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SpongeBob SquarePants the Musical isn’t just a cute cartoon onstage, it’s a full-scale community theater build with real spectacle, real heart, and a whole lot of teamwork. We sit down with Melissa (director) and Marissa (board member) from Junior University Musical Theatre to talk about bringing Bikini Bottom to San Bernardino with a cast of 50+ performers ranging from ages nine to ninety-nine. If you love family-friendly musicals, youth theater, or simply want a great night of live theater in the Inland Empire, this one is for you.

We get into what makes SpongeBob such a smart choice for a broad audience: an eclectic score with songs written by different pop artists, a story built on friendship and collaboration, and the kind of humor that lands whether you grew up with the show or watched it with your kids. Melissa also shares what it’s like directing an educational theater organization where students learn alongside experienced alumni and “seasoned” community actors, building skills and confidence in a supportive environment.

Then we zoom out to the bigger story of Junior University, founded in 1963, and how the group adapted after COVID by moving from outdoor summer productions at Perris Hill Bowl into the San Manuel Performing Arts Center on the Aquinas High School campus. We talk about the value of that community partnership, the perks of a state-of-the-art venue, and the details audiences actually feel, like a lobby experience that drops you straight into Bikini Bottom plus tech magic from bubbles to dry ice to black lights.

If you enjoy hearing how community theater gets made and why it matters right now, subscribe, share this with a theater friend, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the show.

Junior University Presents: The SpongeBob Musical

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