What to Expect From Nickelodeon's The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage!
Star Ethan Slater and director Tina Landau reveal details about the televised adaptation of the musical airing December 7.
(l-r) Danny Skinner (Patrick Star), Ethan Slater (SpongeBob SquarePants), Christina Sajous (Sandy Cheeks) in “The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage!”. Photo credit © Alex Bailey/Nickelodeon
Following its run on Broadway, members of the original Broadway company of The SpongeBob Musical reunited to film the show for television in front of a live theatre audience. The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! will air on Nickelodeon USA and YTV Canada on Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT). In the video below, original Tony-nominated star Ethan Slater and director Tina Landau tell audiences what to expect from this version of the Bikini Bottom-based tale.
“I feel like there’s all these different versions of SpongeBob floating around in the universe, and this one I’m particularly excited about and proud of because it’s the original gang,” director Tina Landau shared with Playbill.
Tina Landau | Photo: Marc J. Franklin
As previously announced, much of the original company reprised their performances, including Tony Award nominee Ethan Slater, who made his Broadway debut as the titular high-energy sponge. Joining him are fellow original Broadway company members Tony nominee Gavin Lee as Squidward Q. Tentacles, Danny Skinner as Patrick Star, Brian Ray Norris as Eugene Krabs, and Wesley Taylor as Sheldon Plankton, and Christina Sajous (who joined the Broadway cast six months into the run) as Sandy Cheeks.
Rounding out the ensemble are Kyle Matthew Hamilton, Katie Lee Hill, Curtis Holbrook, L’ogan J’ones, Jai’len Josey, Kelvin Moon Loh, Lauralyn McClelland, Vasthy Mompoint, Bryonha Parham, Oneika Phillips, Jon Rua, JC Schuster, Abby C. Smith, Robert Taylor Jr., and Allan Washington.
“There’s actually some bonuses in the version of this show that have never been seen before that he does, physically, in particular,” says Landau of Slater.
“That was the exciting thing about coming back!” Slater says below.
Veteran SpongeBob SquarePants voice actor Tom Kenny—who voiced the animated SpongeBob, French narrator, and Patchy the Pirate—will perform the original Sara Bareilles song “Poor Pirates” onstage as Patchy the Pirate.
“I’ve had a blast portraying live-action suburban buccaneer and President of the SpongeBob SquarePants Fan Club, Patchy the Pirate, since the character’s first appearance in Season 2 of SpongeBob SquarePants—way back in 2000,” said Kenny in a statement. “I loved The SpongeBob Musical, and I was thrilled to be included in it both in pre-recorded (French Narrator) and songwriter (‘Best Day Ever’) forms! But to now have the opportunity to actually step onstage and perform alongside members of the original Broadway production is truly a unique honor. It’s ‘meta times 10,’ and I think Nickelodeon’s audience will really get a kick out of it!”
Ethan Slater | Photo: Marc J. Franklin
The show, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical - re-branded as The SpongeBob Musical for its national tour - features a book by Kyle Jarrow and an eclectic score from a variety of pop artists: Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alexander Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, and T.I., as well as the late David Bowie, Tom Kenny (TV's original SpongeBob), and Andy Paley.
Tina Landau directed the inventive and unconventional staging, which offered human representations of the beloved characters rather than literal depictions from the familiar cartoon. The TV presentation reunites her with her Broadway creative team: music supervisor and orchestrator Tom Kitt, choreographer Christopher Gattelli, set and costume designer David Zinn, lighting designer Kevin Adams, projection designer Peter Nigrini, foley artist Mike Dobson, and sound designer Walter Trarbach.
The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! is produced for TV by Austin Shaw and directed by Glenn Weiss. Nickelodeon vice presidents Paul J Medford and Susan Vargo serve as executive producers.
The Original Cast Recording is available now from Masterworks Broadway wherever music is sold and streamed.
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BWW TV: Ethan Slater and Tina Landau Get Ready for Nickelodeon's Bikini Bottom Broadcast!
Tina Landau and Ethan Slater are going to have the best day ever on December 7. That's because, following a critically lauded run on Broadway, The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage!, will simulcast across Nickelodeon, TeenNick, Nicktoons and Nick Jr. in the U.S. and YTV in Canada!
[Watch here] as the duo chats with BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge about reuniting to bring the musical back for the December 7 (7pm ET/PT) broadcast!
The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! was filmed for television in front of a live theater audience, capturing all-new depths of theatrical innovation, where the power of optimism really can save the world.
The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! cast will include Ethan Slater as SpongeBob SquarePants, Gavin Lee as Squidward Q. Tentacles, Danny Skinner as Patrick Star, Brian Ray Norris as Eugene Krabs, Wesley Taylor as Sheldon Plankton, Christina Sajous as Sandy Cheeks and Tom Kenny as 'Patchy the Pirate'. The ensemble will include Kyle Hamilton, Katie Lee Hill, Curtis Holbrook, Jesse JP Johnson, L'ogan J'ones, Jai'len Josey, Kelvin Moon Loh, Lauralyn Mcclelland, Vasthy Mompoint, Bryonha Marie Parham, Oneika Phillips, Jon Rua, JC Schuster, Abby C. Smith, Robert Taylor Jr., Allan Washington.
For more information about The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! TV special, visit: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2019/11/nickelodeon-to-premiere-spongebob.html
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“SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical” Comes To Nickelodeon | Spectrum News NY1
Original Broadway cast members Ethan Slater and Gavin Lee go Face To Face to talk about their Broadway musical SpongeBob SquarePants, which is being presented on Nickelodeon on December 7. Click here to watch the spongeriffic interview!
More Nick: 'The SpongeBob Musical' National Tour Announces Cast & Dates!
Originally published: Saturday, November 30, 2019 at 00:49 GMT.
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