THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL to Run June Through September at Kokandy Productions

This summer, dive into Bikini Bottom as Kokandy Productions kicks off its 2023 season with Nickelodeon's The Spongebob Musical, directed by JD Caudill, playing June 22 - September 3, 2023 at The Chopin Studio Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. This "spectacular, effervescent" show will have audiences swimming with one of our most beloved contemporary pop culture icons. Ready to soak it in? Casting will be announced shortly. Tickets are now on sale at bit.ly/SpongebobChicago. The press opening is Friday, July 7 at 7 pm.

Plunge into this stunning all-singing, all-dancing, dynamic stage show! When the citizens of Bikini Bottom discover that a volcano will soon erupt and destroy their humble home, SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save the fate of their undersea world. With lives hanging in the balance and all hope lost, a most unexpected hero rises up. The power of optimism really can save the world!

The SpongeBob Musical is based on the beloved animated series created by Stephen Hillenburg and features a book by Kyle Jarrow, with original songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alexander Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady A, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T's, They Might Be Giants and T.I., and songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny and Andy Paley. Additional lyrics are by Jonathan Coulton, with additional music by Tom Kitt. The musical production was conceived by Tina Landau.

COVID-19 safety: Patrons are required to wear a face mask when not actively eating or drinking. The theatre will no longer require proof of vaccination to attend a production.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS:

Title: The Spongebob Musical

Based on the series by Stephen Hillenburg

Book by Kyle Jarrow

Musical Production Conceived by Tina Landau

Directed by JD Caudill

Cast: to be announced shortly.

Location: The Chopin Studio Theatre, 1543 W Division St. in Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, June 22 at 7 pm, Friday, June 23 at 7 pm, Saturday, June 24 at 7 pm, Sunday, June 25 at 5 pm, Thursday, June 29 at 7 pm, Friday, June 30 at 7 pm, Saturday, July 1 at 7 pm, Sunday, July 2 at 5 pm and Thursday, July 6 at 7 pm

Press performance: Friday, July 7 at 7 pm

Regular run: Saturday, July 8 - Sunday, September 3, 2023

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7 pm; Sundays at 5 pm.

Tickets: Previews $25 (with code "PREVIEW). Regular run $40. Limited reserved seats $50, There will be a limited number of $15 tickets available for students and artists for each performance. Tickets are now on sale at bit.ly/SpongebobChicago.

Artist Biographies

JD Caudill

(they/them) is a queer director, artistic director, literary manager and music director, whose recent direction includes I Promised Myself to Live Faster (Hell in a Handbag), After the Blast (Broken Nose Theatre), Southern Comfort (Pride Films and Plays), Bechdel Fests 4-6 + 8 (Broken Nose Theatre), Book of Shadows (Broken Nose Theatre), and other plays at The New Colony, Haven Theatre, The Runaways Lab Theatre, New American Folk Theatre, Hobo Junction, 20% Theatre, Paragon Theatre, Otherworld Theatre, Arc Theatre, 16th Street Theatre, Stage Left, The Syndicates and Red Theatre. They are interim artistic director of Broken Nose Theatre, where they've served as a literary manager and ensemble member for the past 5 years, and a proud ensemble member of Hell in a Handbag of seven years. As a director, their mission more than ever is to create queer art for everyone, for they want queer audiences to see themselves onstage more authentically than ever before, and to help non-queer audiences build empathy and understanding for our community.

About Kokandy Productions

Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theater to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theater artists, and raising the profile of Chicago's non-Equity musical theater community.

The company's artistic staff is comprised of Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director), Scot T. Kokandy (Executive Producer), Jeff Meyer (Webmaster/Graphic Designer), Adrian Abel Azevedo and Leda Hoffmann (Artistic Associates).

For additional information, visit www.kokandyproductions.com.

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