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David Bowie, Aerosmith, Flaming Lips Pen Songs for 'SpongeBob Musical'


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Wow, David Bowie doesn't surprise me too much because they got him to guest star in Atlantis Squarepantis, but Aerosmith too? I am genuinely curious to see what kind of songs will be in this thing, even if it doesn't turn out to be that good.

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Looks like we have a bit of a synopsis, from Broadway in Chicago's website:

"The end is near. Only one sponge can save the day. But he’s going to need help from some of the greatest songwriters in rock and pop music history.

The SpongeBob Musical unleashes anarchic absurdity under the sea… and on Broadway."

Also revealed: the design team, which includes scenic and costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Kevin Adams, projection design by Peter Nigrini and sound design by Walter Trarbach. 

Casting has yet to be announced.

The SpongeBob Musical will be produced by Nickelodeon. It will begin performances on June 7th, 2016 at the Oriental Theatre (24 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL) in a limited engagement through July 3rd, 2016. Following its engagement in Chicago, the musical will open on Broadway in the 2016-2017 season. Individual tickets available soon. Group tickets (for 10 or more) are now on sale by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710.

Stay posted! I will update as soon as more information is available. ;) 

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Nothing particularly new, but I thought I'd share a little something I came across over at Cartoon Brew:

“I was drawn to this project not only for its wild theatrical possibility, but also because I felt SpongeBob, at its core, is a layered and hilarious ensemble comedy,” said Landau, a vet of Chicago’s esteemed Steppenwolf Theatre Company. “SpongeBob himself is of course its center and beating heart — the eternal innocent in a sea of cynics. He’s also the classic underdog hero, and so our production sets him on a hero’s journey with real stakes, all the while retaining the show’s trippy humor and irreverence.”

“We’re taking our leads from the TV show but this is an original story, with an original design approach, and original songs written just for the occasion by an amazing array of songwriters,” Landau added. “We will present the world of Bikini Bottom and its characters in a whole new way that can only be achieved in the live medium of the theater. We’re bringing the show’s fabled characters to life through actors — not prosthetics or costumes that hide them — and we’re deploying some unconventional stage craft that will prove that anything can happen in Bikini Bottom.”

Interesting stuff... I wonder what this "unconventional stage craft" will look like? And how far does this "anything" go? Only time will tell, I suppose... ;) 

Still waiting for casting + individual tickets to be announced, so once again, stay tuned!

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While tickets have yet to go on sale (grr), I've stumbled across the casting calls for each character, so until we have a definitive list of who will being portraying who... here's a little taste of what's to be expected!

Spongebob: optimistic, energetic, innocent, loyal, sometimes hyper-active; boyish and ideally blonde; performer must have a pliable body and be an extremely physical actor with excellent comedic timing; tenor; principal; note: role has been offered and accepted. 

Patrick: well-intentioned but lacking common sense or skills; kind and somewhat clueless; a big softie; physically needs to be round shaped, hefty, and possibly bald or willing to shave head if desired; any actors auditioning for this role should sing a pop or R&B song that shows off your vocal range; barite nor; principal.

Squidward: grumpy, short-tempered, generally negative but lovable nonetheless; must be tall and thin; must move well and be a strong tap dancer; any actors auditioning for this role should sing a big, showbizzy show tune, ideally something about determination or wanting to be a star, a la "Give my Regards to Broadway," "I Am What I Am," "All I Care About is Love," "Don’t Rain on My Parade," etc.; must have a strong baritone with comfortable sustained G# belt; principal.

Mr. Krabs: lives his life as a penny-saving, money-grabbing restaurateur; obsessed and volatile in relationship to his money; tender but misguided in relationship with his daughter; seeking performer a little more physically round, stocky, a short and stout frame; any actors auditioning for this role should sing an up-tempo contemporary song that shows off your vocal range but also has a gruffness a la Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, or Gogol Bordello; the songs should be jangly and jaunty, something fun to wail on; must be a strong baritenor; principal.

Plankton: his personality outweighs his small size; a diminutive firecracker; slick, scheming, nefarious; determined, he will do anything to get ahead in life; very greedy, but his heart is still open enough to learn life lessons along the road; must be able to rap and dance very well and have a solid tenor pop/rock sound; the ability to rap is a plus; principal.

Sandy: A native Texan, speaks with an accent; intelligent, buoyant, very athletic, and physically fit; must know (or be able to quickly learn) karate or martial arts tricks; any actresses auditioning for this role should sing a pop country song in the style of such artists as Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, or a pop rock song in the style of Cyndi Lauper or P!nk; must be an alto with a comfortable belt to a D; principal.

I. am. so. EXCITED. :plankton2: 

Seriously, I'm loving this so far. The more I dig up, the more I find myself looking forward to this. June cannot come soon enough!

As always, stay posted. I will provide you with updates as soon as I can. ;) 

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I am glad to announce that it has been confirmed that David Bowie will still have a song featured in the score of the SpongeBob Musical, debuting in Chicago on Tuesday, June 7th, 2016 in a limited engagement through Sunday, July 3rd, 2016! :) 

"Before David Bowie left for the stars, he released one final album. But it seems as if his last words will actually come from a pineapple under the sea.

Yes, Ziggy has a posthumous song in the upcoming SpongeBob Squarepants musical."

 

Edited by Mermaid Magic
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On 1/13/2016 at 9:55 PM, Mermaid Magic said:

I am glad to announce that it has been confirmed that David Bowie will still have a song featured in the score of the SpongeBob Musical, debuting in Chicago on Tuesday, June 7th, 2016 in a limited engagement through Sunday, July 3rd, 2016! :) 

"Before David Bowie left for the stars, he released one final album. But it seems as if his last words will actually come from a pineapple under the sea.

Yes, Ziggy has a posthumous song in the upcoming SpongeBob Squarepants musical."

 

YES. Rock on forever, Bowie.

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Edited by jjsthekid
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20 hours ago, Mermaid Magic said:

I am glad to announce that it has been confirmed that David Bowie will still have a song featured in the score of the SpongeBob Musical, debuting in Chicago on Tuesday, June 7th, 2016 in a limited engagement through Sunday, July 3rd, 2016!  

"Before David Bowie left for the stars, he released one final album. But it seems as if his last words will actually come from a pineapple under the sea.

Yes, Ziggy has a posthumous song in the upcoming SpongeBob Squarepants musical."

 

I was worried that we would never get to hear what a true Bowie song for "Spongebob Squarepants" would sound like. Nice to know that we will! :D

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