MTM5 Day 2: The Spongebob Musical

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I think everyone who saw the announcement for the Spongebob musical had a moment of ‘wait, what?’. I’d been hearing that it was good, but I also don’t have a lot of strong memories of watching Spongebob like lots of people my age do. I saw it, but it wasn’t something I was really into.

Which is why I can tell you definitively without nostalgia affecting my judgement: The Spongebob Musical is good. I enjoyed it very much. The music was fun and it made me laugh. There are two things in particular I want to mention.

First, the costumes and the staging were amazing. Everything was so bright and colorful, and I loved seeing the creative ways they got their point across. I loved all the costumes they chose to represent all the non-human characters as humans while still making them very recognizable. I loved Patrick’s big crochet cape. Who’s the person who gets paid to make a big crochet cape? I would like for it to be me, please.

Second, the only reason I know all this about the staging and costumes is because this show was professionally filmed and shown to the public. That’s such a rarity. The conversation has been had many times by people smarter and more knowledgeable than me, but seriously. Musical theater needs to be more accessible. There are far more people in the world than those who have access to New York City or London. Those who are determined will watch bootlegs, and those who aren’t just won’t be exposed to theater. Why not give them access to something that shows how good your work is, and preserves it for the future? And the opportunity to pay for something they like?

Anyway. I’m going to be thinking about the development process of Squidward’s pants for some time. I so badly want a behind-the-scenes look at that–Squidward’s pants, and how he learned to dance in them. It’s good stuff.