Wheelock Family Theatre Kicks Off New Season with The SpongeBob Musical
Cast of Wheelock Family Theatre’s The SpongeBob Musical rehearsing a scene on October 2. The show, based on Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants, runs October 5 to 27.
Wheelock Family Theatre Kicks Off New Season with The SpongeBob Musical
The land of Bikini Bottom comes to vivid life in a rollicking adaptation of the beloved Nickelodeon TV show
This article was originally published in BU Today on October 3, 2024. By John O’Rourke. Photos by Cydney Scott
Take a peek at the Wheelock Family Theatre stage and you’ll discover a tie-dyed explosion of color giving the illusion of being on the bottom of the ocean floor. The transformation recreates Bikini Bottom, the magical underwater setting of the hit Nickelodeon children’s show SpongeBob SquarePants, featuring the eponymous, ever-optimistic yellow sea sponge and his quirky friends and neighbors.
Wheelock Family Theatre (WFT) kicks off its 2024-2025 season October 5 with The SpongeBob Musical, an exuberant adaptation of the TV series, featuring original music by such legendary songwriters as Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Lady A, and Sara Bareilles.
In the show, SpongeBob and his best friends—starfish Patrick Star and squirrel and brilliant scientist Sandy Cheeks—must save Bikini Bottom from an imminent underwater volcano.
WFT executive director Nick Vargas, who’s directing the show, says the musical perfectly embodies the theme of the new season: a celebration of the power of friendship.
“It’s a story about three friends overcoming the odds to save the world at all costs,” Vargas says. “At the end of the day, SpongeBob, Sandy, and Patrick save the day.”
When it debuted on Broadway in 2017, the New York Times described the musical as a “ginormous giggle of a show.” And while it captures all of the TV show’s trademark eye-popping visuals and manic energy, it also touches on more serious themes: prejudice (many of the residents treat Sandy Cheeks with disdain because she’s a land mammal), scientific skepticism, and overcoming self-doubt.
Asked what he thinks accounts for SpongeBob’s enduring popularity—the show debuted in 1999 and is seen in more than 200 countries—Vargas says it’s the fact that young people identify so readily with the characters. “I think there’s this opportunity for the story to go in so many different directions, to allow for young people to see themselves and explore and use their imaginations in really creative ways,” he says.
Max Connor plays SpongeBob SquarePants, the first time he’s appearing in a Wheelock Family Theatre production.
Krystal Hernandez as Sandy Cheeks (left) with Max Connor as SpongeBob. The two help to save Bikini Bottom.
The musical is an ambitious undertaking for WFT. The large cast has 18 actors, who portray nearly 40 characters, among them sardines, lobsters, pirates, and ensemble puppeteers, and the score’s wide-ranging styles (hip-hop, country, and gospel, to name a few) have required them to master wildly divergent dance numbers.
Max Connor, a recent Emerson College grad, stars as SpongeBob. Connor came to Vargas’ attention a couple of years ago as an understudy in a production of The Spitfire Grill that Vargas was directing for Emerson Stage.
“He was a superb talent,” Vargas says. Last year, he caught Connor’s performance as a half boy/half bat in Batboy: The Musical, again at Emerson Stage, and was so impressed, he invited him to audition for SpongeBob.
“When he came into the room, his ability to bring joy, sing and act the part, and then be willing to be kind of silly and play made it clear he was the right person for the part,” Vargas says.
Connor says that prepping to play the lead began with capturing the cartoon character’s iconic nasal voice and then bringing the requisite physicality to the part: “He’s a sponge that stretches and does a lot of crazy things, so working with a kind of larger-than-life physicality has been a big part of the process for me.”
He says he’s worked hard to do more than just imitate the character. “I’m the kind of actor who likes to bring his own personal experiences to a role,” he says. “It’s involved a lot of seeing where SpongeBob is in his journey and taking stock of where I am and where I’ve been in my journey and finding the crossroads of those two points.”
Since being cast, Connor says, he’s had to undergo a crash-course in SpongeBob SquarePants.
“I wasn’t allowed to watch it growing up, so it’s been a scramble to catch up on all this, but it’s been a blast,” he says, laughing. “You can’t help but love him. He’s very flawed, he makes a lot of mistakes, but he’s always willing to learn from them and grow, and he values friendship and community.”
Sydney Jackson (CFA’26) is in the ensemble, playing several parts, from a sardine to a pirate to a resident of Bikini Bottom. She’s loved the challenge of taking on multiple roles. “One of the most exciting parts of being in the ensemble is you get to create so many different characters,” she says. “The fun is getting to make them different. Being able to create these storylines for each character is what keeps it interesting. It’s exciting to wear so many different hats.”
Jackson credits the movement training she’s received at the College of Fine Arts School of Theatre with helping her prepare for the physical challenges each part demands.