The SpongeBob Musical Poster, Cast, & Plot Details Announced

Are ya ready, kids? For the Spongebob musical headed to Broadway?

Yes, you read that right. A Spongebob musical is headed to broadway and now it has announced its cast and plot and revealed a new poster.

The young man who will be bringing Spongebob Squarepants to life on stage is an actor with only a couple of credits to his name, including two short films a stint on the Redheads Anonymous TV series, and a feature titled Evol.

Though a surprising amount of Bikini Bottoms’ residents will be appearing in the play, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy won’t be making an appearance. However, Patrick, Squidward, Mrs. Puff, Mr. Krabs and even Gary will be, through some sure to be impressive stage craft, joining the nautical nonsense. Actors Lilli cooper, Gaelan Gilliland, Curits Holbrook, Stephanie Hsu, L’ogan J’ones, Emmy Raver Lampman, Mark Ledbetter, Kelvin Moon Loh, Vasthy Mompoint, JC Schuster, Abby C. Smith, and Jason Michael Snow will all join Slater in the ensemble.

Of course, having a bunch of humans play a sponge, a starfish, a squid, a crab, a puffer fish, and a snail is kind of mind boggling. “We brought in different age groups and were most worried they were going to say, ‘But he’s not square!’” Tina Landau, the musical’s director, told EW. “The main response was, ‘We finally got to see him in real life.’ They loved it. They felt they were getting to spend time with him in his authentic form.”

The play will follow a day in the fictional world of Bikini Bottom where its citizens have been told a nearby volcano, Mount Humongous, will erupt at sundown the next day. The new original story sees Spongebob volunteer to be the hero who saves his city from destruction.

One extra fun fact: Ant-Man‘s T.I. has written a “rabble-rousing,” rap for Plankton.

The Spongebob Musical debuts in Chicago in June.

(Source: EW)