THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL to Open ThinkTank Theatre's Season at freeFall

ThinkTank Theatre will open its 26/27 season with The SpongeBob Musical in collaboration with freeFall Theatre's Tandem Series. The production will run for eight performances at freeFall Theatre and will feature a talented cast of area favorites. The production opens Friday, August 14 and runs through Sunday, August 23.

When the citizens of Bikini Bottom discover that a volcano will soon erupt and destroy their humble home, SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save the fate of their undersea world. With lives hanging in the balance and all hope lost, a most unexpected hero rises up. The power of optimism really can save the world! The SpongeBob Musical is the perfect musical experience for any age with cheeky jokes for adults and slapstick silliness for younger audiences.

ThinkTank's production brings together a dynamic cast of returning ThinkTank alumni, exciting area talent making their ThinkTank debut, and members of our popular Young Artists' Ensemble Intern Company.

Leading the cast as everyone's favorite sea sponge, SpongeBob, is Matt Kosinski (The Boyfriend Project – ThinkTank/freeFall, The Lightning Thief – USF). Joining him are William Alejandro Barba (She Kills Monsters – ThinkTank, Ghost Brothers of Darkland County – Jobsite) as the lovable Patrick Star, and recent Blake High School graduate Stella Duncan (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown – ThinkTank) as the brilliant aquatic squirrel Sandy Cheeks.

Other ThinkTank alums include Ryan Sturm (The Crucible – ThinkTank/Tampa Rep; I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change – Stageworks) as the entrepreneurial Mr. Krabs, alongside Kelsey Lopez (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown – ThinkTank; Jesus Christ Superstar – Carrollwood Players) as his strong-willed whale of a daughter, Pearl. Rounding out the group of ThinkTank alums is John M. Perez (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Songs for a New World – ThinkTank) who will take on the hysterical tracks of Patchy the Pirate, Perch the Newsfish, and Larry the Lobster.

Making their ThinkTank debuts are local favorite and Broadway alum Larry Alexander (Into the Woods – American Stage; House of Future Memory – freeFall) as the perpetually grumpy Squidward, Tristan J. Horta (Something Rotten! – Richey Suncoast Theatre) as the diabolical Sheldon J. Plankton, and Baylee Roberts (My Fair Lady – Eight O'clock Theatre) as his analytical computerized wife, Karen.

Four members of ThinkTank's Young Artists' Ensemble will take part in this production. Mary Pope, a senior at Berkeley Prep, and Sebastian Oliva-Minardi, a junior at Plant High School, make their ThinkTank mainstage debuts as Gary the Snail and Old Man Jenkins, respectively. Returning Young Artists' Ensemble member Anny DePolis (A Midsummer Night's Dream – ThinkTank), a homeschool junior, portrays Mrs. Puff, while Ashlin Sullivan (Number the Stars, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown – ThinkTank; Our Town – Stageworks), a senior at Robinson High School's International Baccalaureate program, appears as the Mayor of Bikini Bottom.

The SpongeBob Musical is directed by ThinkTank's Artistic Director, Georgia Mallory Guy, with musical direction by Jason Tucker and choreography by Jessica Scruggs. Jurian Icarus Dorsey will serve as the production stage manager, Georgios Tsambis as the Costume Designer, James Puttnam as the scenic designer, Julia Rifino as the scenic painter, Trenton Szabo as the lighting designer, and Eric Davis as the video programmer.

The SpongeBob Musical is based on the beloved animated series created by Stephen Hillenburg and features a book by Kyle Jarrow, with original songs by 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 A, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T's, They Might Be Giants and T.I., and songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny and Andy Paley. Additional lyrics are by Jonathan Coulton, with additional music by Tom Kitt. The musical production was conceived by Tina Landau.

Performances of The SpongeBob Musical take place at freeFall Theatre August 14–23, with performances held at 7:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, with 2:00 PM matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. The Saturday, August 22nd matinee will feature a sensory performance especially crafted for our patrons with sensory sensibilities and families with young children.

freeFall Theatre can be found at 6099 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, FL 33710. The production is recommended for ages 8+. The run time is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission.

Ticket prices for the production range from $25 for students, artists, and seniors and $40 for adults. Seating is limited for each performance and tickets can be purchased via the ThinkTank website at www.thinktanktya.org/spongebob. There are no additional ticketing fees.

ThinkTank's 2026/27 season and this production of The SpongeBob Musical is made possible by generous support from the Gobioff Foundation, the Shanna and Bryan Glazer JCC, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, the University of Tampa Department of Nursing, Matt and Mary Gordon, Hal Freedman and Willi Rudowsky, Andrea Graham and Geoff Simon, the ThinkTank Board of Directors, and our production hosts at freeFall Theatre.

About ThinkTank

At ThinkTank Theatre, we hold steadfast to the vision of producing thought-provoking, awe-inspiring, professional theatre for young people and family audiences. We strive vigorously to produce high-quality theatrical events and productions, programs for our communities through inclusion and accessibility, and to inspire audiences of all ages to find within themselves their sense of adventure, creativity, and curiosity.

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