Morgantown Theatre Company brings The SpongeBob Musical to the Met this weekend.
The residents of Bikini Bottom have a problem: Nearby Mount Humongous is trembling and smoking and seems about to erupt. Nautical nonsense follows in Morgantown Theatre Company’s production of The SpongeBob Musical this weekend at the Metropolitan Theatre.
All of the familiar SpongeBob Squarepants characters get into the fray, says Artistic Director Heath Kale. “SpongeBob is the personification of youthful bliss and hopefulness even in the face of true terror and terrible things happening in the world, and our Ezra Secreto is doing a wonderful job with that,” Kale says. “She and Patrick Star, played by Sean Nash, and Sandy Cheeks, played by Khloe Smith—they’re all just so good at bringing the characters to life.” Plankton, Mr. Crabs, and all of the other regulars appear on stage, too. “We have a cast of a little over 50 kids aged from 5th grade to 12th.”
It’s a kids’ show that deals with current issues, Kale says. Mount Humongous, for example, is made of trash. And in their fear and confusion, the Bikini Bottomites scapegoat the resident who’s not like the rest of them: Sandy Cheeks, the friendly flying squirrel. “So there’s pollution, racism, and people being forced out of their homes, things that are pretty important to what’s happening in the world today,” he says. “We explore those in rehearsals—but we also keep it fun and hopeful.”
The set and costumes for this show are just as colorful and fun as you’d expect. “Squidward—that’s the costume that people should be on the lookout for,” Kale says. “That actress wears a pair of legs on the back of her, and it’s hysterical watching her walk. It’s a little constricting, and she has this gigantic tap number that she has to do wearing those legs.”
You can catch The SpongeBob Musical Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 or 7 p.m., or Sunday at 2 p.m. Reserve your seats online. “I hope that people come and have a really great time,” Kale says, “and maybe they’ll leave with something to discuss on the car ride home.”
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