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Students at Pacific Academy of Performing Arts Present: 'The SpongeBob Musical'

Orion Silva as Patrick Star (front left), Alysha Pastor as Sandy Cheeks (fourth from the left), and Colton Cameos as SpongeBob Squarepants (front center).
America Lopez
/
HPR
Orion Silva as Patrick Star (front left), Alysha Pastor as Sandy Cheeks (fourth from the left), and Colton Cameos as SpongeBob Squarepants (front center).

The iconic crew of SpongeBob Squarepants and his friends in the fictional town of Bikini Bottom will be in Hawaiʻi with an assortment of catchy tunes and colorful costumes.

This summer, the Pacific Academy of Performing Arts will be producing “The SpongeBob Musical.”

This is the first time the musical will be playing in Hawaiʻi — and performed entirely by children — from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The costumes and sets are made by the dedicated parents and alumni of the theater group. They also did beach cleanups and recycled the trash into props, part of a project complicated by the coronavirus.

"This year we started off completely on Zoom. The second week we started integrating so it was half the cast on Zoom and half the cast in person," said John-Paul Tai, director and choreographer of the musical.

"We alternated rehearsal processes like that until we were able to secure Koʻolau Ballrooms first to have that space where we can be safe together but also be able to rehearse together. And of course the amazing venue here. Once we were able to move in, all the pieces started coming together," he explained.

The cast will be performing at the Hawaiʻi Theatre, but the audience will watch a live stream.

The story opens with the Bikini Bottom community having only two days to live before the expected explosion of Mt. Humongous. The musical touches on some pressing social topics such as racism and scientific skepticism, while keeping the goofiness of the cartoon.

Orion Silva plays Patrick Star, SpongeBob’s best friend.

"There’s emotion, there’s story, and there’s a heartbreaking moment you don’t expect because it’s just a sponge, and a star, and a squirrel — I mean I wouldn’t trust them to save the world either," Silva said.

"But when it comes down to it, you really forget the whole kid cartoonish thing, and it feels real and you get locked in there," he told Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

With musical numbers written by artists such as David Bowie and Cyndi Lauper, this show can be enjoyed by children and adults.

“The SpongeBob Musical” will be live streamed through July 25.

More information can be found at hawaiitheatre.com.

Zoe Dym was a news producer at Hawaiʻi Public Radio.
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