Excited chatter and laughter floods the courtyard as guests greet each other while checking into the Performing Arts Center (PAC) to watch Westridge Theatre’s The SpongeBob Musical. Outside of PAC, there are tables with refreshments, flower “theater grams” for the performers, and a makeshift photo booth created by the theatre production class. In line for tickets, guests chat with a very excited Patchy the Pirate, played by Spyglass editor Valentina V. ’26, who claims to be “SpongeBob’s #1 fan”. As audience members find their seats, they open their programs to solve a fun maze and word search puzzle, patiently waiting for the show to begin.
The SpongeBob Musical takes place under the sea in Bikini Bottom where SpongeBob, played by Sydney S. ’25, lives happily with his friends. However, the citizens of Bikini Bottom face a crisis as a nearby volcano, Mount Humongous, is on the verge of erupting. Wanting to save his town, SpongeBob goes on an adventure with his best friend Patrick Star, played by Ada N. ’24, and scientist/martial artist Sandy the Squirrel (Alice C. ’25) to prevent the destruction of their home. Their journey highlights the importance of friendship, hope, leadership, and community.
The musical included many playful and humorous songs featuring jaw dropping harmonies and large ensemble dances. Westridge mom Rachel said, “I think my favorite was “I’m Not a Loser” with the can-can dancing and the tap [dancing]—that was my favorite.”
Squidward’s song “I’m Not a Loser” was one of the many scenes in the show that had projections, which were drawn by Westridge students. The flashing animations and catchy beats paired well with the sparkling costumes and dance moves, and took weeks to perfect. Preparations for the show itself took a substantial amount of time and dedication. Designing and painting the set took over 70 hours and used more than 50 different paints, according to Natalie A. ’24, a member of the tech crew.
The special friendship between Spongebob and Patrick was shown in the heartfelt tune “BFF” written by Plain White T’s. The pair’s silly “friend dance” and the lively BFF letters played by Layla R. ’26, Caroline M. ’26, and Bellamy S. ’24 elicited many laughs from the audience.
Spectators were left in awe when Carolina H. ’25, who plays Pearl Krabs, held her long note in the song “Daddy Knows Best” written by Alex Evert.
Although the show was a success, there were some unfortunate hardships backstage due to a Covid outbreak in the SpongeBob company. Mr. Brandon Kruhm, Director of Theatre, and Ms. Io Hawk, Costume Designer, had to miss the performances due to contracting the virus. Mr. Kruhm said, “I was really, really just proud of the students and the rest of the theater, faculty, [and] staff who were able to pull through the performance weekend without the director or the costume designer.”
Despite both important leaders’ and students being sick, everyone pulled through and presented another incredible Westridge musical. Rebecca F. ’27, who played Sardine Devotee #5, said, “It was very difficult to have the show when [the directors] weren’t there to help us and give us encouragement. But I’m really glad that I had such an amazing cast and costume crew because they definitely helped make sure that it was still a good experience.”
After the musical, Ben, whose daughter was on the costume crew, said, “It was awesome, a lot of very good actresses [and] the set was great. The singing was really excellent and it was a great ending.”
The inspiring story of The SpongeBob Musical welcomed audiences of all ages. The show, based on the cartoon series SpongeBob SquarePants, was a result of the time and effort of over 70 students, working both onstage and backstage. The show was a silly and wild ride filled with climbing volcanoes, strengthening friendships, and rock ‘n’ roll.
