Diamond Head Theatre has plunged into the whirlpool of fun of “The SpongeBob Musical,” a marvel of stagecraft based on Nickelodeon’s spirited cartoon character and its undersea antics.
Originally dubbed “SpongeBob SquarePants,” the show- — minus the squarepants – is a colorful enterprise of quirky characters residing in Bikini Bottom, whose quiet lives are upended by a volcanic eruption falling and wiping out the sea community.
The real accomplishment is the coming-of-age triumph of the technical crew at DHT, which has had frequent difficulty creating satisfying sets in its still-new theater with fly space that hadn’t been available for more than 100 years.
Thus, SpongeBob has arrived to rescue and resolve the techie production ills of the recent past, making this perhaps the best-ever, cohesive DHT enterprise.
Advisory: this is not a kiddie show. It’s family-oriented, with wide appeal to adults and parents. So, take a plunge and savor the silliness of SpongeBob.
The saga of the undersea community threatened to lose its home is one of bonding to challenge and upend and survive the explosion of underwater mountains.
“SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical” – the formal official title –was a huge hit with both critics and spectators and earned 12 Tony Award nominations for it run at the Palace Theatre at Times Square.. I saw it and laughed and applauded and adored this cartoon transformed into a live-action stage musical.
Then, and particularly now, “SpongeBob” satisfies with terrific sets, boasting bright and bold costumes, and a spirited cast plus, inventive staging, strong performances, and all the bells and whistles of a triumphant show.
Greg Zane, an islander with Broadway credits, is the bright mind and master and logically the influence to glue the elements together. He’s attracted skilled techies, along with an inspired corps of actors and dancers, to give “SpongeBob” its energetic heartbeat. As director and choreography (and a former actor-dancer himself), Zane’s zest is a gift well shared.
On stage, diminutive Chad Navarro is a tireless SpongeBob, who sings, prances, and dances like a wind-up toy, and his character is notably optimistic to inspire his sea buddies to become the village that bonds and unifies in a time of crisis.
His BFF is Patrick Star (Zack Oldman, who has comedic traits, and late in the Act 2, a sleek and sensational dancer), and the characters include Squidward Q. Tentacles (Nathaniel Ryan-Kern, navigating with four legs), Sandy Cheeks (Mehana Stone, bearing a powerful voice), Eugene H. Krabs (Lee Nebe, who runs the Krusty Krab restaurant and bears. a pair of claws), and Sheldon J. Plankton (Pressly Wheeler, an antagonist with vibrant pipes).
The whacky denizens include pirates, sea anemones, sardines and more.
Deanne Kennedy’s awesome scenic design features a splendid oceanscape of a warm light blue with coral accents, against which appears a four-tiered underwater rainbow in Act 2, and a pair on instances of glistening jellyfish descending from the fly space in the first act, and circular bubbles falling from above in the second act. Further, there are a pair of underwater “mountains” on wheels that move and turn with grace and they’re quiet, and silent in movement. Overall, these design elements elevate appeal and provide an element of finesse.
David Decarolis’ lighting is phenomenal, from bright of the day to darkness during the volcanic eruption, with occasional flashes creating dramatic effects.
Tim Manamtam’s and Sarah Velasco’s sound design complement the lights and occasionally augment onstage dramatic moments, like footsteps when the four-legged Squidward character tromps off stage, and visual elements of fog and strobe lights.
Emily Lane’s costumes and Aiko Schick’s hair and makeup design go hand in hand, with very bright colors on styles and outrageous hairdos for the entire cast of 20-plus. You can’t find the garb or the wigs at second-hand shops, so a sizeable budget was well spent.
Kyle Conner was props designer, Jared Paakaula was associate director, and Evan Autio choreographed the “I’m Not a Loser” sequence in Act 2, with Squidward and the anemones.
Jenny Shiroma’s music direction involved an ork of eight, with three keyboards and to guitars, and the music covered a range styles, with tunes tapped by producers. Thus, the score features songs by Steven Perry and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Cyndi Lauper, They Might Be Giants, Plain White T‘s, David Bowie and Sarah Bareilles.
There’s a multitude of other gems and surprises, if you look hither and yon, like the clever formation of a pineapple, which is the home of SpongeBob, a ticking aerial clock above the theater proscenium, and remote-controlled crab in a couple of scenes. All joyful stuff, in a landscape of unpredictability…
And that’s Show Biz…
“The SpongeBob Musical”
What: A musical by Stephen Hillenburg, with book by Kyle Jarrow, based on Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” cartoon
Where: Diamond Head Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, plus 3 p.m. Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays, through Aug. 9
Tickets: $41, $52 and $68, at (808) 733-0274 or www.diamondheadtheatre.com