Pictured is the cast of the Warsaw Community High School Theater Department’s “The SpongeBob Musical” Tuesday. Photo provided.
Pictured is the cast of the Warsaw Community High School Theater Department’s “The SpongeBob Musical” Tuesday. Photo provided.
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A fun time with “incredible” music are a big part of Warsaw Community High School Theater Department’s first production of “The SpongeBob Musical” at the Performing Arts Center Friday through Sunday.

Theater Director Melany Morris said the musical came out in 2017 and it has become very popular. “The SpongeBob Musical” is based on the beloved animated series created by Stephen Hillenburg.

“If you’ve seen the cartoon or haven’t, it doesn’t matter. It’s a story for everyone,” Morris said.

The musical is about SpongeBob saving the town of Bikini Bottom with the power of optimism.

“He’s always had a good attitude about life and everything, so when things go wrong in Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob is the unlikely hero. And it’s a story about friendship and courage and self-love and finding yourself,” she said.

Morris said while the musical has been on Broadway since 2017, it has only been available to amateur groups for two years. Once a play or musical is done on Broadway, it is released to amateur groups like WCHS’s theater department.

Morris hopes the students performing during the musical learn more about themselves during the process of putting on the musical, as well as become better readers and performers and gain more confidence.

Morris said she decided to put on the musical because it’s fun and the music is incredible.

The musical has original songs by 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 A, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants and T.I., and songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny and Andy Paley. Some of the songs include “Best Day Ever” and “BFF,” which were adapted for the musical.

Another part of what makes the musical fun is all the colors and choreography that go into the show, she said. “And it’s a comedy. It’s really light. We have a lot of fun with it.”

“It makes it really easy to have a good time, especially when you are messing up and you have to redo it,” said  Bradyn Lowe. He said it’s such a fun show that getting into character really picks the student up.

Morris said she likes to pick something that has a good message the students can learn from, which she thinks is the importance of friendship.

The musical has 56 cast members, 13 crew members and about 13 pit members.

Morris also said the set is incredible and their set builders put thousands of hours putting the set together and “it is definitely the highest quality set Warsaw has seen.” The set was extended and, to do so, the first two rows of the PAC won’t be used.

Friday’s performance at the PAC is at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 2:30 p.m. Cost is $15 for adults and students and seniors are $10. The box office phone number is 574-371-5040.