The SpongeBob Musical previews in Chicago beginning June 7, 2016

[HenryTDobson]

^You're basing your opinion off of an audio bootleg. Your review has zero credibility. 

[disneybroadwayfan22]

I disagree. It's true that I didn't see the show. But, I listened to the book & the structure, the music, and the acting and how it sounds. I heard the strengths and the weaknesses of the show. Reviewing/criticizing isn't only seeing. It's hearing as well. 

[gypsy101]

exactly why there are so many blind theatre critics

[willep]

Hahaha I love that we are now reviewing shows and judging Tony worthiness off of bootleg audios (that absolutely can not be shared, so DON'T. ASK. But just let it be known that they got their hands on one. Because they want ou to know that they have one. That they definitely can't share).

[gypsy101]

DON'T. ASK. DON'T TELL.

[Scarywarhol]

There was a special arrangement with the provider of the audio that its existence would be DISCUSSED AND DESCRIBED, but ONLY if the information in question has been previously covered on this thread, and the audio itself NOT SHARED.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

^^^Thank you for being the only one who's understanding that I'm respecting this anonymous person's request. Believe me, if I could share, I would in a heart beat. 

[gypsy101]

but you could, and they would never know.

[Smaxie]

>^^^Thank you for being the only one who's understanding that I'm respecting this anonymous person's request. Believe me, if I could share, I would in a heart beat.<

It's not about sharing the audio,  You are attempting to weigh in on a show without actually having seen it.  And with a show that depends quite a bit on its visuals.  And judging it based on bootleg audio, no less.  Yet, you see nothing wrong with this? 

[disneybroadwayfan22]

^But, does it really matter though? I still had an experience. Why are we having an argument about this?

[KJisgroovy]

Because you actually didn't have the experience you're reviewing. You listened to an illegal recording, likely of poor quality, alone in a room. There's literally no comparison. 

[gypsy101]

they could be on a crowded bus for all we know 

[CurtainPullDowner]

Does anyone wear underpants?

 

[adagio]

Long time lurker (this board was instrumental in planning my 1st trip to NYC last fall) here. Just saw the show tonight. I went in with reasonably low expectations but I adored it. Spoilers below:

The set was gorgeous - the sides built out into the house not only hold part of the band, but have Rube Goldberg machines that send "boulders" (balls) from the volcano onto the stage at various points. The pirate also has his own small Spongebob fan club section on the left side of the house that must hold every single piece of Spongebob merchandise every produced. (Speaking of, I actually really enjoyed the pirate subplot, but YMMV.)

I didn't mind Spongebob's wig because the other characters had similarly candy-colored, overly stylized wigs as well. I really enjoyed the costuming & makeup as well.

Agree that the Patrick worshipers add nothing to the plot and make the show drag. There has to be a better subplot to separate Patrick & Spongebob. Plankton's rap song needs to go too. Unlike some of the other posters, I wasn't quite so fond of "Chop to the Top". The choreography was cool, but the song itself was pretty repetitive. The Aerosmith song brings the action to a screeching halt - maybe if it were shortened?

The Krabs/Pearl song started out kind of rough - like an inferior take on Cabaret's "Money" - but quickly picked up steam. Emmy Raver-Lampman really made the song shine; girl has pipes. Squidward's tap number was FABULOUS, by far the biggest post-song applause of the night. I actually kind of dug the David Bowie number, and "Bikini Bottom Day" and "Best Day Ever" were pretty tops as well.

I loved Gavin Lee, but I went in with sky-high expectations (after having seen him in Les Miz) that he didn't quite meet. Possibly the writing? Lilli Cooper was amazing, but Ethan Slater really was the standout star. Totally captivating - really sells the character, beautiful voice, and between his middle splits in act 1 and climbing all around and through the "volcano crater" (ladders arranged in a circle, sort of like a spiderweb) in act 2, he was surprisingly acrobatic.

Overall it was silly and quirky and fun - I'd totally see it again.

P.S. As far as the stage door, it was a reasonably small crowd and all the leads came out. Ethan Slater was especially kind & chatty - very sweet, very humble. Hope this show goes well for him.

[Jordan Catalano]

I always love a good "I CAN NOT AND WILL NOT SHARE THIS SUPER SECRET AUDIO RECORDING OF A SHOW DONE FROM AN IPHONE THAT ANYONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO USE GOOGLE CAN FIND FOR THEMSELVES, BUT I WANT TO APPEAR REALLY COOL AND SELECT AND SPECIAL SO DO NOT ASK ME ABOUT THIS THING THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IN DETAIL. DO NOT ASK ME ABOUT IT. IT IS A SECRET. JUST LISTEN TO ME TALK ABOUT IT".


 

[PThespian]

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "I disagree. It's true that I didn't see the show. But, I listened to the book & the structure, the music, and the acting and how it sounds. I heard the strengths and the weaknesses of the show. Reviewing/criticizing isn't only seeing. It's hearing as well. 

 

"

Damn it! Why didn't you tell the producers this before they threw away all their money on lavish sets that, apparently, are unnecessary?

Think about all the poor scenic designers your revolutionary reviewing idea will put out of work if it's discovered. You better keep it a secret.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

I don't know why this has to be an argument and this is so ridiculous and trivial. In the grand scheme  of things, this doesn't matter at all. Let's stop fighting.

[adagio]

Putting the obvious silliness of trying to review a show you've never seen aside - it was mentioned at the stage door last night that the Sunday evening performance (tonight's) had been cancelled so that the cast could rehearse. So potentially there could be new or reworked material coming next week.

[Smaxie]

>I don't know why this has to be an argument and this is so ridiculous and trivial. In the grand scheme  of things, this doesn't matter at all.<

It DOES matter. There is such a rush on the internet to judge everything that shows (and films and TV shows) are being "reviewed" based on casting announcements, production photos, press events, key art, pre-show curtain and of course, bootleg audio.  If you had written "I didn't actually see Spongebob, but I sat in the alleyway next to the Oriental Theatre with my ear next to a glass on the side of the building, and here's my review," it would carry as much credibility as what you wrote, which is to say, none. 

[LizzieCurry]

Ding!

[BroadwayNYC2]

^But, does it really matter though? I still had an experience. Why are we having an argument about this?

 

There's a difference between being at a party and watching your friends' Snapchat from the party. The experience is being there, not viewing it secondhand and out of context

[HenryTDobson]

^But, does it really matter though? I still had an experience. Why are we having an argument about this?

It's fine that you had an "experience," but it's not fair to the show, actors, creative team, crew, and pretty much everyone in the world to review and base judgment on a show that you listened to on a bootleg audio. Actually make all the judgments you want, just don't come here, to a PUBLIC forum, and write a review. It's posts like yours that give this site a bad rep.

[MichaelO2000]

Hey, thought I might drop in here.

So..cancellation? rehearsals? I did hear some things about actors not keeping their voices, so maybe it's to work on that? 

[Mr. Nowack]

Let all the wrath of the BWW queens befall those who tout privilege and deny inclusion on sketch pretences.

[Call_me_jorge]

Has anyone rushed lately?

[Phantom4ever]

I saw this show last night with a few of my seniors. They grew up on Spongebob and were head over heels in love with the show. 

I have never seen a single episode of Spongebob, but I really enjoyed the humor, and the repeated satirizing of government inefficiencies (we are now at Code Turquoise! We are now at Code Indigo!). 

The set was gorgeous and loads of fun to look at, but I longed to looked at the beautiful 1920's-era decorations buried beneath the Spongebob set that extended well into and past the boxes. 

There were some catchy songs and my kids loved every one. I was shocked to hear that people didn't like the Act 1 rap number, because that sure caught on with the crowd. 

As for Squidworth's tap number......well the tap in Shuffle Along made those look sloppy and far too brief. I dislike when tap is sloppy and everyone's shoes are hitting the stage at different times. It may have been compounded by the Squidworth costume has four pairs of shoes on it, but I was unclear about whether all four shoes were tapping or not. And I saw what he is capable of in Mary Poppins!  He could have done a lot more so I hope they flesh out that number. 

There was plenty of adult humor in this show and plenty of little kids in the audience (who did not annoy this grumpy old grump in the least) who loved just having Spongebob and his quirky Bikini Bottom onstage. 

One interesting thing is that I told my kids to not expect the show to look like the cartoon. I brought up Beauty and the Beast and how the costumes in that show are so literal. After the show, my kids said how I was wrong and the characters all looked just like the cartoon. Obviously they don't, but that means the costume designer did well since Spongebob-raised kids didn't see the difference.