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The Ann Arbor Pioneer High School Theatre Guild raised the curtain on their 2025 -26 season with the 2018 Broadway hit, SpongeBob – The Musical. With a script by Kyle Jarrow and lyrics by a variety of artists, SpongeBob received 12 Tony nominations.

Pioneer’s production was directed by UM Student Naomi Parr. Parr took an interesting and innovative approach to the show. She had the actors moving over, around and through the set designed by Mysti Plummer. The lighting, sound and scene changes fit together to provide a visually pleasing experience.

Costumes, designed by Hayden Keene, were simple yet provided splash of color that filled the stage. Actors had costumes with accessories that continued the illusion of everything occurring under the sea. Parr skillfully brought all these pieces together to produce a fun-filled evening of entertainment.

A huge shout-out goes to vocal music director Ethan Swanson and orchestra conductor Tyler Driskill. Though the title of the play implies cartoon, the music is complex and not easy to sing. 18 of the 22 musicians in the orchestra pit were Pioneer students. They achieved perfection with their playing.

Choreographer Tiffany Nagano was creative filling the stage with coordinated movement, including a tap, kick-dancing routine reminiscent of NYC’s Rockettes that received loud applause from the audience.

The true gem of Pioneer’s Spongebob was the singing. Vea Williams, a tenth grader, played the titular role Spongebob with flair and energy. She easily came across as the best friend everyone wished they had. Her duet with Patrick Starr, portrayed by sophomore Christian Weems, singing (I Guess I) Miss You, emotionally expressed that they are best friends and care about each other.

There were so many songs that were high-energy, with the actors using their “belting voices.” During intermission, music director Ethan Swanson said “the music is very difficult and the kids spent a month getting the notes and harmonies correct while singing and dancing. They worked so hard to get everything right. I am proud of them.”

Squidward, played by junior Simon Schroeder, is an adorable character. Insecure, socially awkward, always trying to find where he fits in. With the Anemones, he declares to the world, “I Am Not A Loser”. Every show needs an antagonist and Etta Bawol, playing Plankton, with sidekick Madeleine Wolfe, playing Karen, are perfect. They devise devious schemes to profit from Bikini Bottom’s impending volcanic explosion that threatens to destroy everything.

Sandy Cheeks, played so effectively by Gabby Thompson, gave a spirited performance as an outsider. Not being from Bikini Bottom, she is scorned and rejected. As tensions mount, she becomes the focal point of everyone’s wrath. The perfect person to blame during a crisis.

The father-daughter pair, seniors Jude Mys as Mr. Krabs and Abigail Rohrer as Pearl, are dynamic. Together, they sing “Daddy Knows Best”, which is the most dramatic song of the show. Together, they made beautiful music. Rohrer’s voice was angelic. Listening to her sing, pleading almost, “daddy hear me, see me” was heartbreaking. That song captured so perfectly what many teens wished their parents could hear.

Under Parr’s direction, SpongeBob delivers a pertinent social message, but it is kept wrapped in humor. The audience sees how the characters react when under duress. Do they come together in search of a solution or resort to finding someone to blame? Science is questioned and rejected. Characters that are different are ostracized and rejected. Parr’s direction delivered these messages but stayed true to the fun and the inherent positive nature of SpongeBob.

I give Spongebob – The Musical two thumbs up. 👍👍

The show runs through Sunday, 11/9. Tickets can be purchased online via www.cur8.com/projects/ptg or can be purchased at the door.

By Steven Sheldon
Photos courtesy of Pioneer Theatre Guild