Your Favorite Musical Is What?

When I heard that SpongeBob the Musical was coming to Broadway, I, like the majority of the world, asked myself one question: "Are we completely out of ideas for Broadway shows?" and I swore to myself that, unless I got a free ticket, I would never go to see it.

Well, a few months later, a friend came to town and we decided to wake up at 7 AM, grab some coffees, and wait in the rush line for the one and only SpongeBob the Musical. We went to a local bar near my apartment, chugged a few cold ones (because if we were going to see this show, we were going to see it while intoxicated), and headed down to the theatre.

The theatre was completely packed with tons of children. And they were everywhere. My friend and I exchanged looks of, "Oh my god, what are we doing?" and went to find our seats. The lights dimmed, Patchy the Pirate came on stage, I rolled my eyes and prepared for an awful night at the theatre.

Roughly two hours later, we sang a rock version of the SpongeBob theme song, clapped wildly, and exited the theatre smiling from ear to ear. I enjoyed it so much, I went back a second time. And a third. And even a fourth. And tomorrow, I will be seeing it for my fifth and final time. (SpongeBob the Musicalis to close on September 16, 2018.)

So what makes this show so spectacular? The set? The costumes? The story? The nostalgia? The songs? The honest answer is all of these things.

The set and the costumes are so colorful—you walk into the theatre and you are immediately in Bikini Bottom. There is no question about where you are. With the live band playing music and projections on the stage of fish, you definitely feel like you're under the sea.

The story is an entertaining one. Yes, it is very much so for children, but there are a number of adult topics in there as well, the main one being "land mammals" vs. "aquatic animals" (sound familiar in this day and age?).

As someone who grew up when SpongeBob was popular, but never watched it as a kid, I was worried there were going to be jokes everywhere that were just going to fly right over my head, but to my delight, there weren't. All references I understood and not once did I feel like an outsider or like the show wasn't for me.

Lastly, the music. With a score written by Sara Bareilles, John Legend, T.I, David Bowie, Panic! At The Disco, and many others, each song sounds different but fits the story beautifully. And not only are they gorgeous songs, but the performers have outstanding ranges and are complete power houses.

This show is one that I'm not going to be forgetting any time soon, I only wish that I could see it a few more times.

SpongeBob the Musical closes on September 16, so go get your tickets now before you lose your chance to see it on Broadway! Although your initial thought may be, "Seriously?" I'm here to tell ya, it's well worth it.

The cast of 'SpongeBob the Musical' take their final bow on September 16.