent that went into NC State’s first musical in two years, under Mia Self's direction.

A dynamic, sloping stage gave the illusion of sand drifts, and the colorful scenery from Jayme Mellema (paper plates, bubble wrap, and egg cartons were used to make a convincing reef) did indeed transport the audience into a cartoon-like world before the show began. NC State deserves credit for offering live captions during the show, a move that increases accessibility and was helpful given the sound mixing issues (the band often drowned out the vocals). Still, it was possible to appreciate the tight, strong harmonies throughout the show, thanks to Diane C. Petteway’s strong music direction, as well as the fun, energetic dances developed by an ensemble of choreographers and cast members. This is particularly impressive considering how long it’s been since many of these performers have been on stage and how much time it can take for a new ensemble to bond: nearly 20 members of the cast were performing in their very first musical through University Theatre.

I was impressed by the ability of Justin Jones, playing the titular sponge, to maintain absolute commitment and enthusiasm in his role for two straight hours. He also showed off a lovely tenor voice (that, again, I wish I could have heard a little better). As Patrick Star, Devin Lackey displays the perfect dudebro energy. And Kat Cupp makes a star turn as the brilliant but misunderstood Sandy Cheeks, particularly in the song “Chop to the Top.” Cupp is a first-year student who I hope to see much, much more of in the local theatre scene. Two other actors, both tap dancers, making their University Theatre debut wowed: Zosia DeWitt, showcasing her humor and physicality as Karen the Computer, and Kara Cushman, who lent her gorgeous vocals to angsty teen Pearl Krabs.

While The SpongeBob Musical itself doesn’t do much to justify its own existence, University Theatre seems to be dusting off the seaweed just fine after two years, heading towards a strong future with a number of talented performers and designers. -- R. Kasten

It’s been two years since they’ve done a musical at this theater, so I’m pretty sure it’s my first time being there. It was odd that they made a musical out of SpongeBob. But I loved it - from the great costumes by Laura J. Parker to the amazing set by Jayme Mellema! I loved how in the doorway to get into the theater there was a blue curtain that made it seem like you were going under the sea. I also liked how they put up part of a set in the back of the audience. I also liked that they had captions right above the stage.

I thought it was very funny when a pirate came on the stage before the show, and the ushers dragged them off. I knew before it happened that the pirate would come back before intermission, and they did. I really like the jellyfish costumes. I thought the glowing pink was beautiful. The Texas Squirrel puppets were also adorable! I do wish that Sandy the Squirrel had a fake tail.

There was an “Anti-Land Animal group” who said they thought hair was weird, but doesn’t that apply to whales and dolphins too? Their scene was so funny that after they marched by shouting “Blame the squirrel!,” a kid in the audience shouted it too. Probably the only thing I disliked about the story was that they had to climb Mount Humongous to stop the eruption. Couldn’t they just swim?

A few characters weren’t very nice to each other. I thought that the newsman was kind of a jerk to Ms. Mayor and that SpongeBob was being kind of unfair to Sandy when he said he was lonely without Patrick. She’s his friend, too.

Lastly, I LOVED that the character Squidward (played by Jay Lineberry) wanted to be an actor and perform for everyone in the show (so do I!). -- E. Kasten

Rachel Kasten (she/her), staff writer, is a producer, writer, and community organizer serving as Graduate Program Coordinator for the PhD in Geospatial Analytics at NC State University. She co-founded Cutler Bay Community Theatre in Miami, FL and served on the board of the NC Women’s Theatre Festival. Rachel has previously published pieces for national publications on topics including infertility, feminism, and dismantling white supremacy. She writes as one half of Chatham Life & Style’s Mom & Son team, which reports on educational experiences and family arts events. She began writing for Chatham Life & Style in 2019.

Emory Kasten (he/him), staff writer, is 9 years old and in 3rd grade. His mom, staff writer Rachel Kasten, took him to his first opera at age 2, and they’ve been attending shows together ever since. He loves musicals and is a proud Cub Scout. Emory enjoys writing stories, hoping one day to publish a book. He writes as half of Chatham Life & Style’s Mom & Son writing team, which reports on educational experiences and family arts events. He began writing for Chatham Life & Style in 2019.