Review: THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL at Diamond Head Theatre

Closing out Diamond Head Theatre’s 2024-2025 season, The SpongeBob Musical builds on the momentum of a season of impressive productions like Master Class and Man of La Mancha to a fin-tastic finale filled with knockout production value, notable performances, and nautical nonsense (naturally).

The original show opened on Broadway in 2017 and enjoyed critical acclaim, twelve Tony nominations, and a commendable Broadway run and subsequent national tour. Diamond Head Theatre’s production looks and sounds like it could have been part of this tour, with top-notch talent and production value through the roof. Set designer Deanne Kennedy really filled the space with color and bubbles and volcanoes and jellyfish, the sheer number (and scale!) of cartoonish props (Kyle Conner), and the costumes (Emily Lane) and wigs (Aiko Schick) were some of the most creative and beautifully executed I have seen in any theatre setting, professional or community.

With colorful lighting design by David Decarolis and hysterical, split-second timing sound design by Tim Manamtam and Sarah Velsaco, this entire show was a feast for the senses and a joy for all ages.

Considering how faithful to the spirit of the Nickelodeon cartoon this show was, it was surprising to read in his program note that director and choreographer Greg Zane had never watched any SpongeBob Squarepants episodes prior to seeing the original Broadway production. He was able to achieve a very satisfying balance of wacky and heartfelt throughout the show, with enough inside jokes for the SpongeBob fans without ever alienating anyone unfamiliar with the show. The diversity of music and choreography was handled very well, reflecting the laundry list of famous names who contributed music to the score (Cyndi Lauper, David Bowie, and The Flaming Lips, to name a few). I was especially delighted to see some hula ‘auana included in the mix, which felt justified and well-integrated into the hodgepodge of dance styles that also included hip hop, modern, lyrical, and tap. The cast handled everything Mr. Zane threw at them with finesse and boundless energy.

Speaking of “boundless energy”, Chad Navarro was the perfect choice to play the titular sponge. I was elated to see him back on stage after being thoroughly charmed by his performance as Doody in Grease earlier this year, and he amped that energy up to inexplicable heights as SpongeBob. He leapt, danced, prat-falled, inspired, and belted his heart out without flagging once, with an athleticism that made me miss my old knees. As SpongeBob’s stalwart right-hand-seastar Patrick, Zack Oldham was equally winning, affecting a voice that evoked cartoon Patrick’s dum-dum personality without falling too far into direct impersonation. His schtick was always perfectly timed, but he really stole the show with tambourine in hand for “Super Sea-Star Savior”. He and Mr. Navarro had heaps of chemistry and seemed to be having the time of their lives on that stage. Mehana Stone as Sandy Cheeks, the Texas squirrel who rounds out the triad of besties under the sea, brought some impressive vocals and karate chop action to the mix, while also diving into tender moments as she comes to terms with unfairly becoming the scapegoat of Bikini Bottom. As the primary “villain” of the show—if we are to say there is one—Presley A. Wheeler as the one-eyed, one-celled Plankton was a hoot as he slunk and schemed and popped-and-locked with his sassy computer wife, Karen, played by the (literally) luminous  Aiko Schick, who made a feast out of a relatively minor role. Similarly, Sage Nguyen as Pearl Krabs brought the house down with her crystal-clear pop-rock belt, as did Cassidy Ross as the manipulative mayor of Bikini Bottom with her soaring operatic voice and imposing demeanor. Though both women had minimal stage time, I knew I was in for a ride whenever they stepped (or stomped, in Pearl’s case) on stage. I was tickled by Nathaniel Ryan-Kern as the dour Squidward, who tap-danced his way into our hearts while backed up by a sea anemone kickline, and by a surprise voiceover appearance by David Sheftell as the French Narrator, whose accent was so spot-on that I thought his bits had been lifted directly from the cartoon. Finally, I have to give props (literally) to whoever was responsible for tossing the “boulders” and money bags from off stage left—the slapstick precision of it all had me cackling every time. Kudos to you, unseen stage hand!