The Cache Theatre Company’s ongoing production of ‘The SpongeBob Musical’ opened to wild applause at the Ellen Eccles Theatre on Friday evening.
LOGAN – The Cache Theatre Company’s production of The SpongeBob Musical is stupid.
Gloriously stupid.
Unapologetically, gloriously stupid.
Whatya want? It’s about a sponge!
The SpongeBob Musical is based on the Nickelodeon cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants, with music by pop artists including Yolanda Adams, Stephen Tyler and Joe Parry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend and others.
Director Whitney Metz sees all kinds of life lessons in The SpongeBob Musical about what we’ve all gone through in the past couple of years with the pandemic.
I dunno, seems like we’re thinking too much about this.
But I do know that she’s put together a show that crackles with energy, good humor and fun. That’s enough for me.
For the adults reading this, I’m going to have to explain the tissue paper thin plot. SpongeBob SquarePants (Kaito Davis) is a fry cook in a joint run by Eugene H. Krabs (John Brailsford) in Bikini Bottom.
There’s an undersea volcano that’s going to destroy Bikini Bottom. Evil genius Sheldon J. Plankton (Chris Metz) and the lovely Karen the Computer (Megan Kasparian) come up with a nefarious plot.
While Squidward Q. Tentacles (Sara Marshall) rehearses for the telethon (don’t worry about it), SpongeBob and BFF Patrick Star (Julian Carli) decided to blow up the volcano with the help of land mammal Sandy Cheeks (Nālani Matthias).
At least, I think that’s the plot. I didn’t understand it either, until my 10-year-old granddaughter explained who’s who. But it’s more fun if you don’t take it too seriously; the cast certainly doesn’t.
There’s a lot going on, but most of it is just an excuse to kick off another production number with a dynamite chorus and ensemble.
The point is everybody on stage is having a ball and you will too.
Speaking of production numbers, the best of those is “I’m Not a Loser” with Sara Marshall leading an ensemble in a tap dance. It brought down the house on opening night.
Music is provided by a live orchestra led by conductor Trevor Teuscher. Some of the 20 musicians are on stage with the actors, with the rest in the pit, so Teuscher is visible throughout the show. He ends up catching props whenever the actors are done with them; you’ve got to see it to believe it.
Standouts in the talented CTC cast are Chris Metz in a wildly over-the-top performance as Sheldon J. Plankton; Kaito Davis as the painfully earnest SpongeBob; Sara Marshall as Squidward; Nālani Matthias as Sandy Cheeks; Savannah Cordova as Pearl Krabs; Anna Brown as the annoyingly persistent Patchy the Pirate; and young Zoey Ford is adorable as SpongeBob’s sidekick Gary.
Kudos to Connor Harrison and his costume crew of Caroline Robbins, Lisa Christiansen, Rachel Maughan and Austin Robbins for costumes so garishly colorful they could keep you awake hanging in the closet at night.
Evening performances of The SpongeBob Musical are slated 7:30 p.m. at the Ellen Eccles Theatre in downtown Logan on April 23, 25, 28, 29 and 30.
Matinees are slated for 1:30 p.m. on April 23 and 30.