| Here's my take, briefly | |
| Posted by: aleck 04:52 pm EST 12/07/17 | |
| In reply to: The SpongeBob audience - broadwaybacker 11:00 am EST 12/07/17 | |
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| I have never seen a SpongeBob cartoon. I knew nothing about the character or any of the other characters before seeing this musical last night. Of course, that it meant nothing when each character appeared and the crowd went wild. Still, each character and the characters' relationships to SpongeBob was clear and added up to a tapestry of community that was, to me, very powerful. Looking past the goofiness of the surface, you have something, I think, profound going on here. There's SpongeBob, who is "just the sponge next door," emerging as a hero, even though he makes mistakes, is sometimes foolish and often oblivious. Still, he has friends and enemies. The reasons that he has enemies confuses him and the possible loss of friends (to whom he is devoted) confuses him as well. But he soldiers on thinking he's doing the best he can in a guileless way -- devoted to his friends, his community and, of course, his pet snail and hoping only to make everything right no matter the personal cost to himself. When we get to the song " Best Day Ever"near the end of the show he has brought together his whole community -- friends and enemies -- to acknowledge that even in the light of possible destruction that life is great and if it's last day of life, it's still the "Best Day Ever." I almost wept. For me it was as powerful as "I Believe" in Book of Moron when the audience compares the contradictions, incredulities and downright craziness of the Mormon religion to the specific aspects of whatever is the personal faith of each audience member that you have an amazing moment that collectively brings the audience together in an indirect expression of the diversity and importance of "faith." Here, SpongeBob, i think, represents the image and hoped-for role in life that many (or, maybe most) people (or, shall we say men) have of themselves -- namely just being the "sponge next door" but sill being the hero of their own lives to guilelessly pursue protection of the ideals of their personal and community relationships. I can't wait to see this again. |
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