It’s one thing to be the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, as actor-comedian Tom Kenny has done since the cartoon character’s inception more than a quarter-century ago. No disrespect to Kenny, but it’s quite another thing to be SpongeBob.
“It takes fearlessness,” said Bailey Lee, the actor playing the title role in Cygnet Theatre’s production of “The SpongeBob Musical,” which opens Saturday at The Joan theater in Arts District Liberty Station. Lee, an MFA graduate from UC San Diego, is stepping into the black shoes of Ethan Slater, who originated the role of SpongeBob on Broadway.
“There’s something ridiculous about it,” Lee said, “but if you look beyond that there’s something beautiful. The actor has to embody a level of hope and love. It’s fun. I get to go out there and play with the audience every night and surprise people.”
Skeptics might have been surprised when a stage musical based on the “SpongeBob” cartoon series on Nickelodeon became a big Broadway hit, earning 12 Tony nominations in 2018. But they underestimated grownups’ nostalgia for “SpongeBob” and possibly their attraction to the adult messaging in Kyle Jarrow’s musical adaptation.
Berto Fernández s Patrick Star, left, Bailey Lee as SpongeBob SquarePants, center, and Rebecca Murillo as Sandy Cheeks in Cygnet Theatre’s production of “The SpongeBob Musical.” (Karli Cadel)
“This musical is using the form and the structure of ‘SpongeBob’ the cartoon to tell a story that is really urgent and appropriate for kids but really resonates with an adult audience,” Lee said. “At the forefront, it’s confronting climate change. It also touches on immigration and old friendships and community.”
The premise of the show, set in SpongeBob’s underwater home of Bikini Bottom, is his and his friends’ quest to prevent a volcano eruption that threatens to destroy the community.
“There are jellyfish in bright colors and catchy songs and all of the things that are going on to keep my 6-year-old entertained,” said the show’s director and choreographer Katie Banville. “But there’s also this whole plot line about the crisis the characters are facing. Are they going to be united in optimism?”
Banville, who was recently appointed to the position of associate artistic director at Cygnet, is not new to “SpongeBob.”
“I watched it when I was a kid,” she said, “and now my kids are obsessed with it. They love it, but the themes that are talked about on the show go way beyond what a child picks up on.”
When she assumes her new position at Cygnet July 1, Banville will continue to direct and choreograph Cygnet productions but will also lead and run the company’s staged reading series and new work initiatives and will oversee the theater’s art gallery and serve as an artistic ambassador for the company.
“Katie has been an integral part of Cygnet’s artistic identity for many years,” said Sean Murray, Cygnet’s co-founder and artistic director. “Her deep understanding of our work, her collaborative spirit, and her commitment to nurturing artists make her an ideal fit for this role as we continue to grow.”
Costume designer Kelan Yang shows her sketches to the cast in a rehearsal for Cygnet Theatre’s production of “The SpongeBob Musical.” (Karli Cadel)
Banville said she’s grateful to continue her journey with Cygnet that began 15 years ago as a performer.
“I’m grateful for the chance to contribute to Cygnet’s work, producing thoughtful, engaging theater and providing opportunities for artists to find their voice,” she said. “It’s never been more important for the world to hear from the reflective, compassionate hearts of artists and I look forward to cultivating a space in which that essential endeavor continues.”
Lee “grew up around ‘SpongeBob’ and it’s been fun returning to it as an adult because there’s so much I didn’t catch the first time. I get to choose bits and pieces that are either iconic or that resonate with me. I’m learning that anything can fit in the world of ‘SpongeBob.’”
The world onstage features all the familiar “SpongeBob” characters such as Patrick Star (Berto Fernández), Squidward O. Tentacles (Andrew Oswald), Eugene H. Krabs (Kürt Norby), Sandy Cheeks (Rebecca Murillo) and Sheldon J. Plankton (Drew Bradford).
“Some in the cast are diehards (‘SpongeBob’ fans),” said Banville. “Then we have folks who are casual ‘SpongeBob’ watchers. They bring a different lens to it because they know the material but they can also bring ideas and humor to it that are outside the franchise.”
Banville’s production team includes scenic designer Mathys Herbert, music director Patrick Marion, costume designer Kelan Yang and props and puppet designer Zachary Elliott.
The cast of Cygnet Theatre’s production of “The SpongeBob Musical” at their first rehearsal. (Karli Cadel)
“It’s definitely been a collaborative process,” said Banville. “I’m looking to the other people in the room, to the cast, to the designers and collaborators when it comes to how we honor some of the jokes that longtime fans might expect to see and that are written into the script, and on what we do to cultivate comedy that any audience can access even if you don’t have a Ph.D. in ‘SpongeBob.’”
Like Banville, Lee is living with “SpongeBob” while living “the life of an actor,” she said. “It’s not easy, but deeply fulfilling. I think about SpongeBob and how he wakes up and says that every day could be the best day ever. That’s kind of my journey.”
‘The SpongeBob Musical’
When: Opens Saturday and runs through July 12. 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; 7 p.m. June 30; 2 p.m. July 1
Where: Joseph Clayes III Theater at The Joan, 2880 Roosevelt Road, Arts District Liberty Station, San Diego
Tickets: $54 and up for adults. Children 5 to 15 are half-off. No children under 5 will be admitted.
Online: cygnettheatre.org