‘The SpongeBob Musical’ swims into Riverwalk Theatre

“You either die a SpongeBob or live long enough to become a Squidward.” I don’t recall who started that internet meme, but it has long since achieved immortality among older fans of “SpongeBob SquarePants” who have realized, to their dismay, that they relate more to Squidward’s jaded outlook on life than SpongeBob’s more cheerful one. 

With everything going on right now, it’s hard to look on the bright side of life. That makes it the perfect time for “The SpongeBob Musical” to debut at Riverwalk Theatre.In the show, Bikini Bottom is going through a rough time. An apocalyptic event threatens the town, and most of the citizens … well, they don’t handle it very well. Watching random characters look for scapegoats and fall for scams will give anyone a sinking feeling of déjà vu. Only SpongeBob (Michael Palmer) resists doomerism, rallying his pals Sandy (Ny’Kieria Blocker) and Patrick (TJ Kelly) to save their home.

Being a newcomer to Riverwalk, I was curious to see how this production would compare to the televised Broadway musical I watched on Nickelodeon several years ago. I was not disappointed. You can tell that the cast and crew members are huge fans of the cartoon — the cast alone must have memorized every episode to imitate the characters so perfectly. It’s hard to pick my favorite performance, but Elise Griffiths absolutely nails Squidward, right down to the cranky voice and tentacled stride. Palmer and Kelly retain SpongeBob and Patrick’s endearing innocence, which will make audiences root for them even when their cherished friendship hits a snag. Blocker shines as the spunky Sandy, who puts herself on the line to save the town even when its citizens turn against her. The Jacques Cousteau-esque narrator (an uncredited member of the ensemble) is pitch perfect.

The crew manages to create visually stunning effects in Riverwalk’s more intimate staging of the musical sequences, including black-lit sponges and players wielding jellyfish umbrellas. Those creative touches give an extra flair to the show’s songs, which come from a wide array of famous musicians, including John Legend, The Flaming Lips and Cyndi Lauper. One of the most hilarious musical moments involves “SpongeBob” superfan Patchy the Pirate (Christopher Hibbs) as he breaks the fourth wall and “crashes” the performance with his rowdy band of pirates.

However, it’s SpongeBob’s trademark song and 11 o’clock number, “Best Day Ever,” that winds up being the heart of the show. In the face of the town’s impending doom, he believes everyone should spend their final moments coming together instead of fighting — a message that inspires even Squidward to start singing along with everyone else. It’s a moment that audiences of all ages could benefit from experiencing. After all, if an underwater town of cartoon fish can rebuild their community in the face of disaster and prejudice, then there’s hope for the rest of us as well.