Review: A Delightful Dive into THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL

He has conquered television and film and now SpongeBob SquarePants seems poised to charm his way into the hearts of Broadway theatergoers if THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL is any indication. The show, which officially opened its Pre-Broadway run on June 19th at Chicago's Oriental Theatre (24 E. Randolph) offers endearing optimism in an era when -let's face it-real world political and social forces threaten to divide and conquer much the same way an impending volcanic eruption and the reaction of townsfolk threaten the serenity of the show's underwater hamlet of Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob is exactly the kind of hero we need right now.

As the title character, Ethan Slater more than proves himself to be more than just an ordinary sponge. He's nailed the character's boundless optimism as well as his signature laugh. Slater also has a powerful voice and a seemingly endless amount of charm. As a physical comedian, he also puts his entire body into his performance. A stunt in which he deftly weaves his body in, out and around a spider web of ladders is particularly breath-taking. It all adds up to a winning Broadway debut.

Danny Skinner, as SpongeBob's bestie Patrick Star, more than matches Slater in the physical comedy department in the Plain White T's ode to friendship, "BFF." He also displays some touching vulnerability in John Legend's "(I Guess I) Miss You."

Lilli Cooper offers little girls an empowering role model with her take on Sandy Cheeks, Bikini Bottom's Texas-born residential scientist. Her character remains cool under pressure, offering a rational solution to the impending volcanic eruption that threatens to destroy the town. She remains a loyal friend to SpongeBob throughout and when the going really gets tough, proves with a few karate chops that she is capable of taking care of herself. She also offers up some stellar vocal work in the first act closer "Tomorrow Is." The song, by The Flaming Lips, is a sweeping ensemble number in the vein of "One Day More" and Cooper's harmonies with Slater managed to rise above everything else going on stage (vocally and otherwise).

Who knew that They Might Be Giants would deftly craft an honest-to-goodness Broadway showstopper? Their song "I'm Not a Loser," a character piece for SpongeBob's sour neighbor Squidward, pretty much brings down the house. Of course, David Zinn's costume design (which incorporates a second pair of legs) and Christopher Gattelli's choreography (which includes a tap number for all four of those limbs) certainly account for some of the audience reaction. As Squidward, Gavin Lee is a seasoned performer, though. His performance puts things over the top. It's giddy fun and should deservedly earn Lee a second Tony nomination (and just possibly a win).

Jason Michael Snow's Patchy the Pirate manages to incorporate some of the cartoon's more nonsensical aspects in a winning way. I don't want to give too much away here, but suffice to say Patchy breaks the fourth wall several times during the show, never overstaying his welcome. He also gets to sing "Poor Pirates" by Sara Bareilles (who, after this and the Broadway show "Waitress" is proving to be quite the accomplished Broadway composer).

I had some concerns that the book by Kyle Jarrow might lose non-fans of the show, but my friend who caught the show with me has never seen the television show, felt the narration (done in an amusing French accent by Mark Ledbetter) more than adequately caught those unfamiliar with the material up to speed.

Director Tina Landau (who also co-conceived the concept for the show) proves once again she is crazy brilliant in her capacity to stage epic and sweeping theater. Her Bikini Bottom is well-realized down to that last tiny bit of kelp. The show -with a running time of two-and-a-half hours, felt brisk and never dragged.

The set by Zinn, featured some clever Rube Goldberg-inspired machinery and tons of detail that one can't possibly take in with just a single visit to Bikini Bottom.

Orchestrator, Arranger and Music Supervisor Tom Kitt makes the most of his rather thankless task of taking the music from a diverse set of artists including rapper T.I and Panic! At The Disco and making it appear as if belonging from one unified musical world. "No Control," by the late David Bowe and Brian Eno succeeds in highlighting just what a unique voice Bowie was. Unfortunately, its inclusion here is a bit jarring and Landau's imagery might be a bit too terrifying and scary for the younger set.

The performances alone overcome any of the music's shortcoming. "The SpongeBob Musical" offer infectious optimism that will leave even the most jaded theatergoer singing it's the "Best Day Ever."

The pre-Broadway run of THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL runs through July 10 at the Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph. Tickets, $33-$100. Call (800) 775.2000. thespongebobmusical.com

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