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After an 18-month pandemic hiatus, Riverland Community College Theatre is resuming in-person performances in the East Building of the Austin Campus at the Frank W. Bridges Theatre with “The SpongeBob Musical.”

SpongeBob SquarePants, Squidward, Patrick, Sandy, Plankton, Mr. Krabs and all the familiar denizens of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world. Chaos erupts. Lives hang in the balance. And just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage. Based on the beloved animated series and featuring a score from the biggest names in pop music, “The SpongeBob Musical” is a guaranteed fun time for the whole family. The power of optimism really can save the world! The show is appropriate for all ages.

“The SpongeBob Musical” is based on the series by Stephen Hillenburg with a book by Kyle Jarrow. Original songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady A, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, T.I., and Songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny and Andy Paley. Additional music is by Tom Kitt, additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton, and the musical production was conceived by Tina Landau. Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants, and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

Lindsey Duoos Williams directs. Technical direction is by John Deyo. Musical direction is by Brian Johnson. Costumes are by Carley Carranza and Heidi Clark. Choreography is by Marny Rohr. Kim Potter stage manages. The SpongeBob Musical features Maddie Bartlett (Buster Bluetang), Andrew Breitsprecher (Patchy the Pirate), Maggie Bremner (Plankton), Olivia Culbert (Karen the Computer), Megan Dilley-Jones (Larry the Lobster), Anna Erath (Sandy Cheeks), Ryan Flanders (Old Man Jenkins), Randy Forster (Mr. Krabs), Jake Gustine (Patrick Star), Katie Hunerdosse (Pearl Krabs), Annalia Johnson (Electric Skate), Blythe Johnson (Foley Artist Fish), Lily Martin (Mrs. Puff), Kiera Neufeldt (Perch Perkins), Diane Petrik (Mayor), Celeste Rose (SpongeBob Squarepants), and Geoff Smith (Squidward Q. Tentacles).

“We are thrilled to be back performing live in our theatre, and ‘The SpongeBob Musical’ felt like the perfect show to kick off our season,” said Williams. “It’s an uplifting story about friendship and how important it is to take care of each other in our communities. The show is a ton of fun, and both adults and children alike can enjoy it. Fans of SpongeBob Squarepants will love seeing all their favorite characters in a new story, but even if you’ve never seen an episode of the cartoon, you’ll still be able to enjoy the jokes and musical numbers.”

COVID-19 safety precautions will be in place during the performances. Masks are required to be worn by all audience members, in accordance with the current Riverland Community College campus policy. Cast members are fully vaccinated and will be wearing masks when coming into close proximity to audience members.

“The SpongeBob Musical’” will be performed at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the Frank W. Bridges Theatre in the East Building of Riverland’s Austin Campus.

Individual tickets are $16. Tickets are currently on sale at www.riverland.edu/tickets 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The online ticketing system allows customers to pay by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover. The on campus box office will be open for in person sales in the theater lobby one hour prior to each performance. Riverland students receive two free tickets with a valid student ID. Contact the box office at 507-433-0595 or by emailing boxoffice@riverland.edu.