Theatre / The SpongeBob Musical

Not a simple sponge.

THE END. IS. COMING!

A Broadway musical based on Nickelodeon's megahit SpongeBob SquarePants that features the titular characters as they try to deal with a volcanic eruption threatening to destroy their town. Having been described as Our Town meets Armageddon (1998), the play is also notable for featuring various songs written by renowned recording artists in the music industry, a list of which includes Panic! at the Disco, Sara Bareilles, John Legend, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, The Flaming Lips and They Might Be Giants, to name a few.

In this adaptation, the characters remain as their respective original species, albeit with some anthropomorphism (as to be expected) and therefore appearing more human (with some adjustments). While its development has been criticized as simply being another way for Nick to milk its cash cow, reactions from both critics and the public have been widely positive, citing how it pays tribute to its cartoon roots while being creative, funny and heartwarming. It was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, tying for most nominations for 2017 with the musical adaptation of Mean Girls.

After 29 previews and 327 performances, the show officially closed on September 16th, 2018. A live show version starring most of the original cast (save for Lilli Cooper and Stephanie Hsu due to schedule conflicts) aired on Nickelodeon on December 7th, 2019.

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This show provides examples of:

• Acceptable Breaks from Reality: Since the cartoon designs obviously can't be recreated one-to-one and still have the characters sing and dance and act like humans, the costume designs are meant to evoke the cartoon in spirit without being exactly one-to-one with it. The most obvious example is Plankton, who is played by fairly tall actors in most productions, but the staging uses various stage tricks to establish that he is clearly meant to be tiny (in particular, his opening scenes have him carry a plush of the cartoon Plankton around) so that it's ingrained in the audience's mind by the time of his solo number.
• Accidental Misnaming: The Electric Skates accidentally call Squidward "Gilward" and "Squilbur", among other names.
• Accidental Public Confession: After an argument with Karen, Plankton accidentally spills his Evil Plan in front of the entire town.
  • Chicago Preview:
    Plankton: Without the escape pod, I can't hypnotize everyone into loving chum! ...They all heard me say that, didn't they?
  • Broadway:
    Plankton: Is it so wrong that I wanted to get lucky with ONE EVIL SCHEME?! ...They all heard me say that, didn't they?
• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Applied to quite a few of the characters.
  • SpongeBob struggles with being labeled a "simple sponge" and a lowly fry cook, and wants to prove that he's capable of even bigger tasks like saving the town.
  • Patrick just wants people to listen to him for once. When he finally gets an audience in the form of the sardine cult, he's quick to bask in all the attention he's getting. Unfortunately, this tears a rift between him and his real friends.
  • In the cartoon, Sandy came to Bikini Bottom for a research project. That's still the case here, but now there's the addition of her wanting to get away from Texas because she was treated like an outcast there. Not that being the only land critter in a town full of sea creatures bodes well for her either...
  • The show reveals that Squidward's need to perform stems from a rough childhood where he was labeled a loser by all of his classmates (this is hinted at in the cartoon, in which he was labelled "Most Likely to Suck Eggs" in his high school yearbook). The only support system he had was his mother, and now that she's dead, he'll stop at nothing to become a star just to make her proud.
  • Cartoon Pearl is cheery and her over-emotional nature is played for laughs. In the musical, she is deeply troubled by her dad's choice to prioritize his profits over his family.
  • Even Patchy the Pirate is hit with this, although it's mainly Played for Laughs. He's tired of society looking down on pirates for being who they arrr, and even has an entire song about the social struggles that pirates have to go through.
• Adaptational Attractiveness: Thanks to the Anthropomorphic Shift, a lot of the characters undergo this. SpongeBob himself is played by the muscular Ethan Slater, Plankton and Karen are personified by onstage actors who occasionally carry puppets/props of their cartoon selves, and even the intentionally unattractive-looking (but still appealing) Squidward is played by Gavin Lee.
• Adaptational Dye-Job: Since Pearl Krabs is generally played by actresses of African descent in the musical, she sports dark brown hair here; in the original cartoon, she's a blonde. This could be justified in that her hairstyle is supposed to represent Pearl's enormous whale head, and thus, the color of her hair doesn't particularly matter.
• Adaptational Jerkass:
  • Downplayed with Larry the Lobster. While he was a slightly cocky but overall friendly guy in the cartoon, he leans a bit more towards Jerk Jock here, at least at first.
  SpongeBob: Hello, Larry the Lobster!
  Larry: Watch where you're going, puny dude!
  • In the original TV show, Old Man Jenkins... or rather, the many, many versions of him, are portrayed as cranky old men at the very worst. In the musical, he's a Fantastic Racist who leads an Angry Mob against Sandy for being a land mammal (this is presumably due to Plankton's influence). Fortunately, he gets better at the end.
• Adaptational Villainy: In the cartoon, Karen is something of a neutral Anti-Villain who unenthusiastically aids Plankton in his schemes. Here, she's just as maniacal as her husband, and is much more willing to help him take over the town. She even joins him in an Evil Laugh at one point. It's implied in the opening number (wherein Karen acts more like her cartoon self) that this is due to his evil plan actually succeeding this time, which apparently makes her more interested—Plankton mentions to her that she "used to love his evil schemes", to which she responds "Well, what can I say? The magic's gone."
• An Aesop: When crisis strikes, society looks for someone to blame, follow, control, or exploit, which only ends up dividing people in the end. The only way to get through it is by coming together as a community and facing the situation head on.
• Affectionate Nickname: At his request, Karen starts calling Plankton "big guy" once they rekindle their marriage through evil.
• All of the Other Reindeer: Sandy reveals that she was actually treated like an outcast back in Texas, as her colleagues couldn't wrap their heads around a girl squirrel who was super intelligent and did karate. This is part of the reason why she came to Bikini Bottom in the first place, and even still, she's scape-squirreled by some of the town because she's a land mammal.
• Ambiguous Species: Since she is original to the show, it is not made clear what creature the Mayor of Bikini Bottom is supposed to be. She did later appear in the cartoon, which established her as a fish, but whether this was the intention in the musical is unknown.
• Angry Mob: Old Man Jenkins leads one against Sandy when he mis-blames her for the volcano erupting.
• The Anti-Nihilist: SpongeBob sings that if they only have seven minutes left to live, they should make them the best seven minutes of their lives instead of wasting them arguing.
• Apocalypse How: Via volcanic eruption.
• Arc Words:
  • A Simple Sponge pops up quite frequently. SpongeBob's main motivation is to prove that he's anything but.
  • Best Day Ever or Best (blank) ever, mostly used by SpongeBob as a reflection of his positivity. In the end, it's this very phrase (or rather, song) that helps motivate the characters when all hope is lost.
• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: In "Poor Pirates", Patchy and his crew proceed to list out the struggles that pirates have to deal with every day. These include not having enough food on ships, suffering from bad hygiene due to their long voyages, and having to deal with slow internet connections.
• Ascended Extra: The foley artist, AKA Foley Fish, AKA "Guy Making All The Sounds", actually stays onstage in the filmed version and the US touring production, and occasionally interacts with other characters as if he was a citizen of Bikini Bottom. He also gets a speaking line in the filmed version, and even steps out of his foley booth to join hands with the cast during "Best Day Ever".
• Audience Participation: About 5 minutes prior to showtime, Patchy the Pirate appears in the stalls of the auditorium to take pictures and chat with theatergoers. Eventually, he hops onto the stage to take a group photo with the audience... only to be escorted off by security.
• Audience Participation Song: Well naturally, the theme song has to be used at some point!
• Back for the Finale: “Bikini Bottom Day” gets a solemn reprise at the end of the first act, as well as a triumphant one as they celebrate saving the town in the finale.
• Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: SpongeBob, Sandy, and Patrick, respectively. Sandy is hands-down the genius of the trio, Patrick is the muscle, and SpongeBob is optimistic and supportive of his two friends.
• Berserk Button: Squidward does not take kindly to being called a loser, due to some bad childhood experiences with bullies.
• Big Bad: Plankton as usual, with Karen acting as his Dragon. While Mt. Humongous serves as the story's main source of conflict, it's because of Plankton's Evil Plan that things start to go south by the end.
• Big Damn Heroes: When SpongeBob falls off the edge of Mt. Humongous, Patrick swoops in on Sandy's jetpack and catches him just in time.
• Big Damn Movie: Well, Big Damn Musical. SpongeBob has to save the town from being destroyed by a volcano.
• The Big Guy: Patrick's role in the trio is essentially this, and SpongeBob even straight up calls him the brawn of the group.
• Big "NO!": Played for Laughs and taken up to eleven when SpongeBob wakes up on the day of the eruption and realizes it wasn't just a dream.
  SpongeBob: NOOOOOOO-
  French Narrator: Ten minutes later...
  SpongeBob: -OOOOOOO-
  French Narrator: One hour later...
  SpongeBob: -OOOOOOO-
  French Narrator: Fifty years later...
  SpongeBob: (as an old man) -OOOOOOO.
• Big "SHUT UP!": Unexpectedly said by SpongeBob when he breaks up the fight between the Bikini Bottomites. To Squidward, of all people. It's so unexpected that the latter looks so visibly shaken afterwards.
  SpongeBob: If you don't stop this, it won't matter either way. There won't be anything left to save!
  Squidward: Deep thought, SpongeBob, but Bikini Bottom—
  SpongeBob: I'M NOT FINISHED!
• Bowdlerise: The TV version shown on Nickelodeon removes Karen and Plankton's steamy Big Damn Kiss scene, along with the bikini wax joke used in "When the Going Gets Tough".
• Break the Cutie: Attempted with SpongeBob, but of course, it doesn't work.
• Breaking the Fourth Wall:
  • Patchy the Pirate does this repeatedly.
  • At the beginning of the show, SpongeBob says hello to the conductor, and the guy in the sound booth. In the filmed version, he also says hello to the people at home.
  • Characters repeatedly interact with the band conductor who is in the pit at the edge of the stage. At one point, the conductor uses action figures and a tiny model of the town to show the characters' perspective from the top of the volcano.
  • During Bikini Bottom Boogie, several characters head to the front row seats to take a group "shellfie" with a lucky member of the audience. The pictures would then be posted on the show's official Instagram page.
• Broken Bird: Turns out Squidward's need to perform stems from his childhood trauma of being made fun of by his classmates.
• Canon Foreigner:
  • The Electric Skates are brand new characters.
  • Most of the Bikini Bottom ensemble are original characters, and aren't based on any of the cartoon's "incidentals". Such characters include Merlina the Mermaid, the Clownfish, the Shellfish, and the Sea Cucumber (no relation to Kevin the Sea Cucumber).
  • The female Mayor of Bikini Bottom is an original character to the show, not based on any of the existing mayor characters seen in the series. She would eventually make her way back into the cartoon, turning her into a Canon Immigrant.
• Canon Immigrant: The Mayor, who's a completely new character and has no affiliation with the two other◊ mayors from the show but was later adapted into the TV series.
• Central Theme: Being accepted and appreciated by others. SpongeBob, Patrick, Sandy, Squidward, Pearl, Plankton, and even Patchy all seek love, appreciation, or acceptance in their lives.
• Chekhov's Gun: When we're first introduced to Sandy, she's seen putting together her latest invention, a new jetpack. It isn't seen again until Act II, when Patrick uses it to rescue SpongeBob on the top of Mt. Humongous.
• Confetti Drop: Used for the grand finale.
• Confusing Multiple Negatives: During I'm Not A Loser:
  Squidward: I'm not a failure
  I don't not have talent
  When others see me, they can't see
  The nobody that isn't there
  [spoken] Hold on...that's a triple negative! You can't not see nobody, 'cause I'm not nobody... which can't not be seen... Let me start over.
• Costume Evolution: Meta example. Early promotional posters for the Chicago run used very different costumes◊ from the ones used in the actual show (notable differences include a brown long sleeve for Squidward, a plain, pattern-less short sleeve for Patrick, and silver pants/shoes for Sandy). The SpongeBob costume, which consisted of a yellow sweater vest and wig with brown shorts◊, was the only one that made it into the show itself. Once the show hit Broadway, however, SpongeBob's design was completely redone: the sweater vest became a yellow plaid shirt, the pants were now longer and included suspenders, and the yellow wig was dropped completely◊.
• The Cover Changes the Meaning:
  • The original version of David Bowie's "No Control" was written for Outside, a Rock Opera about a world where graphically butchering people is an accepted art form, and describes the crushing ennui and spiritual uncertainty felt by the album's protagonist, Nathan Alder. In the musical, it's instead a song about the people of Bikini Bottom fearing an impending volcanic apocalypse.
  • The original version of "Best Day Ever" is simply a song about how SpongeBob considers every day his "best day ever" and won't let anything get him down. While it has a similar message here, it's used in the context of one's Last Day to Live, with SpongeBob convincing the citizens of Bikini Bottom to make the final moments of their lives their "best day ever".
• Cover Innocent Eyes and Ears: Mr. Krabs tells SpongeBob to cover his eyes for "Daddy Knows Best". SpongeBob obligingly does so.
• Cover Version: Aside from the theme song and "Best Day Ever" from the show, one song on the show's tracklist stands out for not being an original piece nor a song from the show: it's a modified version of "No Control" by British rock musician David Bowie, who had previously provided the voice of Lord Royal Highness in "Atlantis Squarepantis".
• Crowd Song: A good number of the songs fall under this, the most notable ones being "Bikini Bottom Day", "No Control", "When the Going Gets Tough", and "Best Day Ever".
• Cry Laughing: The Mayor breaks down into this when it looks like they don't have the money for an escape pod.
• Daddy's Girl: Played with for Pearl; though she loves Mr. Krabs, she also wants to be more independent and live her own life, and is troubled by how her dad seems to care about money more than her.
• Darker and Edgier: Although the show is just as wacky and lighthearted as the cartoon, the stakes are much higher now, as SpongeBob has to save the town from an apocalypse. The song "No Control" is a notable example of the show's darker, more serious moments, fitting as the album it originally came from is considered one of the darkest works by its artist.
• Dark Reprise: Bikini Bottom Day gets a solemn, yet hopeful, reprise at the start Act II as Spongebob talks himself into going on with his and Sandy's plan to stop the volcano.
• Deadpan Snarker: Squidward retains this trait from the cartoon. Even when the whole town considers punishing Plankton and Karen for their crimes, he just remarks:
  Squidward: They don't need punishment, they have each other.
• Dead Sparks: A subplot centers around Plankton and Karen noticing that "the magic is gone" after years of marriage, and they fall back in love by planning an evil scheme together. However, they're back to bickering at the end of the show.
• Death by Adaptation: Squidward's mother, a relatively minor character in the TV show, is implied to have died sometime before the events of the musical. According to Word of God, this was done deliberately in order to make Squidward a more grounded, sympathetic character, (and to give him a stronger motivation).^note For what it's worth, the show did occasionally imply that Squidward thinks his mom is dead, despite the fact that she's clearly still alive (in Krusty Towers, he considers making cookies the way his mother used to a ridiculous request and refers to his mother in the past tense, despite her physically appearing in the episode to help Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob; in Ghost Host, the Flying Dutchman gets under Squidward's skin by pretending to be her ghost and moaning about how Squidward never called his mother). invoked
• Distant Duet: SpongeBob and Patrick have one in the form of "(I Guess I) Miss You". Patrick sings it in Bikini Bottom while SpongeBob sings it on Mt. Humongous.
• Drowning My Sorrows: Mrs. Puff decides to get wasted in the time leading up to the apocalypse.
  Mrs. Puff: I'm gonna do all the living I should have done before! Gimme another kelp juice, Johnny! Carpe diem!
  Johnny: Who are you callin' a carp?!
• Duet of Differences: Daddy Knows Best is one for Mr. Krabs and Pearl. While Eugene sings about the joys of money, Pearl comments on how he's too greedy to pay attention to her. Bonus points for both their parts being completely different music genres that clash with each other in the end; Mr. Krabs has a hearty sailor's ditty while Pearl sings a soulful ballad.
  Mr. Krabs (referring to his money): Can ya hear it, Pearl?
  Pearl (aside): Daddy, can you hear me?
• Easily Forgiven: Averted. After Sandy's 'Eruptor Interruptor' device saves the town, Old Man Jenkins (who had previously led a mob against her) affirms everyone should be welcome in Bikini Bottom - Sandy included. Sandy appreciates it, but isn't sure she can trust the townsfolk again after they'd threaten her. Spongebob says she doesn't have to - but begs her to stay in town and give them another chance to do better. Sandy agrees, partly because it's still where Spongebob and Patrick live, and they're part of "her team".
• Elongating Arm Gag: Probably one of the only examples in a live Broadway setting; when SpongeBob tumbles off of Mount Humongous, his arm stretches out across the stage.
• The Eleven O'Clock Number:
  • "I'm Not A Loser" parodies many of the tropes seen in eleven o'clock numbers — such as having a chorus line, an extended dance segment, and a showstopping finale — but it's actually not an example, since it's merely Squidward fantasizing about himself. It comes around halfway into the second act, rather than near the end.
  • "Best Day Ever" is the show's "proper" eleven o'clock number; in it, SpongeBob convinces the citizens of Bikini Bottom that even though they failed to evacuate the town and there's a chance Sandy's invention might not stop the eruption, they've still got each other, and that squabbling with each other isn't a worthwhile way to spend their last moments.
• Escape Pod: The concert is to raise money to buy one to evacuate the town.
• Establishing Character Moment: "Bikini Bottom Day" might as well be called "The Establishing Character Moment Song". With every main character that's introduced, we get a good taste of the kind of people (well, fish) that they are. SpongeBob jumps out of bed ready for the best day ever, Patrick plans on staying home and watching television (and struggles to think of a word that rhymes with "rock"), Squidward comes out to tell his neighbors to pipe down, Sandy is shown putting together her latest invention, Mr. Krabs eagerly anticipates the amount of money he'll be earning, Plankton is cooking up another scheme, and so on.
• "Eureka!" Moment: In "Hero Is My Middle Name", when Spongebob tells Sandy it's up to her to think of a way to stop the volcano, then hastily adds "No pressure!", Sandy gets an idea to stop the build-up of pressure in the volcano to stop the eruption.
• Evil Counterpart: Plankton and Karen are this to SpongeBob and Sandy. Both SpongeBob and Plankton figure out very different ways to handle the disaster (SpongeBob wants to save Bikini Bottom, while Plankton wants to abandon it and take over a new town), and they both struggle with their own individual identities (SpongeBob deals with being a simple sponge, while Plankton deals with being small). Sandy and Karen act as the brains of their particular groups, and aid their companions with fantastical gadgets (Sandy has the Eruptor Interruptor, Karen has the Avalanche Maker 3000).
• Evil Laugh: For such a tiny villain, Plankton can let out a pretty sinister cackle. In the Chicago production, his voice even distorts.
• Evil Overlord:
  • On the day of the apocalypse, the Mayor becomes a tyrranical ruler who commands the citizens with an iron fist, and recruits Larry the Lobster to punish anyone that doesn't follow her rules.
  • And of course, Plankton plans on becoming this once everyone migrates to a new land.
• Evil Plan: Taking advantage of the panic ensuing in Bikini Bottom, Plankton hatches a scheme to convince everyone to migrate to a new land, where he'll hypnotize them all into liking his chum burgers and ultimately becom the ruler of the new town. Unlike the cartoon, he seems to show little interest in stealing the Krabby Patty secret formula this time around, only briefly attempting to do so during the opening number.
• Expy: The cult of sardines that worship Patrick during “Super Sea Star Savior” are very much the show's equivalent to the cartoon's anchovies.
• Eyepatch of Power: The actor portraying Plankton sports an evil-looking eyepatch, in reference to the character only having one eye.
• Fantastic Racism: Plays a major part in Sandy's conflict; Old Man Jenkins and his mob mis-blame her for the apocalypse simply because she's a land creature. It further escalates when someone spray paints "LAND MAMMALS GO HOME" on a makeshift sign; Sandy responds by karate kicking the sign in half.
• Follow the Bouncing Ball: On January 4, 2020, a sing-along version of the musical aired where the bouncing ball took the form of whomever was singing in their cartoon form. If two people sang, a jellyfish played the bouncing ball. If it was the ensemble, a flower-cloud or a bubble bounced over the words.
• Friendship Song: “BFF” (sung by SpongeBob and Patrick) is a textbook example. Let's have some fun together, we'll be best friends forever / BFF, that stands for us!
• Funny Background Event:
  • Towards the end of "Bikini Bottom Day", Plankton and Karen can be seen trying to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula from Mr. Krabs, to no avail.
  • During SpongeBob's verse in “When The Going Gets Tough”, Patrick raises his hand at one point but Squidward quickly slaps it down.
  • When Mr. Krabs and Pearl are talking before "Daddy Knows Best", Mr. Krabs gives the dresses Pearl brought to SpongeBob, who subsequently tries one on. He keeps wearing it for the entire rest of the song.
• "Gaining Confidence" Song: "I'm Not a Loser", sung by Squidward. It starts out as a Suspiciously Specific Denial, in which Squidward says he isn't a loser and when people look at him, they "don't see the nobody which isn't there", but he secretly believes he is a loser. As the song goes on though, he starts to genuinely believe he isn't a loser and confidently sings that he isn't one.
• Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Sandy slaps Spongebob when he freaks out about the prospect of climbing Mt. Humongous.
• Good Hair, Evil Hair: Plankton, the show's main villain, is the only character in Bikini Bottom who sports slick black hair, and it even has two ponytails in the back that represent his antennae.
• Gospel Revival Number: Super Sea Star Savior is a direct parody of this.
• G-Rated Drug:
  • Mrs. Puff, after realizing that she only has a day left to live, decides to live recklessly and becomes addicted to kelp juice, which is treated as an equivalent to liquor.
  • One of the Electric Skates apparently has an addiction to "seahorse-radish". When one of the others calls him on it, he replies "Hey, I can quit anytime I want!"
• Heart Is an Awesome Power: While Sandy has brains and Patrick has brawn, SpongeBob worries that he lacks any special skills that'll help save the day. In the end, he finally realizes what he can bring to the table: positivity and moral support (or as Patrick puts it, "Management skills!")
• Heel–Face Turn: After his Evil Plan fails, Plankton eventually warms up to SpongeBob's encouragement at the end, and when the town is saved, he and Karen celebrate alongside the rest of the citizens. They even join in on the final reprise of "Bikini Bottom Day".
• Heroic BSoD: SpongeBob suffers a short one before the first act finale, after his best friend betrays him and another avalanche nearly destroys Bikini Bottom, before Sandy pulls him out of it.
• "I Am" Song: “(Just A) Simple Sponge”.
• Improbable Weapon User: When Larry the Lobster becomes the Mayor's bodyguard, he arms himself with a jellyfish on a stick, using it like a taser, a prod, and a shotgun.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Spongebob, who has been hinted to have a crush on Sandy, assures Sandy that he "understands (Sandy) has to do what (she's) gotta do" after Sandy says she wants to try and find a new home because she still doesn't feel like she fits in well in Bikini Bottom. This is a notable contrast from his cartoon version (who is distraught when Sandy feels alienated and decides to leave Bikini Bottom), showing his increased maturity.
• "I Want" Song: “I'm Not A Loser” for Squidward. “(Just A) Simple Sponge” also counts as one for SpongeBob.
• Irrelevant Act Opener: The musical opens with Patchy, who has no relevance in the storyline and is basically there to boast about being the biggest SpongeBob fan in the world (though it also serves as a "No Talking or Phones" Warning, as he was attempting to film the play with his phone). He returns at the beginning of act 2 to sing a protest song, "Poor Pirates", where he brings in some pirate friends (and a baseball player from Pittsburgh) and they sing a song about how poorly they're treated in the modern world before being shooed away by security.
• Kung-Foley: Every instance of Sandy and SpongeBob doing karate moves is accompanied by an exaggerated sound effect (provided by a foley artist backstage).
• Lampshade Hanging: During "Daddy Knows Best", Pearl says to Mr. Krabs, "I know you and I are different species, which is pretty weird now that I think about it..."
• Large Ham: Since it's based on a cartoon, this is to be expected.
• Last Day to Live: Becomes a poignant element in the final act of the show with thanks to the volcano eruption.
• Lemony Narrator: The French Narrator, as usual.
• Literal-Minded: When Spongebob asks Patrick if he's "manager material", Patrick initially thinks he means stuff like polyester.
• Minor Character, Major Song:
  • Perch Perkins gets his share of the spotlight with "No Control", in which he sings the lead part.
  • The Electric Skates have their own number titled "Bikini Bottom Boogie". It's subverted in the Broadway version, which has Pearl sing along with them.
• Missing Mom: Squidward's mother is heavily implied to have passed away.
• Mistaken for Profound: The sardines become obsessed with Patrick, hanging on to his every word, even nonsense like "Life smells weird."
• Mock Cousteau: As in the cartoon, the French Narrator is an homage to Jacques Cousteau.
• Money Song: "Daddy Knows Best", sung by (you guessed it) Mr. Krabs. Well, his part is all about money at least, the other half of the song is actually about Pearl detesting her father's greed.
• Monkey Morality Pose: When Mr. Krabs and Plankton start cursing each other out, Patrick is covering his eyes, Spongebob is covering his ears and Sandy is covering her mouth.
• Mr. Exposition: The French Narrator, at least at the beginning. He makes sure to explain things thoroughly for audience members who aren't well-versed with the SpongeBob universe. For example, he points out that Sandy is a squirrel from Texas, and briefly summarizes the rivalry between Mr. Krabs and Plankton.
• Mundane Made Awesome:
  • The props and set pieces used in the show consist of normal, everyday objects, like pool noodles, giant balls, pink umbrellas that represent jellyfish, and large orange boxes on dollies that come together to form Mt. Humongous.
  • This also serves as a major theme for SpongeBob's character. Throughout the show, he's treated like a "simple sponge" — a plain, ordinary object that doesn't have any use outside of what it's designed for — and this is what pushes him to work even harder in his effort to save the town. During "(Just A) Simple Sponge", a group of ensemble members come out with neon kitchen sponges and form images while SpongeBob sings, adding to the idea that simple objects like sponges can be used in the most extraordinary of ways.
• The Musical: It's a musical adaptation of SpongeBob SquarePants.
• Musicalis Interruptus: Happens to Squidward repeatedly, but eventually he gets his big break.
• Mythology Gag: There's so many that it has its own page.
• Named by the Adaptation: Sandy's full name here is Sandra Jennifer Cheeks. She doesn't have an established middle name in the cartoon, though supplementary material occasionally gave it as "Olivia".
• Near-Death Experience: The volcano threatening to erupt serves as this for everyone in Bikini Bottom.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: The Mayor of Bikini Bottom is clearly supposed to be the undersea equivalent of Kellyanne Conway, as evidenced by her vocal cadences and her constant blaming of the "fake news" media.
• Noodle Incident: One of the Electric Skates can only say "ROCK AND ROLL!", which the others explain was due to a stage driving accident. Not diving, driving; he got ran over on-stage.
• "No Talking or Phones" Warning: The show begins with Patchy getting shooed off by security for taking the stage and attempting to film the performance on his phone, before security delivers the same warning to the audience. In the filmed version, this is replaced with an animated scene explaining theater etiquette, though Patchy still takes the stage and promptly gets dragged off by security.
• Ocular Gushers: Whenever Pearl cries, she sprays a spritz of water from her "spout", sometimes right into the audience.
• Our Mermaids Are Different: One of the Bikini Bottom citizens is a beautiful mermaid named Merlina.
• Piss-Take Rap: Plankton's Villain Song, which not even Karen believes will be successful. Downplayed, as the song was written by an actual rapper, and the Broadway production adds a rapid-fast verse for Plankton to wow the crowd.
• Playing a Tree: When Squidward expresses his theatrical ambitions, Mr. Krabs mocks him, saying he'd "make a great tree".
• The Pollyanna: A crucial part of SpongeBob's character. No matter what situation he's in, he always keeps a positive attitude and focuses on the bright side of things. This especially holds significance in the end, when he encourages everyone to stay positive and have the Best Day Ever in the face of destruction.
  Chorus: It's a typical...
  SpongeBob: Incredible...
  Chorus: A regular...
  SpongeBob: Exceptional...
  Chorus: An ordinary...
  SpongeBob: Extraordinary...
  All: Bikini Bottom... Day!
• Power Trio: SpongeBob, Sandy, and Patrick form one in “Hero is My Middle Name”.
  SpongeBob: Three heroes to the rescue!
  Sandy: Team of très to the top!
  Patrick: Us, go!!!
• Pragmatic Adaptation: For obvious reasons, Sandy doesn't wear a bulky suit and helmet in the show; instead, it's a sleek white suit that's visually inspired by the original. Her large afro also suggests the glass helmet.
• Primp of Contempt: A blink-and-you'll-miss-it example is given by Karen in the opening number. While Plankton raves about how he'll one day rule Bikini Bottom, Karen yawns and checks her nails, showing that she's heard this all before and is highly skeptical.
• Pursue the Dream Job: SpongeBob ultimately wants to be Krusty Krab Manager.
• Race Lift: In the Broadway production, Colombian actor Jon Rua plays the role of Patchy the Pirate.
• Recurring Riff: The melody for "Best Day Ever" can be heard sprinkled throughout the show, although the actual song itself isn't sung until the end of Act II.
• Red-Headed Hero: Originally in the Chicago performance SpongeBob had yellow hair, but on Broadway he sports Ethan Slater's natural red hair.
• Rock Trio: The Electric Skates, which only consists of three members. Originally, they were visually modeled after 70's era Aerosmith (their song was even written by Joe Perry and Steven Tyler), but they were given a punk rock makeover for the Broadway run (think Green Day with multicolored hair).
• Rube Goldberg Device: You see all those wacky props that align the sides of the theater? They're all part of one big Rube Goldberg contraption that launches boulders at the cast during the eruption scenes. For example, one boulder goes down a series of tubes and pipes before getting kicked onto the stage by a bicycle. Sadly, they did not appear in the televised versions since they could not fit in the theater where it was filmed.
• Running Gag: Whenever Squidward mentions his mother, he kisses his fingers and lifts them up to the sky.
• Quarreling Song: “When The Going Gets Tough”. It's even a rap battle.
• Sassy Secretary: Karen, personified by an actress wearing pointed glasses and a purple beehive, very much fits this role. As the romance between her and Plankton develops, she eventually becomes a Sexy Secretary.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After discussing with Squidward about why most of their stuff haven't been brought over to the stage and being called a loser by Squidward, the Electric Stakes decide to quit the concert and go out of town. At least they managed to save themselves from the eruption of Mt. Humongous.
• Self-Deprecation: Squidward's song has shades of this, given that it's literally titled "I'm Not A Loser" and features Squidward attempting to encourage himself through Suspiciously Specific Denial.
• Shout-Out:
  • During Daddy Knows Best, Mr. Krabs briefly does the Tevye dance (while singing about money, appropriately). And during the exodus out of Bikini Bottom (which is shot as a parallel to the "Anatevka" number in Fiddler), we actually do see a fiddler on a roof! The Broadway version hammers in the shout out even more by having the cast briefly sing "Bikini-tevka" during said exodus.
  • In ”Hero is My Middle Name”, Patrick does a small kickline to the tune of ”One” from A Chorus Line.
  • Patchy's “Poor Pirates” crew consists of a few pirates... and a baseball player (a Pittsburgh Pirate).
  • The extravagant headpieces that Squidward's sea anemone chorus wear are reminiscent of the feather fans from Chicago.
  • Following “When the Going Gets Tough”, Mr. Krabs sarcastically calls Plankton "Tiny Dancer".
  • Squidward has a line where he says, "I'm a pretty squid, mama", which is a reference to the acclaimed musical Gypsy.
• Show Stopper: “I'm Not A Loser” is this for most, which is ironic seeing as it's Squidward's solo.
• Singing Voice Dissonance: Danny Skinner is pretty good at emulating cartoon Patrick's deep speaking voice, but his natural singing voice is much higher, with a prominent southern twang.
• The Song Before the Storm: “Tomorrow Is”, right before the end of Act I.
• Species Surname: It's SpongeBob, what else would you expect?
• Squashed Flat: Hilariously used in Act II, when Old Man Jenkins literally gets flattened by an enormous boulder (to achieve the cartoony effect, the actor playing Jenkins secretly sneaks off behind the boulder and places a cardboard cutout of himself on the stage). Made slightly confusing as the scene erupts in panic soon after and Old Man Jenkins, dimensional, begins panicking with his flattened self.
• Suddenly Shouting: One of the Electric Skates yells "ROCK AND ROLL!" almost constantly. His fellow band member explains that he's been doing this ever since he had a bad stage driving accident in the past.
• Suspiciously Specific Denial: I'm not a loser / I don't secretly hate myself... I don't not leave the house/ 'cause I don't not/ prefer to stay at home...
• Take That!: The show does a big "Take that!" to climate change deniers. The townspeople don't listen to Sandy, who's a scientist, and make a crack about 'tidal warming' also being fake. Her role as a scientist adds to the Fantastic Racism that makes them to scapegoat her because they need someone to blame. The sardines, like some religious fanatics, follow Patrick's suggestion to close their eyes and deny that a volcano is actually going to destroy them.
• The Team Normal: SpongeBob embodies this trope for the majority of the musical.
  SpongeBob: We'll be the best team ever! Sandy's brains, plus Patrick's brawn, and... though I don't have a special skill to bring to the table, I'm coming too!
• That Was Not a Dream: At the start of Act II, Spongebob thinks the imminent volcanic eruption and Patrick ditching him for a band of devotees was just a dream, but then Perch Perkins comes on the news to remind him "The end is coming today, and friends are abandoning friends."
• This Is No Time to Panic: Right before the start of "No Control", Spongebob and Patrick start freaking out when Sandy informs them Mt. Humongous is going to erupt.
  Spongebob & Patrick: THE END IS COMING! THE END IS COMING!
  Sandy: Okay, there's no need to panic.
  (cue earthquake)
  Sandy: I take that back! (starts freaking out alongside Spongebob and Patrick)
• Time Stands Still: Whenever a character has an inner monologue, the other characters in the scene literally freeze in place (always Played for Laughs by making the cut as absurd as possible). At the beginning of "(Just A) Simple Sponge", SpongeBob even hangs his spatula on the frozen Squidward's fingertip.
• The Triple: Patrick assures Spongebob by saying "You're, like, the most responsible, most dependable, most absorbent sponge I've ever met!"
• Triumphant Reprise: “(Just A) Simple Sponge” gets a dramatic reprise when SpongeBob climbs to the mouth of Mt. Humongous.
• Tsundere: Like in the show, Squidward shows shades of this toward SpongeBob.
• Unholy Matrimony: True to the cartoon, primary villains Plankton and Karen are happily married. Interestingly enough, their love for each other is noticeably much stronger here. However, they do begin squabbling again once their plan is foiled by the end of the story.
• Unusual Euphemism: In "When the Going Gets Tough", Plankton tells the people of Bikini Bottom to "get the fish out" of town.
• Vanilla Edition: The DVD release of this musical only contains the sing-along edition and a photo gallery. This is unusual for a SpongeBob release, which usually contains a lot of bonus features.
• Villain Song: “When the Going Gets Tough”, led by Plankton. Using everyone's fear to his advantage, he convinces the entire town to migrate to a new land, claiming that the only way to face your problems is by running away from them; this, of course, is just a ploy to get all the citizens together, hypnotize them en masse, and become the supreme ruler of their new town.
  Plankton: I need to sell them on my plan, Karen. But it won't be easy. I'm gonna need to do it in song.
• We Interrupt This Program: Perch Perkins frequently pops in to inform the audience of Bikini Bottom's current state via his news program.
• World of Ham: There isn't a single subtle character in the entire show. Except for Gary.

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