A legendary roster of Grammy Award winners. A visionary director and a Tony Award-winning design team. One of the world's most beloved characters. Turn them loose on Broadway and what do you get? The musical The New York Times declares, "BRILLIANT!"
"Wonders pour from the stage in a ravishing stream of color and invention" (Time Out New York) as Broadway's best creative minds reimagine and bring to life the beloved Nickelodeon series with humor, heart and pure theatricality in "a party for the eyes and ears" (Daily Beast). Be there when SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face catastrophe - until a most unexpected hero rises to take center stage. The New York Times hails Ethan Slater's performance as our uber-absorbent champion, "a once-in- a-lifetime match of actor and character." Get ready to explore the depths of theatrical innovation in SpongeBob SquarePants, a "Broadway Extravaganza" (The New Yorker), where the power of optimism really can save the world.
I can tell you this: Much impressive design and engineering work has gone into this $20 million production, which has been guided with an eye for childlike delight by Landau, in concert with Zinn, who designed the exuberant neon-colored sets and costumes, and Christopher Gattelli, who staged the dances - the tapping by the four-legged Squidward Q. Tentacles (Gavin Lee) and a school of sardines being a particular joy. And the athletic Slater, meantime, proves to be a totally winning SpongeBob, accomplishing the unusual trick of seeming to exist simultaneously in two dimensions and three. Blessedly, a decision was made not to outfit Slater like the cartoon character; the actor's uncanny physicalizing integrates both a distinct personality and a cartoon aesthetic.
What, you might ask, does it signify when we start our discussion of a new musical by praising the sets and costumes? Well, just what you think it signifies. My guess is that SpongeBob SquarePants will be a favorite with its target audience, sending enchanted crowds pouring forth from the playhouse agog with delight and loaded down with show merchandise. Which, I suppose, is the goal of new Broadway musicals of this ilk. So everyone should be delighted, except for those who aren't.
2016 | Chicago |
World Premiere Chicago Production Chicago |
2017 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2023 | West End |
West End |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Costume Design | David Zinn |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Leading Actor in a Musical | Ethan Slater |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Musical | SpongeBob SquarePants |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Rob Hyman |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Yolanda Adams |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Steven Tyler |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Joe Perry |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Sara Bareilles |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Jonathan Coulton |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Alexander Ebert |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | The Flaming Lips |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Lady Antebellum |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Cyndi Lauper |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | John Legend |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Panic! at the Disco |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Plain White T's |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | They Might Be Giants |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | T.I. |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Domani |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Lil' C |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | David Bowie |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Brian Eno |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Tom Kenny |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Andy Paley |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Score | Tom Kitt |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Ethan Slater |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Kyle Jarrow |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical | David Zinn |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Tina Landau |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Gavin Lee |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Musical | SpongeBob SquarePants |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Tom Kitt |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Projection Design | Peter Nigrini |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Set Design for a Musical | David Zinn |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Wig and Hair | Charles G. LaPointe |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | The LaDuca Award for Outstanding Choreography | Christopher Gattelli |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Ethan Slater |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Kyle Jarrow |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Choreographer | Christopher Gattelli |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | David Zinn |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Tina Landau |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Gavin Lee |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design | Kevin Adams |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | SpongeBob SquarePants |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Score | Yolanda Adams |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Tom Kitt |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Set Design | David Zinn |
2018 | Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance | Ethan Slater |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Kyle Jarrow |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Christopher Gattelli |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | David Zinn |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Tina Landau |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Kevin Adams |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | SpongeBob SquarePants |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Orchestrations | Tom Kitt |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Yolanda Adams |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Gavin Lee |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Ethan Slater |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | David Zinn |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Musical | Walter Trarbach |
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