Make a Splash! New SPONGEBOB Musical Sets Winter Auditions for Two Starring Roles

Think you could rock a starfish or crab costume onstage? THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL is looking to fill two of its leading roles for its World Premiere engagement in Chicago this summer, and BroadwayWorld is excited to report auditions will be held this or next month in New York City and on January 29th in Orlando, Fla.

According to an Actors Equity notice, the project is seeking stars to play SpongeBob's not-the-sharpest starfish best friend 'Patrick' and his boss at the Krusty Krab restaurant, 'Mr. Krabs'.

Rehearsals will begin this April in NYC before a May 31, 2016 start date at Broadway In Chicago's Oriental Theatre. As previously announced, THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL will run through Sunday, July 3, 2016, with plans for a Broadway transfer in the 2016-17 season.

The musical is co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau with choreography by Christopher Gattelli, book by Kyle Jarrow, and music supervision by Tom Kitt.

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL, produced by Nickelodeon, will be a one-of-a-kind musical event with original songs 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 Jonathan Coulton.

The design team includes scenic and costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Kevin Adams, projection design by Peter Nigrini, sound design by Walter Trarbach and casting by Telsey + Company (casting).

The end is near. Only one sponge can save the day. But he's going to need help from some of the greatest songwriters in rock and pop music history. THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL is a rousing tale of a simple sea sponge who faces the unfathomable. It's a celebration of unbridled hope, unexpected heroes, and pure theatrical invention.

Since premiering on Nickelodeon in July 1999, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS has emerged as a pop culture phenomenon. The series has been the most-watched animated program with kids for more than 13 consecutive years, and over the past several years, it has averaged more than 1 million total viewers every quarter across all Nickelodeon networks. As the most widely distributed property in Viacom history, SpongeBob is seen in over 185 countries and translated in more than 50 languages. The character-driven cartoon chronicles the nautical and sometimes nonsensical adventures of SpongeBob, an incurably optimist and earnest sea sponge, and his undersea friends.