After shutting down during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Roosevelt Theater Department is back with a new spring show: Spongebob the Musical. The play follows the story of a young and energetic sea sponge, Spongebob, and his friends from all over the seas.
The show is largely aimed toward young children, though people of all ages have been known to love the show for its memorable cast and characters, with whom many have grown up with from watching the animated series, Spongebob Squarepants. Characters include the titular Spongebob, his best friend Patrick Star, and Sandy Cheeks the squirrel, among others.
The lead role of Spongebob was given to senior Myles Mawa. Mawa, a dancer, has always loved theater and has previously directed shows for Roosevelt’s Dramafest. His play, “I Will Go, I Will Ho” won Best Show in November 2021.
Myles Mawa, the star of Spongebob the Musical, poses with a spatula
The directors of the spring musical, Ben Stuart and Katie Greve, have been directing at Roosevelt for seven years. Most recently, Greve has directed Roosevelt’s production of ‘Mamma Mia.’
“It’s weird to say, but I knew I wanted to teach and direct school theater ever since 6th grade,” says Ben Stuart. “I had been in a few community theater musicals but when I saw the spectacular production of Guys and Dolls at my older brother’s high school, it clicked for me.”
When asked about the factors that prompted this year’s pick for the spring musical, Stuart says, “We had been eyeing the Spongebob musical for the last four years and the rights were finally available for us to do the show this year.”
Beyond this, Stuart outlines two main reasons behind why he wanted to do this musical. “The first thing for me is the story,” he says. “Why tell this story now? The Spongebob Musical was eerily ahead of its time when it came to Brodway three years before the pandemic. Bikini Bottom is plunged into an existential crisis when Sandy discovers Mount Humongous will erupt tomorrow!”
Stuart continues to say that it is a rock and roll blast with a message appropriate to an audience living through a pandemic. The musical is filled with songs by popular artists like the late David Bowie and Panic! At The Disco.
When asked about her background in theater, Mrs. Greve, the musical’s other co-director, says that “Growing up, I was a competitive gymnast-dancer, sang in choirs and loved putting on non-stop plays for my family. I remember listening to Brodway albums with my mom as a kid like Phantom of the Opera or My Fair Lady and realizing that it was all of the things I loved into one amazing art! In 9th grade, I got hooked into the program and never looked back. Theatre was going to be my life pathway, whether it was directing, choreographing, or performing. Getting to do it at a top high school was an added bonus.”
She also explains, “Successful musicals are a machine in a lot of ways-there are so many people involved, all doing their respected jobs from the directors to the light designers to the costume designers to the actors to the crew to the pit musicians and many more in between. The best process involves a consistent circle of recursive communication which you can imagine is a great challenge and artists who show up excited to make some art.”
Greve continues by saying, “I love the shared moment of live theater for the performer and the audience. When people see theater together, their heartbeats actually synchronize as they experience the story through music and dance and acting, bringing us together in a very tangible way, no matter who you are or where we are from, and that’s a beautiful thing. I love telling stories. I love working with students to help tell a story. The process of creating and refining and perfecting and finally performing-there’s nothing like the payoff of seeing a student nail that one dance they’ve put so much work into or finally get that acting beat to communicate the emotion it needs.”
She says, “This is the right year for Spongebob in both content and form. It’s a fun show with an incredibly relevant message to what we’ve all experienced in the last two years and I think that the RHS community as a whole will enjoy it.”
Spongebob the Musical is shaping up to be a very entertaining show. With all the people working on the musical, paired with the show’s relevant message, songs, and choreography, it will likely be a triumphant production, taking place in a unique moment in Roosevelt’s history.
