Sharpsville High School goes underwater for SpongeBob Musical

Feb. 27—SHARPSVILLE — As a French-accented narrator sets the scene, SpongeBob SquarePants sings about a wonderful new day, and gradually introduces the other aquatic residents of Bikini Bottom — from Patrick the starfish to Sandy the squirrel.

In a scene reminiscent of the "SpongeBob SquarePants" cartoon, characters are introduced while the sets shift between different locations, including SpongeBob's pineapple house and the Krusty Krab.

But instead of a cartoon, it will be the Sharpsville High School Thespian Club that takes audiences under the sea for "The SpongeBob Musical," which premieres Thursday.

"It feels like we grew up with these characters, because we know them so well," said senior Nolan Lapikas, who plays SpongeBob.

The characters and setting of the long-running TV show may be familiar to younger audiences, but the musical tells an original story not based on any particular episode — with SpongeBob and his friends trying to prevent the eruption of Mount Humongous, which threatens to destroy Bikini Bottom.

However, much of the cartoon's trademark style will still be carried over into the theatrical production.

"We're getting our voices to sound like the characters, we move like them — we even have the sound effects," said junior Justin Haun, who plays Patrick.

In terms of the sets, the entire auditorium is being decorated to give an undersea appearance, from blue streamers on the walls to the coral landscapes on stage.

Director Eileen Ference said a digital projector will be used to accentuate the stage's background, with settings specifically provided for "The SpongeBob Musical."

"This is a very light-heavy show, because everything is lit up very well based on the different sets," said senior Julia McConahy, who plays Sandy.

SpongeBob's super-fan, Patchy the Pirate, played by sophomore Jordan Nelson, will even interact with the audience and excitedly take to the stage before being removed by security, similar to Patchy's live-action segments in the cartoon.

Ference said Sharpsville High School is the first local school in the tri-county area to perform "The SpongeBob Musical."

While the Sharpsville Thespian Club previously performed other shows first for the area, such as the school-version of "Chicago," the cast and crew were especially excited to work on "The SpongeBob Musical" after growing up with the cartoon, Ference said.

"Who doesn't love SpongeBob?" she said.

The musical will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for students. The event is sponsored by the Sharpsville VFW Post 6404 and the Sharpsville Area School District. For more information, visit the "Sharpsville High School Theatre" Facebook page.

Like David L. Dye on Facebook or email him at ddye@sharonherald.com.