ST. PETERSBURG — ThinkTank Theatre will open its 2026-2027 season with “The SpongeBob Musical” in collaboration with freeFall Theatre’s Tandem Series. The production will open on Friday, Aug. 14, and will run through Sunday, Aug. 23. There will be eight performances, presented on at freeFall Theatre, 6099 Central Ave., St. Petersburg.
Performances will be Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays, at 2 p.m.
The Saturday, Aug. 22 matinee will feature a sensory performance especially crafted for patrons with sensory sensibilities and families with young children. The production is recommended for ages 8 and older. The run time is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission.
Ticket prices for the production range from $25 for students, artists, and seniors, and $40 for adults. Seating is limited for each performance and tickets can be purchased online at www.thinktanktya.org/spongebob.
When the citizens of Bikini Bottom discover that a volcano will soon erupt and destroy their humble home, SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save the fate of their undersea world. With lives hanging in the balance and all hope lost, a most unexpected hero rises up. The power of optimism really can save the world. “The SpongeBob Musical” is the perfect musical experience for any age with cheeky jokes for adults and slapstick silliness for younger audiences.
The show will feature a talented cast of area favorites. ThinkTank’s production brings together a dynamic cast of returning ThinkTank alumni, exciting area talent making their ThinkTank debut, and members of our popular Young Artists’ Ensemble Intern Company.
Leading the cast as everyone’s favorite sea sponge, SpongeBob, is Matt Kosinski. Joining him are William Alejandro Barba as the lovable Patrick Star, and recent Blake High School graduate Stella Duncan as the brilliant aquatic squirrel Sandy Cheeks.
Other ThinkTank alums include Ryan Sturm as the entrepreneurial Mr. Krabs, alongside Kelsey Lopez as his strong-willed whale of a daughter, Pearl. Rounding out the group of ThinkTank alums is John M. Perez who will take on the hysterical tracks of Patchy the Pirate, Perch the Newsfish, and Larry the Lobster.
Making their ThinkTank debuts are local favorite and Broadway alum Larry Alexander as the perpetually grumpy Squidward, Tristan J. Horta as the diabolical Sheldon J. Plankton, and Baylee Roberts as his analytical computerized wife, Karen.
Four members of ThinkTank’s Young Artists’ Ensemble will take part in this production. Mary Pope, a senior at Berkeley Prep, and Sebastian Oliva-Minardi, a junior at Plant High School, make their ThinkTank mainstage debuts as Gary the Snail and Old Man Jenkins, respectively. Returning Young Artists’ Ensemble member Anny DePolis, a homeschool junior, portrays Mrs. Puff, while Ashlin Sullivan, a senior at Robinson High School’s International Baccalaureate program, appears as the Mayor of Bikini Bottom.
“The SpongeBob Musical” is directed by Georgia Mallory Guy, ThinkTank’s artistic director, with musical direction by Jason Tucker and choreography by Jessica Scruggs. Jurian Icarus Dorsey will serve as the production stage manager, Georgios Tsambis as the costume designer, James Puttnam as the scenic designer, Julia Rifino as the scenic painter, Trenton Szabo as the lighting designer, and Eric Davis as the video programmer.
The show is based on the beloved animated series created by Stephen Hillenburg and features a book by Kyle Jarrow, with original songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alexander Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady A, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants and T.I., and songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny and Andy Paley. Additional lyrics are by Jonathan Coulton, with additional music by Tom Kitt. The musical production was conceived by Tina Landau.