Palo Alto Players Present THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL

Vibrant sets and costumes. Eclectic music by today's top artists. An erupting underwater volcano. A brilliant talking squirrel from Texas. And an ever-optimistic walking, talking, singing, and dancing yellow sea sponge. THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL checks every box one wants in a Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Best Musical award winner! Directed by Palo Alto Players Artistic Director Patrick Klein and featuring a cast of 23 Bay Area actors.

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL runs for 9 in-person performances April 28-May 14, 2023 at the Lucie Stern Theater, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Tickets ($10-$60) are on sale now at paplayers.org or by phone at 650.329.0891. Current information regarding Palo Alto Players' health and safety policies can be found at paplayers.org/covid-19.

It's a blowout in Bikini Bottom, and everyone's invited! While young (and slightly less young) fans of the SpongeBob SquarePants animated series will delight in recognizing their favorite characters from the most popular animated series of the 2000's reveling in their crazy antics, the musical's creative team took great care to infuse the show with thematic elements and humor specifically targeting adult theatre-goers. THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL is "perfect not only for children but for families, for adults, for anyone; this musical is for everyone" (HuffPost).

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL features 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. Additional Songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny & Andy Paley. Additional Lyrics by Jonathan Coulton. Additional Music by Tom Kitt.

"THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL is at once witty, charming, smart, irreverent, wild, and heartwarming...not to mention bold and colorful!" said Palo Alto Players Artistic Director Patrick Klein. "It also deals with important topics such as other-ism, positivity, climate politics, and the power of community. That's a lot for a musical based on an animated television show! But that's what makes it so successful, and adults and children alike will leave the Lucie Stern enraptured by our absorbent hero."

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL is directed by Palo Alto Players Artistic Director Patrick Klein, with vocal direction by Asa Stern, music direction by Richard Hall, and choreography by Stacey Reed. Klein began his tenure at Palo Alto Players in 2009 as Technical Director and in 2013 became the company's Artistic Director. He has worked as a scenic designer, stage manager, and actor across the Bay Area, New York City, and the Eastern Seaboard. His Palo Alto Players directing credits include Young Frankenstein, Big Fish, Into the Woods, A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, The Man Who Came To Dinner, Disney's Tarzan, One Man, Two Guvnors, Bright Star, the fully-staged, streaming production of The Last Five Years, Working and Beauty and the Beast. Vocal Director Asa Stern has conducted and regularly performs with many organizations including Palo Alto Players, Davis Musical Theater Company, Los Altos Youth Theater, Pacific Music Camp, Sunnyvale Community Players, South Bay Musical Theater, West Valley Light Opera, the Silicon Valley Men's Chorus, and the choirs at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Mountain View, and the Joint Venture Churches of Almaden Valley in San Jose. He teaches music in the Cupertino Union School District and works as a pianist, vocalist, woodwind doubler, and conductor. Music Director Richard Hall is making his Palo Alto Players debut as musical director. As a performer, Richard can be heard playing trumpet in various big bands and pit orchestras throughout the South Bay. Choreographer Stacey Reed most recently choreographed Palo Alto Players' productions of Working and Beauty and the Beast. She has previously been seen on the Palo Alto Players' stage in Tarzan, Big Fish, Young Frankenstein, Working and Beauty and the Beast. Other credits include Hairspray, Rocky Horror Picture Show as well as several productions at CA's Great America. By day, Reed is the Dance Teacher and Choreographer at The King's Academy in Sunnyvale.

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL creative team also includes set design by Patrick Klein, lighting design by Edward Hunter, costume, hair, and makeup design by Raissa Marchetti-Kozlov, and sound design by Jeff Grafton.

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