The problem with Spongebob

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 11:18am

I saw the show Saturday night from a great seat and have already posted my comments, but in short, I really disliked it. But I knew going in that many, many people found it to be extremely entertaining, so I wondered why I got so little out of it. To help me find out, I went back and read about 10 reviews of major critics (e.g. Brantley, Adam Feldman). The prevailing theme was that if you were familiar with the TV series and characters, you'd probably love the show and if you had no familiarity with it, you'd likely hate (or dislike it). So I was in the latter category, never having seen a minute of Spongebob on TV. Brantley said he spent hours watching episodes prior to seeing the show, and as a result he really enjoyed himself.

I completely understand that this is a generalization and there are those who see it "tabula rosa" as I did who still enjoyed the show. But at least it explained why it was difficult for me to "get it."  I'd bet (as the subject of a research paper), that people who liked Spongebob with no background in the series would tend to dislike The Band's Visit intensely. Different strokes and all that.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 11:21am

I had seen maybe 10 minutes of the TV show before I saw the musical, and I liked it a great deal. I didn't love it, but I had a great time. I'm also 5-10 years older than the stoner demographic that eventually emerged, and I don't have any kids who'd be the other target audience.

(I also enjoyed The Band's Visit and I've never seen the movie.)

[taylortrensch]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 11:28am

I don't think being unfamiliar with Spongebob then seeing the show is the problem. I grew up on Spongebob and I am a big fan of the show. I also love The Band's Visit just as much and I didn't even know there was a movie until I heard of the show, and I don't intend on watching the movie either. 

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 11:37am

Spongebob reminds me of Seuss-ical. The latter was bloated and boring till they cut it down to under 80 minutes for schools. Spongebob would benefit from a similar culling but the multiple composer gimmick will prevent that from happening. 

Updated On: 6/11/18 at 11:37 AM

[haterobics]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 12:03pm

I don't know that I ever saw a full episode of the TV show and had a fun time at the show? I did feel that by seeing the Thanksgiving performance, it sort of set up what you were signing onto...

[Impossible2]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 12:29pm

It's not really that deep, you just didn't like something others did.

I think I saw one of the films because it was in 3D, but I still didn't know anything about it really going in.

I had a good time, it was very entertaining in a fun and silly way and 2 of the numbers were fantastic. But I didn't go running into Times Square screaming 'Spongebag, Spongebob'. It wasn't any better or worse than I thought it would be.

I didn't think it deserved any performance awards, but I thought the staging, lighting and sound design were great. It won one award that I thought it would and lost what I thought it would.

 

 

[Loopin’theloop]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 4:12pm

I think the biggest issue with the show is that it’s a musical comedy in which the songs aren’t funny.

Power ballads and rock numbers with generic lyrics do not a musical comedy make. Sure some of the numbers are a funny idea, Squidworths big tap number being a good example but they don’t contain many laughs in the actual lyrics. The money song by the crab could be a great and funny number, it isn’t. Even the opening, is there one lyrical gag?

This is one of the reasons the show has to rely so heavily on the visual gimmicks (which are brilliantly executed) you need glow in the dark sponges and the various other stylised approaches because the content of the songs is pretty bland.

It’s an incredible production of a mediocre show.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 4:54pm

Loopin’theloop said: "I think the biggest issue with the show is that it’s a musical comedy in which the songs aren’t funny.

Power ballads and rock numbers with generic lyrics do not a musical comedy make. Sure some of the numbers are a funny idea, Squidworths big tap number being a good example but they don’t contain many laughs in the actual lyrics. The money song by the crab could be a great and funny number, it isn’t. Even the opening, is there one lyrical gag?

This is one of the reasons the show has to rely so heavily on the visual gimmicks (which are brilliantly executed) you need glow in the dark sponges and the various other stylised approaches because the content of the songs is pretty bland.

It’s an incredible production of a mediocre show."

I think there was tonnes of laughs for those who knew the series, but not for those who don't.

There was a young couple in their late 20's in front of me that laughed and cheered the whole way through it at certain lines that went straight over my head.

[rjm516]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 4:59pm

I didn't know the tv show AT ALL, aside from what Spongebob and the starfish looked like. And I thought it was an adorable, entertaining show, but it got annoying and was clearly best suited for kids and tweens. It was rightfully not Tony-award worthy. It deserved its nominations in every category it got, but it didn't deserve to win

[Loopin’theloop]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 5:23pm

Impossible2 said: "Loopin’theloop said: "I think the biggest issue with the show is that it’s a musical comedy in which the songs aren’t funny.

Power ballads and rock numbers with generic lyrics do not a musical comedy make. Sure some of the numbers are a funny idea, Squidworths big tap number being a good example but they don’t contain many laughs in the actual lyrics. The money song by the crab could be a great and funny number, it isn’t. Even the opening, is there one lyrical gag?

This is one of the reasons the show has to rely so heavily on the visual gimmicks (which are brilliantly executed) you need glow in the dark sponges and the various other stylised approaches because the content of the songs is pretty bland.

It’s an incredible production of a mediocre show."

I think there was tonnes of laughs for those who knew the series, but not for those who don't.

There was a young couple in their late 20's in front of me that laughed and cheered the whole way through it at certain lines that went straight over my head."

 

in the book, for sure but not the songs 

 

[Gink]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 6:15pm

I'm in my 50's and while my kids grew up watching Sponge Bob, I always found it very grating. I only went to the show after friends kept telling me how much they loved it and ended up loving it as well. We just bought tickets to go again. 

[Rainah]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 7:09pm

Meanwhile, I put both Spongebob AND The Band's Visit into my "not for me" pile. Is there no happy medium between empty spectacle and touching but boring as heck drama? (Yes, I know, opinions may vary. Neither are for me)

[Impossible2]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 7:19pm

Rainah said: "Meanwhile, I put both Spongebob AND The Band's Visit into my "not for me" pile. Is there no happy medium between empty spectacle and touching but boring as heck drama? (Yes, I know, opinions may vary. Neither are for me)"

Bands Visit is not even remotely boring.

[Oak2]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 7:35pm

Impossible2 said: "Rainah said: "Meanwhile, I put both Spongebob AND The Band's Visit into my "not for me" pile. Is there no happy medium between empty spectacle and touching but boring as heck drama? (Yes, I know, opinions may vary. Neither are for me)"

Bands Visit is not even remotely boring."

Boring is subjective. I know if the whole show was like that Tony performance, than to me The Band's Visit is extremely boring - I zoned out midway through that performance because I found it so boring. If you want to make me feel emotion or challenge my thoughts or any of that, you have to actually capture my attention and keep it first, and it failed miserably at that for me - and I felt the same about most of the cast recording as well.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 7:52pm

Oak2 said: "Impossible2 said: "Rainah said: "Meanwhile, I put both Spongebob AND The Band's Visit into my "not for me" pile. Is there no happy medium between empty spectacle and touching but boring as heck drama? (Yes, I know, opinions may vary. Neither are for me)"

Bands Visit is not even remotely boring."

Boring is subjective. I know if the whole show was like that Tony performance, than to me The Band's Visit is extremely boring - I zoned out midway through that performance because I found it so boring. If you want to make me feel emotion or challenge my thoughts or any of that, you have to actually capture my attention and keep it first, and it failed miserably at that for me - and I felt the same about most of the cast recording as well."

It's a ballad for a start, ballads are usually boring. Personally I thought it was the total wrong choice of song for them to perform and TBH I didn't think much of that song even in the show. It's a sweet song, but wasn't a highlight.

There are much funnier or tender musical moments they could've chosen.

[Elegance101]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 8:43pm

Some people think Band's Visit is boring, some think it's thrilling. Some people think Spongebob is insufferable, some find it joyous. There's not a "reason," it's completely subjective and based off of our own opinions, life experiences, perspectives, etc. That's all there is to this.

[haterobics]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 9:32pm

Impossible2 said: "ballads are usually boring."

One of the craziest things I've ever read on here.

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 9:50pm

haterobics said: "Impossible2 said: "ballads are usually boring."

One of the craziest things I've ever read on here."

i was just thinking the exact same thing  

 

[SempreLiberal]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 11:21pm

Rainah said: "Meanwhile, I put both Spongebob AND The Band's Visit into my "not for me" pile. Is there no happy medium between empty spectacle and touching but boring as heck drama? (Yes, I know, opinions may vary. Neither are for me)"

[DINA] Let me tell you about Petah Tikva
Such a city, everybody loves it!
Lots of fun, lots of art, lots of culture
That's Petah Tikva, with a "P"

Where you are, this is not Petah Tikva
Such a city, nobody knows it!
Not a fun, not an art, not a culture
This is Bet Hatikvah, with a "B"

[ITZIK] Like in "boring"

[PAPI] Like in "barren"

[ITZIK] Like in "bull****"

[PAPI] Like in "bland"

[DINA] Like in "basically bleak and beige and blah, blah, blah..

 

David Yazbek anticipated the “boring” criticism and embraced it within the first 10 minutes of the show. If the audience can embrace the notion that Bet Hatikvah is boring, then what happens there over the next 80 minutes feels monumental and as earth-shattering as Bikini Bottom’s volcano. 

 

 

 

[Oak2]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 11:30pm

SempreLiberal said: "Rainah said: "Meanwhile, I put both Spongebob AND The Band's Visit into my "not for me" pile. Is there no happy medium between empty spectacle and touching but boring as heck drama? (Yes, I know, opinions may vary. Neither are for me)"

[DINA]Let me tell you about Petah Tikva
Such a city, everybody loves it!
Lots of fun, lots of art, lots of culture
That's Petah Tikva, with a "P"

Where you are, this is not Petah Tikva
Such a city, nobody knows it!
Not a fun, not an art, not a culture
This is Bet Hatikvah, with a "B"

[ITZIK]Like in "boring"

[PAPI]Like in "barren"

[ITZIK]Like in "bull****"

[PAPI]Like in "bland"

[DINA]Like in "basically bleak and beige and blah, blah, blah..



David Yazbek anticipated the “boring” criticism and embracedit within the first 10 minutes of the show. If the audience can embrace the notion thatBet Hatikvah is boring, then what happens there over the next 80 minutes feelsmonumental and asearth-shattering as Bikini Bottom’s volcano.


"

And that may work for some. But for me that doesn't excuse it. IF anything, that makes it even worse. My reaction to that is "So if you're admitting right out that you're boring, why should I waste my money on you?" And the music continues to be boring. It doesn't matter how much they embrace it, I"m still going to fall asleep to that rather than be able to pay attention.

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 6/11/18 at 11:31pm

A character within the context of the story saying they find the setting boring doesn’t make the story itself any less boring to any audience member who found it boring.

[A Director]

Posted: 6/12/18 at 4:28am

SempreLiberal said: "Rainah said: "Meanwhile, I put both Spongebob AND The Band's Visit into my "not for me" pile. Is there no happy medium between empty spectacle and touching but boring as heck drama? (Yes, I know, opinions may vary. Neither are for me)"

[DINA]Let me tell you about Petah Tikva
Such a city, everybody loves it!
Lots of fun, lots of art, lots of culture
That's Petah Tikva, with a "P"

Where you are, this is not Petah Tikva
Such a city, nobody knows it!
Not a fun, not an art, not a culture
This is Bet Hatikvah, with a "B"

[ITZIK]Like in "boring"

[PAPI]Like in "barren"

[ITZIK]Like in "bull****"

[PAPI]Like in "bland"

[DINA]Like in "basically bleak and beige and blah, blah, blah..



David Yazbek anticipated the “boring” criticism and embracedit within the first 10 minutes of the show. If the audience can embrace the notion thatBet Hatikvah is boring, then what happens there over the next 80 minutes feelsmonumental and asearth-shattering as Bikini Bottom’s volcano.

This has to be one of the stupidest comments in many a decade. Yep, Yazbek realized he was writing a boring musical, so he wrote a song to let the audience know.  WRONG!  The song is a perfect example of Israeli sarcasm!





"

 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/12/18 at 11:35am

The Band's Visit is not boring, and SpongeBob is not empty spectacle.

[Browneyes142]

Posted: 6/13/18 at 10:22am

RaisedOnMusicals said: "...I'd bet (as the subject of a research paper), that people who liked Spongebob with no background in the series would tend to dislike The Band's Visit intensely. Different strokes and all that."

So I've never watched Spongebob the cartoon. It always annoyed me in any snippet I saw or heard. That said, I enjoyed the show. Sure, it was fluff, but that was expected. I went to see the creativity in set design, to see how they portrayed the characters, etc. I was not disappointed. I came away impressed with the way they were able to poryray that world without copying it. 

 

I also saw The Band's Visit in the same trip. I enjoyed it as well. There were a couple of moments that dragged for me but I enjoyed it overall. There is a projection at the beginning that says, "...and nothing happened" They never promise for it to be a wild ride .I loved the music going in and the performances were well done as well .I never saw the movie either .

[RexInLights]

Posted: 6/13/18 at 11:00am

I've never seen a single episode of the Spongebob TV show and I enjoyed the musical a great deal for its imagination, optimism, and joyfulness. So while this may have been your problem with it, it's not a blanket problem at all.

Updated On: 6/13/18 at 11:00 AM