Concord Theatricals has secured exclusive worldwide licensing rights to Nickelodeon’s The SpongeBob Musical, which opened on Broadway in 2017, subsequently earning 12 Tony nominations including Best Musical.
Based on the animated Nickelodeon series created by Stephen Hillenburg, the musical features a book by Kyle Jarrow, with original songs by a host of recvording stars: Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alexander Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, and They Might Be Giants and T.I., as well as songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny, and Andy Paley. Additional lyrics are by Jonathan Coulton with additional music by Tom Kitt.
Tina Landau directed the original inventive and unconventional staging, which offered human representations of the beloved characters rather than literal depictions from the familiar cartoon.
"We are thrilled to be working with Nickelodeon to bring this intrepid, heroic sponge and his friends to audiences when shows, once again, go on," said Concord Chief Theatricals Executive Sean Patrick Flahaven. “Tina Landau and Kyle Jarrow’s imaginative take on characters beloved by millions has a score by iconic pop songwriters beautifully arranged by Tom Kitt. We're looking forward to the time when we can see how inventive theatre makers around the world are with this joyful musical!"
“After an award-winning run on Broadway and subsequent successful North American national tour, we are delighted to partner with Concord Theatricals to make The SpongeBob Musical available to perform around the globe,” added Nickelodeon Experience Executive Vice President Sharon Cohen. “The reimagined world of Bikini Bottom on Broadway set the bar for reinvention and we can’t wait to see how The SpongeBob Musical inspires unique creative interpretations and amazing productions for decades to come.”
READ: How Director Tina Landau Found the Broadway Musical in SpongeBob SquarePants
The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! was broadcast in December 2019 across Nickelodeon platforms and featured much of the original Broadway company reprising their performances, including Tony nominee Ethan Slater as the high-energy title sponge, Tony nominee Gavin Lee as Squidward Q. Tentacles, Danny Skinner as Patrick Star, Brian Ray Norris as Eugene Krabs, and Wesley Taylor as Sheldon Plankton.
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The original cast recording of The SpongeBob Musical is available on Amazon, iTunes, and Apple Music.
