Don’t be krabby, see The SpongeBob Musical at Toby’s Dinner Theatre

Jeri Tidwell Photography

It’s probably a good bet that back in 1999 when SpongeBob SquarePants made its debut on Nickelodeon that no one involved ever imagined it would become such a hit that it would spawn not only a couple of theatrical movies but a big Broadway musical as well … especially since it was a cartoon. How does one translate a cartoon about a sponge, a starfish and other assorted undersea creatures into a live action show with humans in those roles, without resorting to outlandish costumes to replicate the cartoon characters? Somehow, writer Kyle Jarrow and director Tina Landau made it work, giving life to the characters with a human cast in a show bolstered by original songs written by a plethora or talent including David Bowie & Brian Eno, Panic! at the Disco, Cyndi Lauper, Yolanda Adams, The Flaming Lips, Sara Bareilles, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry, Lady A. John Legend, and They Might Be Giants. The 2017 Broadway show earned 12 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, tying with Mean Girls for the most nominated production of the year. It won for Best Scenic Design of a Musical, and it won Outstanding New Broadway Musical from the Outer Critics Circle Awards, and Outstanding Musical at the Drama Desk Awards. So this show was not just a frivolous exercise in cashing in on a popular TV show. National tours have been mounted, and now the show is taking up residence at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, Maryland.

The SpongeBob Musical is set in the town of Bikini Bottom where we are introduced to SpongeBob SquarePants and his friends Patrick (a starfish) and Sandy Cheeks (a squirrel … in the cartoon she is wearing a helmet but the show forgoes that), along with various townspeople including Squidward Q. Tentacles, SpongeBob’s boss Mr. Krabs and his daughter Pearl, and Sheldon Plankton and Karen the Computer (the show’s villains). As SpongeBob begins his day singing ‘Bikini Bottom Day’, all is right with the world. SpongeBob goes to work at The Krusty Krab — where his boss insists that he’s not manager material — and hangs out with his BFF Patrick. But Bikini Bottom is experiencing mysterious tremor activity which Sandy determines is the nearby volcano Mount Humongous getting close to eruption … in 36 hours. If they don’t do something, Bikini Bottom and its inhabitants will be wiped out. The town panics (and there are some good jokes about ineffectual bureaucracy) and Plankton sees his opportunity to trap the residents and hypnotize them so that they will like the chum he serves at The Chum Bucket, a rival to the more popular Krusty Krab. To get everyone in one place for easier hypnosis, he offers safe passage out of Bikini Bottom in an escape pod … which is much to expensive for the town to pay for, so a benefit concert featuring The Electric Skates is planned. SpongeBob, Sandy and Patrick believe there is a way to stop the eruption, but SpongeBob’s and Patrick’s friendship is put to the test thanks to a school of sardines who see Patrick as their savior, and the town turns against the land mammal Sandy. Will the show go on? Will Mount Humongous erupt? Will SpongeBob and Patrick still be BFFs? Will the divided townspeople learn what really matters in life? to get those answers you’re just going to have to see the show.

Jeri Tidwell Photography

The SpongeBob Musical is a show that is made to appeal to all ages. Young children who are fans of the show — or children at heart who have been fans for the last 23 years — will absolutely have a blast seeing these characters come to life. And even if you aren’t familiar with the cartoon (and I only have a passing knowledge of the show) there is plenty here to enjoy mainly because the show has such a positive message that uses these cartoonish characters to depict the human condition. We have certainly been living in a world divided, where people don’t believe government does anything, where people deny science, where differences of opinion tear relationships apart, where someone gets a savior complex because a group finds something to latch on to with every empty word he speaks. The show plays off of these facets of society, but never hits the audience over the head with them, instead going about it in a way to show how absurd we can be and how much better we can be if we’d all just work together. There is a really deep moment near the end of the show when the denizens of Bikini Bottom finally unite in what may be their final moments that brought a tear to my eye. If only we could all be more like them. But again, it’s subtle and effective and give the show just a bit of gravitas after all the complete insanity that has come before.

Yes, The SpongeBob Musical is an insane show, but in a good way. Almost every number is a huge production that highlights the talents of the artists who wrote the songs (and they seem to be trying to one-up each other with each passing song), and each of these numbers put the large Toby’s cast through their paces. I was exhausted watching them, but it was exhilarating as well. Some of the larger showstoppers include Plankton’s villainous ode ‘When the Going Gets Tough’, a brilliantly performed hip hop number; ‘Super Sea-Star Savior’ with Patrick and the Sardines, a high energy gospel number with more amazing choreography; and ‘I’m Not a Loser’ by Squidward and the Sea Anemones, a traditional Broadway number with a major tap dance break. And the more quiet ‘(I Guess I) Miss You’ with SpongeBob and Patrick is sure to put a little lump in your throat. The show’s cast and ensemble are really at the top of their game with this show. It is more demanding, more technical and more complicated than I ever imagined it would be, and it helps that they are guided by the steady hand of Mark Minnick directing and David Singleton’s choreography. I say this every time but here when you have the entire cast onstage for these big musical numbers and no one crashes into anyone else, you have to recognize that skill on display. And Minnick’s use of every inch of available space in Toby’s intimate in-the-round stage area is a wonder, deftly moving the eye from one spot to another so you don’t see all of the other moving pieces going on and off the stage for the next scene. A tip of the hat to David A. Hopkins’ lighting design which also assists the directorial decisions. The music, under the direction of Ross Scott Rawlings, sounds like a full theatrical orchestra and there is even one member of the group who sits above the stage providing live sound effects, perfectly timed with the action on the stage, which really adds to the experience. Flo Arnold’s costume designs are also whimsical, approximating but not copying the original costume designs by David Zinn for Broadway (Squidward’s four legs are a hoot). I also have to give a big shout out to Scenic/Property Designer Shane Lowry, who brilliantly took every day household items, many of which end us in the trash that is then dumped into the ocean, and created scenery, characters (a shark, jellyfish) and props with them. And if you’re a Toby’s regular, a close inspection of the environment created around the walls of the theatre reveals items from previous shows (I spotted a red boot from Kinky Boots on one wall). A truly remarkable achievement.

Jeri Tidwell Photography

And the cast. Mark Minnick always has the best group of people gracing his productions, from the Toby’s regulars to the newcomers making their first Toby’s appearance. Toby’s first-timer Kyle Dalsimer is brilliant as SpongeBob. SpongeBob is a character who is always ebullient, always looking at the brighter side of things even when they aren’t going so well (or when his BFF ditches him for a group of acolytes). Dalsimer has to keep SpongeBob at an 11 for most of the show, whether it’s through his songs or his limber choreography. But he can really bring it down and touch our hearts too when he realizes how much he misses his friend, or when he begins to doubt himself as ‘just a simple sponge’. He’s got the voice, the moves and the personality to bring SpongeBob to vibrant life and he does not disappoint. Another newcomer, Jordyn Taylor is wonderful as Pearl Krabs, and she has a killer voice. Let’s hope we see more of her on the Toby’s stage.

Of the Toby’s regulars, Darren McDonnell (Spamalot, Mamma Mia!) is a hoot as Squidward, sort of the Lucy Ricardo of the show always trying to be in a show playing his clarinet. The way he has to parade around with his four legs is hilarious and he really brings down the house with his tap number in the second act. DeCarlo Raspberry is fabulous as the constantly bewildered Patrick. His facial expressions, his often said ‘I don’t know what that means’ are perfection. Patrick is almost like SpongeBob’s faithful dog, happy in life with his BFF, so it’s almost a shock when he ditches his friend, but when he realizes being a savior isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, he does tug at your heart. Janine Sunday’s Sandy is pretty much the ‘straight man’ to SpongeBob and Patrick, the one with the level head and the big voice, but Sunday also makes you feel for Sandy when the entire town turns against her. You almost don’t blame her for wanting to just let them all suffer the effects of the volcano but you also root for her to look past that and be their actual savior. Joey Ellinghaus is … brilliant as Plankton. I’ve noticed him for some time at Toby’s, usually in smaller roles or part of the ensemble, seeing his brilliance in The Little Mermaid as one of Ursula’s eels. His Plankton is a living, breathing cartoon villain, and I loved the way he used his voice, speaking and singing. And his hip hop number blew me away. I’m happy to see him in one of the lead roles, getting his much deserved time in the spotlight.

I could go on and on about the cast but I will just say that Trenton Beavers, Brandon Bedore, Quadry Brown, Justin Calhoun, Crystal Freeman, Lydia GIfford, David James, Amanda Kaplan, Alexis Krey, Shane Lowry, Santina Maiolatesi, Ari Messeca, Jeffrey Shankle, Jordan B. Stocksdale and Patricia Targete are performing here at the top of their game, some in supporting roles, some in multiple ensemble roles. It’s just wonderful to hear them all sing together in the big production numbers, and how they carry off the demanding choreography is just breathtaking (literally … there must be oxygen tanks for them backstage after a big number). Dinner theatre and community theatre generally gets a bad rap as being amateurish, but there is nothing amateur about this or any Toby’s show (and I’ve seen a few touring productions of Broadway shows that have paled in comparison to a Toby’s production). So a ticket to Toby’s for The SpongeBob Musical … or any other show … is money well-spent.

And in addition to the show, you get a delicious meal including a salad bar, main buffet and dessert. The salad bar made its return to Toby’s with the previous show and it’s good to have that back. Who doesn’t love a salad bar? The main buffet has appropriately named dishes including Mr. Krab’s Corn, Sandy Cheeks Green Beans, Patchy the Pirate Potatoes, SpongeBob’s Spinach Phunque (a Toby’s signature side), Patrick’s Pasta & Cheese, Squidward’s Rice and Gary’s Gumbo, Bikini Bottom BBQ Ribs, Tomorrow’s Baked Tilapia, steamed shrimp and a carving station with beef, ham and turkey. I don’t eat meat, but every one of the sides was delicious as was the tilapia. There is also a brunch menu for the matinee shows. And as usual with each show, there is a signature drink served in a collectible glass. For this show, the drink is named The Bikini Bottom which is a frozen Mango Colada with spiced rum, whipped cream and a sour gummy pineapple (also available as a Mocktail). It was a real treat. They also have a sangria specialty drink option as well, also with the collectible glass. There is also a choice of cakes for dessert, including a sponge cake topped with pineapple sauce and the sort-of return of the ice cream bar in the lobby (only one topping available at this time but it’s good to have that ice cream option … the rainbow sherbet is divine).

So with all of the bad news in the world these days, spending an evening (or afternoon) at Toby’s, where you can enjoy a delicious meal and a great show, is the best kind of escape. And maybe the show’s subtle message will resonate with you.

The SpongeBob Musical runs about 2 hours and 30 minutes with one 15 minute intermission. The show runs through July 31. Toby’s next production is a special three week encore of Monty Python’s Spamalot (August 5-21), followed by the musical adaptation of Ghost (August 26-November 6).