Duluth Playhouse presents first Youth Theatre show ‘SpongeBob the Musical’ on NorShor stage

DULUTH, MN. (Northern News Now) -- This weekend, a local theatre is hoping to take audiences from Duluth, all the way to a pineapple under the sea.

‘SpongeBob the Musical’ is an important experience to its young cast of 28 kids.

“We all just get together and we work hard, but we also have a lot of fun and the payoff is amazing,” said Jay Ostazeski, who plays Patrick Star.

“You meet friends, you have fun, you learn, you enjoy your time,” said William Goei, who plays Sheldon J. Plankton.

The Duluth Playhouse Youth Theatre season is kicking off with a story about the famous yellow, personified underwater sponge.

“It is so much fun! It’s a huge energetic show, it’s big, it’s loud, it’s colorful, it’s a blast to be a part of,” said Reagan Kern, who plays SpongeBob SquarePants.

‘SpongeBob the Musical,’ based on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon, follows the title character and his friends working to save Bikini Bottom from disaster.

“Overall it’s just a story about friendship and courage and getting together when times are tough, which we all know something about,” said Grace Wilson, who plays Sandy Cheeks.

The show will be the first Youth Theatre production mounted on the NorShor stage.

The move to the NorShor comes after the Playhouse decided to move all productions to the same space, after the rent increased at the Youth Theatre’s previous home, the historic St. Louis County Depot.

“I’ve done three other shows on this stage prior to the Youth Theatre moving here, and to see the rest of these kids who haven’t been on this stage before get to experience that for the first time is really special,” said Greyson Holste, who plays Squidward Q. Tentacles.

Theatre leaders said it was important the legacy of the Youth Theatre season continue on, giving more kids an opportunity for arts education.

“These kids are just in awe of being here in this fantastic historic venue, and getting the opportunity to perform in this space for the community,” said Phillip Fazio, director of ‘SpongeBob the Musical’ and the producing artistic director at the Playhouse.

Everyone involved in the production said the art and the space are instilling a life-long passion for theatre.

“I mean, this is, this is my life here, and if I didn’t have this, I wouldn’t know who I am and I wouldn’t have figured out so much about myself at such a young age,” Holste said.

‘SpongeBob the Musical’ runs this weekend, with performances at 6 this Friday and at 1 and 5 on both Saturday and Sunday.

To purchase tickets, click here.

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