RIVER FALLS – “Are you ready kids? Aye, aye captain!” The opening lines for Nickelodeon’s “Spongebob Squarepants” are possibly playing through your head when you see what River Falls High School theatre students have in store for their 2024 musical: “The Spongebob Musical.”

Director Sarah Plum admits it’s not commonly done in high school productions, but promises the audience is in for a treat, whether they’re a fan of the famous cartoon or not.

“We try to give our kids a well-rounded experience over their four years in theatre,” Plum said.

This year’s seniors have had the opportunity to perform classic theatre and Golden Age. Now it’s time for a character show in which they don’t actually play humans; they have to step into a new world to play something else.

“At first I was like, absolutely not,” Plum laughed. “But then I realized it would fit the cast really well because we have a ton of talent and it has a ton of chorus parts. It will showcase a lot of different people.”

Seniors Holt Walker (Larry the Lobster), Lauren Tlougan (Electric Skate, Dance Captain) and Callen Schallberg (Spongebob) are excited to share the musical with the public as it’s the most challenging production in which they’ve acted. Tlougan said the storyline will keep people’s attention.

“Basically there’s a couple of different things going on. A large volcano is threatening to erupt and destroy Bikini Bottom,” Tlougan said. “Spongebob, Sandy and Patrick are doing their best to find a way to save the town and stop the volcano from wrecking the town. Plankton wants everyone to follow his evil scheme, and there’s a concert trying to raise money to follow his evil scheme. Different people are trying to save Bikini Bottom for different reasons.”

In August, the performers took part in a theatre “boot camp” to acquaint themselves with the characters, music and dancing.

“We could meet and interact with each other and really figure out how we’re going to make the show our own,” Tlougan said.

Full rehearsals started rolling in October.  

“What’s interesting about this musical is it goes across all genres of music,” Walker said.” Hip hop, gospel, jazzy. That’s what makes it different from others.”

Plum said Spongebob is considered a “jukebox musical because a different artist wrote each song.

“They kind of made their own genre based on what the character is like,” she added.

Dance routines range from hip hop to tap with everything in between, Tlougan said.

“I just love how big and out there the show is,” she added. “It’s really different from ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ or ‘Anything Goes,’ but in a really good way. I just love how everybody needs to be in it all the time and how big and ‘wowing’ character shows are. You have to give 110%.”

Schallberg described the show as bright and colorful.

“It just really highlights the things that are important. It’s just fun. It’s such a good time,” he said.

Walker, who described himself as a “band kid,” said he enjoyed getting to know the cast and crew the most.

“I feel like I could walk up to the cast and strike a conversation with anybody,” he said.

Plum said the characters in this show allow students to be a little more like themselves, to bring out their personal quirks within their own characters.

“And they’re pumped to do it,” she laughed. “Theatre kids love drama. It gives everyone the opportunity to portray a character but add their own element too. They get to make it their own.”

Learning such a big, encompassing production came with its learning opportunities and challenges, which the students took on with gusto.

“With all the different genres of music, it’s really difficult to switch between those sometimes,” Walker said. “It’s a lot higher difficulty, in my opinion, than some of the past musicals. A lot higher.”

Tlougan agreed this is musically the toughest musical she’s ever done.

“I think that something that all of us have had to learn is that we all have to be on all of the time in the show, especially when the music is involved with the dancing,” she said. “It’s a detail-oriented show and we are at the point where we all need to be on top of everything. It’s the little things that make the show what it is. We bring our all every time and are working toward making sure that the high level is achieved.”

Schallberg said so many amazing things are happening in every single scene that it’s easy to lose energy; however, the cast doesn’t let that happen.

“All of have kind of realized that we all need to be in it, that this show is not successful if we’re not all in it together and that we need to bring it,” Tlougan agreed.

“This is the most challenging show I’ve ever experience in my life, in college, in community theatre,” Plum said. “There are so many small and incredibly vital parts of this show.”

This will be the first show in Plum’s recollection that a foley artist will be used. A foley artist creates and records everyday live sounds for film, television, video games and theatre to enhance the audio experience. Throw in set details, props and costumes, which all makes for an incredible show.

“Every time we’re watching a scene of the show, I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, we don’t have that yet,’” Plum said. “You have to do all of it for it to be a successful show.”

Plum also gave high praise to the directing team and all the hands who make the program successful. She encourages people to not come in with the expectation that the musical is the same as the TV show.

“It’s incredibly kid-friendly,” she said. “I wasn’t a Spongebob kid growing up and this show is super fun for me. Even if you don’t love Spongebob the TV show, you will love the musical.

Schallberg reiterated it’s not just for parents to bring kids to. All ages will find ways to connect.

“Something that really surprised me, the show is really emotionally shallow, but with this, there are so many deep meanings that you wouldn’t expect with Spongebob the Musical. It’s really emotional,” he said.

“There is so much motivation and so many emotions from all the characters, with lots of deeper meanings,” Tlougan said. “You’ll see deeper character development, actual real-life situations that people might be experiencing through a character show.”

As for the future, these three seniors see the arts in their future, in some way, shape or form. Schallberg would like to perform in college or community theatre. Tlougan is going to college for music and music education. Walker plans to continue honing his band and choir skills.

Showtimes are at 7 p.m. Dec. 6-7 and Dec. 13-14 with a matinee at 2 p.m. Dec. 8. Tickets are available on the school website (rfsd.k12.wi.us) or an hour before the show at the door of the River Falls High School auditorium.

Cast & Crew

Directors

Director - Sarah Plum

Music Director - Emma Cruciani

Orchestra Director - Alex Plum

Producer - Bryan Jaeckel

Choreographer - Laura Decheine

Costume Designer - Laura Long

Lights and Set Designer - Troy Dixen

Sound Designer - Born Into Royalty

Cast

Elizabeth Baillargeon

Calpurnia Bastien

Saffryn Behr

Jayden Brohman-Morgen

K’Leigh Bruce

Vivian Buri

Lydia Carlson

Dylan Conrad

Hattie Dintemann

Elaina Dunham

Clodagh Egan

Aiden Evans

Abby Filkins

Agnes Flasch

Alice Follstad

Aly Ghenciu

Graysen Hallock

Symphony Hanson

River Heinze

Parker Heinze

Logan Huppert

Ben Jaeckel

Avery Kannel

Genevieve Kerr

George Kinnecannon

Bella Kohn

Jayda Lahn

Kylee Loga

Clara Longsdorf

Marley Lynum

Samantha Miller

Connor Mitchell

Ella Muszynski

Eve Olson

Cora Olson

Klaudia Pepin

Corrine Pichler

Kjersten Richter

Lilly Robinson

Eli Sallander

Callen Schallberg

Rose Smith

Addie Smith

Kira Sonnee

Leo Stamets

Sawyer Streif

Ashley Symicek

Lauren Tille

Lauren Tlougan

Francesca Torgersen

Emme Torgersen

Nayleen Vue

Blake Walker

Holt Walker

Katie Wayne

Crew: 

Isaiah Andazola

Cicely (Liam) Anderson

Eve Atkinson

Cameron Berner

Hazel Blanco

Sylvia Bonderson

Sean Carroll

Rowan Coe

Ivy Colberg

Gabby Dinzeo-Kurtz

Cambria Dodge

Kylieauna Eckdahl

Izzy Eloranta

Hannah Falkner

Sophia Ford

Ari Garcia

Beatrix Gilberg

Breanna Henrich

Bradley Hinshaw

Bella Horn

Henry Hovland

Mallory James

Acsh Jansen

Rebekah Jarocki

Aberdeen Grey Johnson

Adysan Knutson

Daphne Koehler

Hailey Korolchuk

Hunter Korolchuk

Addison Maher

Ivory Mason

Theo Metro

Evie Myklebust

Jay Nagel

Lovely Richardson

Sylvia Rundle

Evan Sander

Maddie Schmidt

Phoenix Score

Graceana Sewall Hardy

Madeline Tille

Nicholas Toffolon

Dawson (Daws) Voiles

Abril Wilson

Xavier Zumber

Pit Orchestra

Chloe Ellis

Tovah Butterfass

Hewitt McCann

Jill Jaeckel

Lumen Mason

Wesley Brux

Sam Cutter

Colin Peterson

Jarrett Feyereisen

Mae St. Cyr

Heather Tank

Adria Kissinger

Logan Morrisson

Taylor Stevens

Lance Hovland

Bryce Sanville

El Campus