SpongeBob SquarePants (Broadway)

“One of the best shows of the season...One doesn’t even need to have ever seen an episode of ‘SpongeBob’ to enjoy this magical piece of theatrical cotton candy...There are so many impeccable performances from the mega-talented cast...Deserves to run for years and entertain and inspire many with its universal message of teamwork, inclusiveness and hope, making it a badly needed tonic for these troubled times, but it’s also just a lot of harmless merriment and so much fun.” Full Review

"It is magical and colorful and fun...It is an incredible visual spectacle with some real substance underneath. It’s perfect not only for children but for families, for adults, for anyone...The director, designers, and actors have accomplished something extraordinary, perhaps one of the best examples of 'suspension of disbelief' ever seen in theater...One of the best musicals on Broadway right now, and is certainly the best musical of the season. Quite simply, it is extraordinary." Full Review

“The splashy musical comes across as a glorified episode – and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that...A delightfully giddy experience, both sweet and energizing, both in design and performance. What’s astonishing about the tuneful show is the consistent high it manages to sustain throughout its two-and-a-half hour running time.The show is led by an endlessly inventive, exuberant, and altogether smashing performance by the charismatic Ethan Slater in the title role." Full Review

"'SpongeBob SquarePants The Broadway Musical' is a wonder of neon psychedelic delight starring a character-perfect lead surrounded by a fun-centered cast which should delight adults and children of all ages!" Full Review

"It’s a truly gloomy soul who’ll be able to leave without mirroring the dopey grin with which the show’s absorbent yellow hero responds to his buddy’s existential angst...Under the joyfully maximalist hand of Tina Landau, Bikini Bottom gets the more-is-more-is-more-is-more treatment — with a DIY twist that’s both endlessly charming and integral to the production’s spirit...Is it too much? Nah, no such thing...I left realizing that I had smiled for literally every minute of it." Full Review

"Slater sings, leaps, and charms us all...Works for whoever is watching...A brilliant feat of directing by Landau who ensures a ranging production makes smooth sense, while remaining an arresting and unpredictable visual delight. The music in the show is similarly spectacular, loud and a panoply of styles...Zinn’s costume and scenic design is another star of the show...For all that the multi-colored 'SpongeBob' musical cavalcade is a party for the eyes and ears, it is also political—radical e... Full Review

"Will have you grinning ear to ear the entire show—and long after you leave the theater...In the hands of a very talented creative team, it’s made the leap from screen to stage beautifully...Despite the wide-range of musical styles these musicians come from, their songs all flow together, creating a cohesive show. They compliment one another, the characters, and the story...The actors themselves are all marvelous. The ensemble works together so well; all the leads are perfectly cast." Full Review

"The award for smartest silly idea for a show goes to 'SpongeBob SquarePants'...Landau creates an evening that bombards the senses, challenges the funny bone, and even tugs are the heart from time to time. The cast is superb...Highest marks of the evening go to Slater in the title role...What seemed most remarkable about the evening is how it manages to get an audience of sophisticated Gothamites and first-time theatergoing tots all on the same page." Full Review

“A surreal extravaganza that is as bonkers as it is surprisingly coherent...It adheres to the basic tenets of great musical theatre: from the scene-establishing opening to the 11 o'clock number...The cast is sensational, delivering the kind of high octane, super-caffeinated work that this material needs...Truly gorgeous, and a defiant antidote to the minimalism of other current Broadway hits...It's nuts, but gosh it's fun.” Full Review

"Fun and smart and festive and joyful it is. In spades...It’s a colorful spectacle that feels intoxicating and exciting before the show even begins...Ethan Slater making his Broadway debut, gives about the best performance of a sponge that one could hope for...Every underwater creature is playing their part swimmingly...Time will tell if it is a success financially, but as an artistic endeavor, they have surprised the Broadway world and hit that pineapple out of the park." Full Review

“This tidal wave of nautical nonsense has turned the Palace Theatre into an eye-poppingly colorful seascape filled with subaquatic life ranging from petite plankton to lumbering leviathans…Staged with unceasing zest…and a confetti-covered…beach ball party, 'SpongeBob SquarePants' defies you to be bored...Within all the nutty behavior and antics, a few adult-oriented thematic points are made…Expressive vitality, visual ingenuity, vibrant musicality, and consistently exceptional performances.” Full Review

"A joy. Like its irrepressible yellow hero, played by the peppy and limber-limbed Ethan Slater, the show is unabashedly committed to imagination and dorky enthusiasm...What send the show soaring are David Zinn’s sensational costumes and set...In the end, 'SpongeBob' succeeds because Landau and Zinn make even the most complicated musical staging look and feel like child’s play. It wants you to have fun. Soak it in." Full Review

"Nothing short of genius...Landau and her creative team have reimagined the television series for the stage, building a world that resembles the cartoon, while taking brilliant advantage of this new medium...Landau develops the vibe of a rock concert throughout, while Jarrow's text theatricalizes the incendiary humor...The show, however, is on the fatty side...SpongeBob might save the day in the end, but Landau is the real hero in this venture, and an inspiring one at that." Full Review

"An absolute delight. Silly, heartfelt and charming, it has infectious songs written by an array of top music talent and it’s been cleverly conceived and directed by the innovative Landau. Landau and her collaborators haven’t tried to put the cartoon series onstage; they’ve reimagined it for the theatre...It’s a thin plot to stretch out over nearly two-and-a-half hours, but the occasional lulls are forgivable...Dare I say that adults as well as children are likely to find 'SpongeBob' absorbing." Full Review

"The wildly entertaining new musical also offers sage lessons in how to save civilization in the face of doom...Fans of Stephen Hillenburg’s Nickelodeon franchise will be happy to see the gang’s all here, brilliantly sprung to life by visionary director Tina Landau...It’s a buoyant and rollicking score that flows together remarkably well, thanks to music supervisor Tom Kitt." Full Review

"One of the most creative animation-to-stage adaptations I’ve seen...Although the plot is paper thin, there is much more here than meets the eye. Self-help advice is liberally dispensed in musical form from artists in all genres...An original cast recording that is catchy and contagious. The musical variety is just one of the many things that makes this show a genuine crowd-pleaser. The energy that this supremely talented cast gives is beyond electric...Don’t resist this gem." Full Review

"The musical is as effervescent as its boyish leading man. Still, Slater must – and does -ensure the comic, user-friendly tone is set and maintained...Director Tina Landau deftly pulls all the pieces together and delivers a package that works on all levels, breaking some of the rules along the way. The lack of creature-specific costumes in this type of enterprise is rare and welcome...Courtesy of Kyle Jarrow’s clever, efficient book, Landau has reeled in a whale of a good time." Full Review

"In heavy times, we can all use a little nonsense. (The good kind)...Here’s where the real twist comes: the show is very good. This is largely thanks to Tina Landau, its conceiver and director, who fills the stage with visual wit, from giant Rube Goldberg machines that spit out bouncy boulders to Zinn’s relentlessly clever costumes and sets...An all-star roster of artists supplied original songs but the standout is 'I’m Not a Loser,' by They Might Be Giants." Full Review

"Slater, in his Broadway debut, perfectly captures SpongeBob’s enthusiastic approach to life...Director Tina Landau has conceived this show with care, guarding Nickelodeon’s 18-year-old juggernaut while infusing it with a subtle nod to current events and musicals of the past...Ultimately, though, music makes this show...To those who can’t imagine this as anything beyond basic kids’ fare, here’s some advice. Check your preconceptions at the door and enjoy the ride." Full Review

"Tina Landau’s direction enables the characters to come alive and transcend the cartoon world. Kyle Jarrow’s book and the choreography by Christopher Gattelli enhance the enjoyment of this wonderful musical...This musical is a show for the entire family. It also has a sublime message about the values of collaboration, tolerance, and appreciation of differences. You will leave the theatre with a feeling of satisfaction and happiness." Full Review

"Kyle Jarrow’s book retains the two key elements of the Nicktoon: the cheerful sea sponge’s unquenchable optimism and his selflessly heroic efforts to rescue his friends ...Landau’s hallucinogenic stagecraft transcends the show’s television origins by speaking a visual language that’s three-dimensional and boldly theatrical...It’s not as much of a gimmick as it seems, but without a signature sound, there’s no signature style. What there is, though, is plenty of giddy, goofy fun for all." Full Review

"Delightful but overstuffed...Explodes with catchy songs, Crayola-bright visuals, goofy humor, not-so-silly messages, and lots of heart. There’s a breakout star turn, to boot...Undersea denizens are given human form but retain telltale traits. It’s a smart decision that broadens accessibility...Momentum stalls occasionally from so many story threads, but David Zinn’s clever sets and costumes offer constant eye candy to compensate...'SpongeBob' is simply a pleasure." Full Review

“This visually stunning, witty and faithful stage adaptation is a lot of fun but drawn out...Landau’s euphoric staging vigorously emphasizes spectacle, humor, and sensitivity...The material is edgy enough to entertain adults...Portions of it are over-extended, repetitious, and tangential. Perhaps for Broadway, its creators felt the need to really make it a full-length show. In this case, less would have been more,though the abundant merriment is still pleasurable." Full Review

"The wildest romp of a musical Broadway has seen in many a season...It's best to have a familiarity with SpongeBob...There's still a lot of fun to be had for the uninitiated...Mostly made up of silly shenanigans and lots of big production numbers, several of which are quite good...It is certainly an overstuffed banquet for the eye and the ear, and it does run the risk of stimulus overload, but for fans of that happy-go-lucky member of the phylum porifera, it's not to be missed." Full Review

“The last 40 minutes or so is such mind-rattling, eye-popping, rib-tickling fun that maybe I should just stop right there. Not that this popular series is ever short on energy, visual spectacle, inside-Bikinisms and the like...For, first-act problems aside, this show, ingeniously staged by Landau and choreographed by Gattelli within an inch of its CO2 life, has more to offer than we had any right to expect in this era of dreary Broadway knockoffs of Hollywood dross.” Full Review