Concord Theatricals is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants by launching a contest that will award free licenses to The SpongeBob Musical to under-resourced schools. Titled Sing Like a Sponge, the contest is open to schools and youth groups in the U.S. (including Washington, D.C., the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico) and Canada (excluding Quebec).
Though open to all schools, the licensing company is especially encouraging Title 1 and other under-resourced schools and groups to enter.
Those applying are asked to include an essay on the following prompt: SpongeBob demonstrates endless positivity. How do your students show the SpongeBob spirit in their school community? Submissions will be accepted through June 10, with winners chosen based on financial need and creativity of answer. Winners will receive a three-performance licensing package for either The SpongeBob Musical or The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition, including all rental materials. Winning performances must be scheduled between September 2024 and December 2025.
“Whenever I hear the word SpongeBob, I smile,” says Concord Theatricals President Bill Gaden in a statement.“Concord is delighted to spread SpongeBob smiles to 10 under-resourced schools. We know the power of theatre and the excitement, empowerment, and pure joy that it can bring to middle and high school students. We look forward to schools showing us what their ‘best day ever’ is.”
“SpongeBob SquarePants has been spreading joy for 25 years, and The SpongeBob Musical continues to delight audiences around the globe as they experience the world of Bikini Bottom live,” adds Paramount Vice President of Experiences and Live Stage Rachel Karpf. “We have seen how much schools and youth groups love this incredible musical, so we are thrilled to partner with Concord Theatricals to celebrate everyone’s favorite porous pal by giving fans even more opportunity to create their own productions.”
Based on the long-running animated series, The SpongeBob Musical opened on Broadway (then titled SpongeBob SquarePants The Broadway Musical) in 2017, earning 12 2018 Tony nominations, including Best Musical. Originally starring Ethan Slater in the title role, the musical ran through September 16, 2018, when it closed to make way for renovations to the Palace Theatre. The musical, which centers on SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy as they attempt to save Bikini Bottom from an apocalyptic volcano explosion, features a book by Kyle Jarrow and a score comprising original songs penned by a group of artists including Steven Tyler, Yolanda Adams, Sara Bareilles, They Might By Giants, Cyndi Lauper, and more. A filmed stage performance was released in 2019 featuring much of the production's original Broadway cast.
Enter Sing Like a Sponge: The SpongeBob Musical Contest at ConcordTheatricals.com.
