Photo provided by the company
It’s a bit tricky to sort out exactly what to call this (officially) because it’s not consistent across promotional media (for this production, or, in fact, any production since its inception). It started out as SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical, but has since been dubbed SpongeBob The Musical and The SpongeBob Musical—TYT (Theatre You Treasure) seems to be using these interchangeably and why not, I mean, everybody knows what they’re talking about and that sort of chaos is entirely on-brand for the joy-and-havoc-spreading yellow fry-cook goofball freak. For my own piece of mind, I’m sticking with SpongeBob The Musical!
I’ve been curious about this show for a few years and now, having seen it…
Ok, here’s the deal. It’s for the kids, obviously. Even as children’s theatre, though, the material isn’t great, but it is fun and appropriate, quintessentially SpongeBob Squarepants™, and I have great affection for the characters. And no, I wasn’t a kid during its peak popularity. In the early aughts, when he was all the rage, I was in my mid-twenties, working in the children’s playland at IKEA, where we screened many episodes over and over and over again. And it sort of broke me. Now the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom are like cartoonish extended family.
The premise of this show seems ripped straight out of an episode. SpongeBob (Benjamin Massey) needs to prove to his boss, the mercenary Mr. Krabs (Archie Ballantyne), that he’s manager material and not “just a simple sponge.” He’s given the perfect opportunity when an active volcano threatens to destroy Bikini Bottom. As Plankton (Ian Kowalski), regular series villain, and his computer wife Karen (Liv Farquhar), scramble and scheme to exploit this disaster; it’s up to SpongeBob, his starfish bestie Patrick (Cole Hill) and scientist/karate enthusiast squirrel (you read that right) Sandy (Ebony Elliot) to save the day.
Some outrageous shenanigans (common in Bikini Bottom) include: Patrick becoming a saviour to a school of sardines (his fabulous pink feather coat is a highlight of Natasha Ross’s costume design); long-suffering SpongeBob-endurer and his grumpy foil, Squidward (Jeff Hookings), finally getting his big number (complete with tap-dancing!); and some delightfully silly and self-aware theatrics… like, for instance, an “avalanche” represented by an ensemble member just smooshing a big beach ball against SpongeBob.
Written by a ragtag collection of artists, from David Bowie and John Legend to Cyndi Lauper and Panic! at the Disco, the songs are pastiche and rather catchy. I’m partial to SpongeBob and Patrick’s ode to their friendship, “BFF” (by the Plain White T’s), a genuinely touching musical theatre first act closer, “Tommorrow Is” (by The Flaming Lips) and the very ear-wormy “Chop to the Top” (by Lady A) as the heroic trio climb the about-to-erupt Mount Humungous.
Though the book and numbers veer from not-so-bad to pretty good, director Evan Harkai’s production has enough campiness and Broadway vibes (Sydney LaForme and Mona Hillis’ choreography is pretty snazzy) to satisfy musical theatre nerds. And this exuberant, dexterous cast give it their all, really elevating the whole affair. Though they are all deserving, there isn’t space to shout everyone out, so I’ll highlight some of my favs.
Punctuating his infectious keener energy with some sassy hip thrusts, Massey’s SpongeBob is suitably endearing. His persona is gay-coded here, as is that of his grumpy counterpart—where he’s a happy gay, Hookings’ Squidward is the mean gay. As Plankton, Kowalski is serving up some evil John Cleese, I think, and his dynamic with Farquhar is very cute, plus her green-glowing techno-glasses and retro metallic dress are trés chic. One of the more understated deals here is Cole’s cuddly Patrick, whom I found thoroughly adorable, radiating some persuasive buddy vibes with Massey.
Though it has an appropriately nautical aesthetic with its tell-tale porthole outlines, I found the background set a bit uninspired. It does provide some nice levels, especially useful here when the plot involves climbing a volcano, and has decent dimension under the bright colours of Niall Durcan’s lighting.
With the exception of Sandy the squirrel—the only land mammal in their community under the sea (which becomes a point of contention in the story)—with her big, bushy tail, there isn’t any attempt to over-represent their animal identities. There are familiar aesthetic markers, some of them quite clever, that folks familiar with the cartoon will recognize.
While pretty much everything under the sun is being turned into a musical, SpongeBob Squarepants lends itself well. It has adopted the form many times, with my personal favourite being the chaotic banger, “The Campfire Song Song,” which is also a perfect encapsulation of the SpongeBob-Patrick-Squidward dynamic—behold!
This production has a similar, uh, charm. Feeling nostalgic, I enjoyed myself. And your kids will likely love it.
(Pssst, there are bubbles!)
SpongeBob The Musical!
August 22 to September 20, 2026
Randolph Theatre
(736 Bathurst St)
120 minutes (including intermission)
Photo provided by the company