Jenna Bacon, Campus Carrier arts and living editor
Ali Luciani, Campus Carrier asst. arts and living editor
Rome Little Theatre (RLT) is diving under the sea and bringing Bikini Bottom to life with their production of “The SpongeBob Musical.” Coming from the iconic children’s show, with a twist of their own, featuring a live band and a foley player, this is RLT’s biggest production with 48 cast members and over 80 crew members.
Executive Director Jessica Stewart said that RLT was drawn to the show because of its recognizable title and its appeal.
“This is a title that people know,” Stewart said. “So, whether they grew up with SpongeBob or not, there’s definitely a name recognition there.”
The production has been in development for over a year, with a focus on creating an immersive experience. According to Stewart, the creative process emphasized pushing limits and thinking big.
“The only limits you have are what you give yourself,” Stewart said. “It’s really about how big you want to dream.”
That vision is reflected in the show’s design, featuring a beautiful set and technical elements that have never been put on the RLT stage before, many of which appear within the first few moments of the performance.
“There’s just an extra excitement that’s in the air as opposed to running with tracks,” Stewart said. “Also, having a foley artist on stage that you can see but doesn’t draw focus away from the main storyline. It’s kind of fun to get to see what that magic looks like because with this show, you kind of get a peek behind the curtain.”
Cast members also emphasize the impact of the show on them. Ethan Brooks, who plays Patrick Star, said being part of the production has been a dream come true.
“SpongeBob the musical, since it came out in 2017, I have always dreamed to play Patrick, and then I played Patrick Star in this production,” Brooks said. “So, crossing that item off my bucket list has kind of been like, I know I said the word dream a lot, but a dream come true for lack of a better word.”
For Brooks, the show blends nostalgia with originality, incorporating references from the cartoon while still telling its own story. He said that the relationships between characters, especially the friendship between SpongeBob and Patrick, give the production emotional depth.
James Swendsen, who plays the iconic character known as SpongeBob SquarePants, has been involved with the RLT community since 2012, contributing as an actor and a director.
Swendsen was actually not familiar with the SpongeBob television series prior to being cast. His first impression of the fun-loving sponge came from a video of the 2017 Broadway production “The SpongeBob Musical.”
“He’s just a fun, loving person but has so much more to him,” Swendsen said. “He has these hopes and dreams, and people always look down on him.”
Swendsen shared how he is bringing his personal experiences and interpretation to the iconic role.
“A lot of the things that I am portraying as SpongeBob in the show are coming from my own feelings and beliefs and my thinking,” Swendson said. “That’s how I kind of relate to him a lot. He goes through a lot of things that I’ve gone through and thought about in my life.”
According to Swendson, it’s a little intimidating to play such an iconic character. The television series “SpongeBob SquarePants” first aired on Nickelodeon in 1999 and has run for 16 seasons over the span of 26 years. The series has an established, dedicated fan base that stretches across a couple of generations.
One of the most important aspects of the show is the friendship between the main character, SpongeBob, and Patrick Star, his simple-minded yet relentlessly optimistic neighbor.
Ethan Brooks, who plays Patrick, provided some insight into what his relationship with castmate Swendson looks like and how it enhances their performances.
“James Swendson, who plays SpongeBob, and I have grown close during this production through bonding about books and different tabletop games that we’ve played before,” Brooks said. “To play his best friend on stage is truly a delight, and we carry our friendship off-stage onto stage very easily and kind of seamlessly.”
According to Brooks, the most challenging aspect of the show was finding the emotional bandwidth to play such a high-energy, upbeat, yet emotionally layered character. However, there were also very rewarding aspects of the show.
“The most rewarding thing is being able to perform it,” Brooks said. “That might sound so cheesy, but it’s so true because the show has so much heart and it’s so wonderful, and I get to stand on stage with people that I love and care about and get to see them shine as much as I do and have their own moments and their own things and their own thoughts.”
RLT’s production of “The SpongeBob Musical” will be showing at the DeSoto Theatre at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. For more information about the show and acquiring tickets, visit RLT’s website at https://www.romelittletheatre.com.