Reviewed by Nicola Quinn, July 7 2018

Fun Fact: Ask the ushers for a booster seat so your little one can see clearly. They have them at most theatres, but you have to ask.

Target Audience: This production will inject your spirit with color and some joie de vivre. The "Best Day Ever" for the young and old!

Best Bit: Sharing the thrill of this production surrounded by kids was a great reminder of the pure magic of theatre! Director Tina Landau has no doubt created lifetime memories for those who see this show!

Morning After Effect: Can we go play at the Pineapple Palace again - pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease?!

How do you keep a generation captivated by their screens entertained and focused for two hours? You make sure the production is too good to look away! From the moment I walked into the Palace Theatre my inner child launched from within and was set free - "Oooh look at the shimmering walls! WOW there's a band - Hey, there's TWO bands! Jeez, look at that shark hanging from the ceiling! Oh my gosh, there's a giant pineapple!" - and so it continued for the full two hours. Pure and utter over-the-top stimulation which resulted in me leaving the Pineapple Palace with a massive grin on my face and having the BEST crash-nap of my adulthood to date!

SpongeBob SquarePants, the new musical on Broadway based on the hit animated series by Nickelodeon, will blow your mind! The scenic and costume design by David Zinn has a childlike freedom seen throughout his imaginative innovations. Zinn won a Tony for his set design of this dazzling neon world undersea known as Bikini Bottom - created largely from pool noodles, hula hoops, bicycles, balloons, bubbles, and umbrellas! Coupled with his playfully innovative costumes and an array of magic props, this incredible design is reason alone to see SpongeBob SquarePants.

The music is brilliant and composed by a ridiculously long list of celebrities including David Bowie, John Legend, Plain White T's, Cyndi Lauper, and so it goes on! Each song is a catchy tune that could get stuck in repeat in your mind - Chop to the Top by Lady Antebellum has stayed with me for days! Piecing it all together and making this heightened world accessible was no small feat for director Tina Landau, who conceived the show. Together with Tom Kitt (Music Supervision, Orchestrations, and Arrangements), Kyle Jarrow (Book) and Christopher Gattelli (Choreography) they have made Bikini Bottom a must-see destination, with SpongeBob fans flocking from around the world!

And then there's the heart of the show, Ethan Slater (SpongeBob), who demonstrates an agility I have never seen before - a great attribute considering he is playing a sponge! His movements are outstanding and he gives it his ALL. I felt like a little kid watching a magician as he continued to amaze the audience with his skill and determination to fight for what he believes in. Another element of pure magic is Gavin Lee who plays Squidward, a miserable creature with no self-esteem. His four-legged costume never gets old and when he breaks out into song with "I'm Not a Loser" (and an epic tap dance) the audience roars with delight! He is a pro. Oh and keep an eye (and an ear) out for Jai'len Christine Li Josey (Pearl) making her Broadway debut, she is pure talent! Her song "Daddy Knows Best" was a standout success!

SpongeBob SquarePants has been sharply written to appeal to the music and humor of both child and adult - touching on our current affairs and leaving us all with a heartfelt message to stay true to our friendships and fight for our community, no matter how afraid we might feel. Go and see this show for an explosion of FUN!