The Tonys are this weekend, so what better way to get excited for the biggest night in Broadway than getting ready for the new shows hitting the Great White Way? Like SpongeBob SquarePants, namely.
Yes, everyone’s favorite spongy fry cook has been turned into musical form, and after months of wondering what the heck a live-action musical of the cartoon would look like with human cast members, we finally have a peek into the show. Entertainment Weekly has shared a few of the show’s production photos, and I’ve gotta say, the show looks pretty darn impressive. You can head to EWÂ to see more production photos, but here’s a quick look at the set:
It’s crazy colorful, and will most definitely be keeping with the bright, tropical feel we’ve come to love in the animated version of Bikini Bottom. One thing that is interesting is that, unlike shows like Cats or The Lion King, The SpongeBob Musical hasn’t tried to use extensive makeup to make the human cast transform into a squirrel, kitchen sponge, starfish, or cephalopod. Instead they just look like humans with clothes on; garments visually reminiscent of the characters from SpongeBob SquarePants. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out onstage.
The musical officially opened for previews at Chicago’s Oriental Theater on June 7, and will be playing through July 10. It’s expected that the show will then move to Broadway next season. The story centers around SpongeBob and his friends working hard to save Bikini Bottom from an impending volcanic eruption, and before you shrug off the musical entirely, let me just tell you that the musical has songs by a pretty impressive range of musical geniuses, from Aerosmith to Cyndi Lauper to David Bowie. So with that in mind,  I’m kind of excited about the possibilities that await us all (and maybe some SpongeBob-infused #Ham4Ham shows ?) when the gang from Bikini Bottom make their way to Broadway.
What do you think of The SpongeBob Musical? Are you excited to see it and hear the soundtrack, or do you want Bikini Bottom to stay in the cartoon universe? Let’s talk about it in the comments!
Image credits: Nickelodeon, SpongeBobMusical.com, John Marcus/EW.com
