THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL Comes to the Herberger Theater Center This Month

Get ready to dive into a breathtaking underwater adventure as Valley Youth Theatre proudly presents The SpongeBob Musical, opening Friday, June 9, 2023 at the Herberger Theater Center in downtown Phoenix.

Based on the beloved animated series by Stephen Hillenburg, Valley Youth Theatre’s extraordinary production will immerse audiences in a world of lively characters, sensational music, and stunning visuals.

“It’s one of the most ambitious shows we have ever done,” said Valley Youth Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director Bobb Cooper. “And the young people in this cast are phenomenal. This is a Broadway quality cast.”

Under Cooper’s direction, audiences will join Sponge Bob (played by Valley Youth Theatre newcomer Ethan W. Doyle), Patrick Star (William Lovell), Squidward (Raymond Cusick), Sandy Cheeks (Autumn Stanley), Mr. Krabs (Luke Chester) and the whole Bikini Bottom Crew to save their beloved underwater town from impending doom.

The SpongeBob Musical features a stellar lineup of artists, with original songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex 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, T.I., and songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny, and Andy Paley. With additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton and additional music by Tom Kitt, this musical spectacular promises an unforgettable experience!

Eighteen-year-old Jennifer Kao who plays the Mayor of Bikini Bottom examined that the music was why she wanted to audition for The SpongeBob Musical. “I love so many of the artists who created music for it. "Best Day Ever" has been a special song to me ever since I was a kid and I'm excited to be part of its performance.”

Along with its public shows, Valley Youth Theatre will host two Sponsor-A-Seat shows, where children from various Valley social service agencies are invited to see a show and have lunch with the cast and crew for free. Sponsor-A-Seat is funded by donations from the community. More information about the program can be found at vyt.com/support-us.

The SpongeBob Musical is produced and directed by Cooper with music direction by Mark Fearey, choreography by Nathalie Velasquez, costume and makeup design by Karol Cooper, lighting design by Jeff A. Davis and the Production Stage Manager is Morgan McCall.

Public performances include Fridays, June 9, 16 and 23 at 7:00pm, Saturdays, June 10, 17 and 24 at 2 pm and 7pm, Sundays, June 11, 18 and 25 at 2:00 pm and Thursdays, June 15 and 22 at 7pm. Herberger Theater Center is located at 222 E. Monroe in Downtown Phoenix. Tickets start at $16.50 and can be purchased at www.vyt.com/tickets or by calling the Herberger Theater Center box office at (602) 252-8497.

Valley Youth Theatre’s mission is to inspire young people to be the best they can be through a variety of performing arts opportunities. Along with their mainstage performances, VYT offers Eight-week Fall, Winter and Spring performing arts classes, as well as Spring Break and Summer Camps. VYT’s ongoing community programs include Literacy and the Arts, Sponsor-a-Seat and The Nigel Ross Scholarship Fund as well as their annual fundraising event, the VYTal (Valley Youth Theatre Applauds Leadership) Affair, in August. The SpongeBob Musical opens on June 9, 2023, at 7pm at the Herberger Theater Center, located at 222 E Monroe St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 and runs through June 25.

Tickets are available for purchase at https://vyt.com/the-spongebob-musical

To post a comment, you must register and login.