During the intermission of a performance of “SpongeBob SquarePants” last Saturday evening at the Palace Theatre in midtown Manhattan, two twenty-somethings were debating the merits of the Broadway musical, based on Viacom-owned VIAB, -1.82%[1] Nickelodeon’s beloved animated family TV show.
“In terms of sheer fun, I prefer ‘SpongeBob Squarepants’ to ‘Hamilton’ and ‘Wicked,’ said 24-year-old Stephanie Ellis. “No way!” said her friend Kerrie Hayes, 25. “It’s still enjoyable though.”
Both were seeing the show for the second time.
As with the TV series, which premiered on Nickelodeon in 1999 has since generated $13 billion in merchandising revenue and spawned two feature-length movies, “Spongebob” on stage is doing things its own way.
For the musical, which has an estimated budget of $20 million, director Tina Landau jettisoned the idea of a single composing team, instead featuring songs from the likes of Aerosmith, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Sara Bareilles and They Might Be Giants, that were supervised and arranged by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Tom Kitt.
The show recreates the title character, who lives in a pineapple in the undersea city of Bikini Bottom together with his aquatic octopus and starfish pals, but tells a brand new story about an erupting volcano.
“SpongeBob” was critically acclaimed for its innovative staging and eye-popping spectacle when it opened last December, following a try-out in Chicago. Last week, the show tied for most-nominated production at the upcoming Tony Awards, together with “Mean Girls,” gaining recognition in 12 awards categories including Best Musical.
LOOK AT ALL THESE NOMINATIONS!!!!!! LOOK. AT. THEM!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/kITwCQN2YW[2]
— SpongeBob Broadway (@SpongeBobBway)
Yet the show is by no means an ocean-sized blockbuster on Broadway. Following the nomination, box office revenue for “SpongeBob SquarePants” rose 7.2% from the previous week, generating $565,662, for the week ending May 6, according to figures from the Broadway League. But that’s less than 40% of its potential gross. By comparison, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” “Frozen” and “Mean Girls” are all generating 95% or over their potential gross.
While a national tour seems likely, time and the Tony Awards next month will tell whether “SpongeBob” extends its run beyond the first week of September, the end of its current booking time frame.
Ironically for a family-themed property, what could keep the musical going is its adult fan base. Cyma Zarghami, president of Nickelodeon and Viacom Media Networks Kids & Family Group which is lead producer of the show, said a quarter of the “SpongeBob SquarePants” TV audience are adults without kids, and that trend has become even more pronounced on Broadway.
“Nickelodeon’s brand identity is ‘kids first’ so when people hear we’ve come to Broadway, which is...