Cappies Review: The SpongeBob Musical at TJ High School

By Sydney Payne of Alexandria City High School

Everyone's favorite sponge took on new life with Thomas Jefferson's Theater Arts' production of The SpongeBob Musical. Packed with bright colors and heartwarming, hilarious songs, this show is nostalgia on the stage.

The SpongeBob Musical originally took to the Broadway stage in 2017 as SpongeBob teamed up with friends Patrick Star and Sandy Cheeks to save their town, Bikini Bottom, from the impending volcanic eruption. The show also features other fan favorites such as Plankton as he tries to sabotage SpongeBob's plan as well as the money-hungry Mr. Krabs.

In order to transport the audience into the wonderful underwater world of Bikini Bottom, the set featured colorful makeshift coral spanning the two-story platform set. Designed by students Dani Hunter, Sri Vellakkat, Thomas Gay, and Daniel Flores, this intricate set provided the necessary foundation for the large ensemble to shine from all levels of the stage.

Leading the show was Ella Tysse as the iconic SpongeBob SquarePants. Tysse lit up the stage with her constant smiley, optimistic demeanor. The cartoon character demanded a large amount of exaggeration with both facial expressions and over the top movements, but Tysse was able to portray these mannerisms while still seeming genuine throughout the show. With her hilarious imitation of SpongeBob's voice, Tysse really managed to bring the character to life.

SpongeBob was joined by friends Sandy Cheeks, played by Mahdeea Eshal, and Patrick Star, played by Sri Vellakkat, on his journey to save the town. The three made an excellent trio and all mastered the unique voices of their characters which helped to transport the audience into this reminiscent world. Eshal's strong singing voice helped to bring her songs to life.

Another standout performance was Prajeet Chitty as Plankton who had impeccable comedic timing and physical humor. He was not afraid to dance and even rap to show his feelings. He took control of his storyline and consistently was a comedic highlight of the show.

It's not an easy task to dress an ensemble as large as this one, but students Mayuka Valluri, Zoe Viterbo, Bellana Pachon, and Dylan Truncellito rose to the challenge. They were able to create colorful, fun, and unique costumes for every character that paid tribute to the original cartoon while maintaining their own take on the pieces. From boxing gloves mimicking crab claws to a shiny silver dress imitating a robot, this show featured countless fun pieces that really brought the show to life.

Filled to the brim with jokes, tap dancing, and color, The SpongeBob Musical at Thomas Jefferson will make sure you have the "Best Day Ever" and never look at a simple sponge the same way again.