David Bowie and more sign up to write songs for a pineapple under the sea
There’s been talk for a little while now about a Spongebob Squarepants music coming to Broadway. Still, no amount of speculation could’ve prepared us for what we’re getting.
Most musicals have a score written by one or two people – from George and Ira Gershwin, all the way up to Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Every now and then a “jukebox” musical will break out – shows like Rock of Ages where a bunch of old songs are repurposed. The Spongebob musical is doing something completely different – they’re commissioning an incredible number of musicians to write original songs for the play.
The list is mind-boggling. The big headline-grabber is David Bowie, but contributors also include The Flaming Lips, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Cyndi Lauper, They Might Be Giants, Jonahtan Coulton, John Legend, Dirty Projectors, T.I., Plain White T’s, Panic! At the Disco, and Lady Antebellum. Bowie and Lauper both have prior experience writing the book for a musical, and a many of these artists are in the top tier of their respective scenes, but the eclecticism on display here is noteworthy, at minimum.
Music has always played a role in Spongebob. Ween, Pantera, Motörhead, and P!nk all contributed new music to the original show. N*E*R*D was front-and-center for the movie that came out recently. Still, this takes things to a new level. It’s a shrewd business move – you’d be hard-pressed to find a parental objection that won’t be assuaged by at least one of those acts – and hopefully, it’ll also make for an interesting show.
