By Katherine Beeson
First Stage has done it again.
“The SpongeBob Musical for Young Audiences” is a show based on the much-watched and well-loved cartoon. I reviewed with my date, my 6-year-old grandson, Rory. He could not wait for the show to begin!
The story is simple – A seismic event threatens the city of Bikini Bottom; SpongeBob SquarePants and his friends and neighbors face a very dangerous situation. With a lot of planning – as well as singing and dancing – they overcome all adversity and have a happy ending!
Gracie Halverson (center) with Bree Beelow (left), Raven Dockery (far left, rear), Zach Thomas Woods and Jesse Bhamrah (rear, center), Doug Clemons, Lachrisa Grandberry (far right, rear) and cast in “The SpongeBob Musical for Young Audiences” at First Stage. Photo by Paul Ruffolo
There are two youth casts and the Sponge Cast took the stage for our wonderful performance. It didn’t take long for the children in the audience to identity all the characters and completely get into the spirit of the show.
Adults not familiar with the cartoon may need to ask the younger set to explain just who is who. SpongeBob was easy; a boy with a yellow pompadour wig and a cardigan sweater and tie. But no sponge and no square pants. There was nothing, except Rory’s explanation, to let me know that Patrick, sporting a beanie with a spinner on top, was a starfish. Likewise, he had to tell me that the character in a tail-less white and grey jumpsuit was Sandy Cheeks, a squirrel who lives under the sea with an air-filled diving suit to help her breathe but uses no such apparatus on stage. Only Squidward -- played with style by Doug Clemons -- was easily recognizable with a few extra appendages. The jellyfish were really cute as see-through umbrellas with attached flowing tentacles.
Doug Clemons (center), Lachrisa Grandberry (left) and cast in “The SpongeBob Musical for Young Audiences” at First Stage. Photo by Paul Ruffolo
But young audiences know these characters and will simply enjoy the magic. That is what truly matters. All the littles in the theater seemed to be very attentive and at the end when the group started singing about their “best day ever,” Rory’s and many other soft voices joined in!
My official review is that this show delivers a wonderful musical adventure for young theatergoers. My grandson never took his eyes off the stage and as we walked to our car, he volunteered, “That was really good!”
“The SpongeBob Musical for Young Audiences” runs through April 2.