*** The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.***

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

Holly Anderson Director’s Notes

Welcome to Off Broadway Theatre’s production of SpongeBob the Musical! As you take your seats and prepare to embark on this underwater adventure, I invite you to dive into the colorful world of Bikini Bottom with us. Adapted from the beloved animated series, this musical celebrates the enduring spirit of SpongeBob SquarePants and his friends as they face challenges, embrace friendship, and save their beloved town from impending doom. At its core, SpongeBob the Musical is a story about believing in yourself. SpongeBob, in all his guileless authenticity, reminds us of the power of friendship and the importance of staying true to ourselves, even when the odds are stacked against us. We all have something to offer, be it brains, or brawn, or killer management skills.

One of the most exciting aspects of this production is its eclectic soundtrack, featuring original songs by a diverse array of artists. From David Bowie to Sarah Bareilles, John Legend to They Might Be Giants, each new song is sure to become your favorite. This truly is a musical journey like no other.

The world of SpongeBob is a perfect fit for the style of Off Broadway Theatre. We’ve worked tirelessly to give you the satisfaction of the musical with the special charms that are uniquely OBT. We aim to reach your hearts and your funny bones, and to give you a version of SpongeBob the Musical like you’ve never seen before.

Finally, I express my gratitude to the cast, crew, and everyone involved in bringing this production to life. Their passion, dedication, and talent have truly brought the world of Bikini Bottom to life in a way that is sure to delight audiences of all ages. So thank you for joining us on this underwater adventure. “It’s gonna be a good one, just wait and see!”

Eric R. Jensen – Assistant Director/Choreographer

Eric loves to do all things theater! You may have seen him acting in various theaters like HCT West Valley, HCT Orem, The Egyptian Theater Park City, and of course, here at the OBT! If he’s not writing a show, he’s directing one or acting in one! He dabbles in set building, costume design, prop making, and does choreography! He loves theater—it’s in his blood. Eric hopes you enjoy SpongeBob as much as he enjoys working with this cast and our newest director, Holly! He thanks his wife, Sandy, for all her work in keeping the OBT running smoothly and getting every production up and running!

CAST BIOS

Bentley Andersen as French Narrator

Bentley is excited to be doing SpongeBob the Musical! This is Bentley’s 17th show and her 5th OBT show! She LOVES theater and singing. She is excited to be doing this show with her friends and family! She has been doing theater since she was four and she hopes you enjoy the show!!!!

Brett Andersen as Patrick

Brett is excited to be back with OBT. He is so grateful for the opportunity to perform with this cast and in particular his wife and daughter. He hopes that you are able to sit back, relax, and enjoy some laughs, even if it is just at him and not with him.

Kim Andersen as Mrs. Puff (and choreographer)

Kim LOVES to make people laugh! Kim is a huge fan of The Off Broadway Theatre and is so excited to be part of this awesome company that brings joy and laughter to people’s lives. Kim is in this show with her hubby Brett and awesome daughter Bentley! Kim would like to quote the amazing Elle Woods from Legally Blonde who spoke these wise words: “I once had to judge a tighty-whitey contest for Lambda Kappa Pi. Trust me, I can handle anything.”

George Anderson as Mr. Krabs

George is excited to be in a production where his wife is directing. He enjoys working with her, and this will be his first show with the OBT! He’s not crabby, he’s actually one of the nicest people you’ll meet, and he hopes you will soak up all the laughs tonight!!

Charli Arnold as Jonny the Bartender, Gary the Snail, and Ensemble

Charli has been in three shows over the last year, which were: Wizard of Oz, A Christmas Carol, and Aladdin’s Magic Lamp. Charli is excited to debut with the OBT and that it’s SpongeBob the Musical!

Chase Arnold as Plankton

Chase is relatively new to the acting scene and is debuting on the OBT stage. Recently he had two major roles: first as Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol and second as Jafar in Aladdin’s Magic Lamp. Both of these were directed by Jake Andersen. He hopes you enjoy the show.

Chloe Arnold as Karen

Chloe has been doing theater for about a year and a half. She loves it! You might have seen her in Princess What’s Her Name as Prince Reville, Wizard of Oz as Scarecrow, and Aladdin’s Magic Lamp as Genie. Chloe did one OBT show, Seussical The Musical, as an ensemble performer last spring, and it was awesome! She hopes you enjoy the show!

Azalea Brenner as Ensemble

Azalea is excited to be in her second show with the OBT. She loves singing, dancing, acting, crocheting, and hanging out with her best friend.

Rue Cook as Pearl and Ensemble

This is Rue’s sixth show. Some of her favorite roles include Mufasa and Timon in The Lion King and Boris in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. So far this has been her favorite show yet! She loves the whole cast and how passionate everyone is about theater and this show. She also thanks her parents for being so supportive of her love for theater.

Michael Rose Ellerman as Larry the Lobster and Electric Skate

As a major SpongeBob fan, I am so excited to be in this musical as the one and only Larry the Lobster! This is my fourth show. My previous roles were Madame de la grande bouche (Beauty and the Beast), Banzai (The Lion King), and The Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland).

Drae Featherstone as Old Man Jenkins

This is Drae’s debut with OBT. He is 15 years old and passionate about acting. Drae loves to wake surf, rock climb, and hang out with his friends and family.

Ane Genessy as The Mayor

Since Ane can’t be a real mermaid, she’ll enchant you in Bikini Bottom instead! You may recognize her from OBT’s Utahoma! and Robyn Hood. She calls theatre home and loves this Aarrr-mazing cast! She thanks Kelly and her boys for their love and support, especially at the rockin’ performances at home. Shoutout to Holly Anderson and OBT for this awesome opportunity. She dedicates this show to Brady, Colby, and Remy–The Original SpongeBob Fans.Thank you all for coming! Enjoy the show!!

Ellie Genessy as Ensemble

Ellie loves SpongeBob! Her acting debut was in OBT’s Utahoma! She loves performing with her mom and dedicates this show to her dad. “Enjoy the SpongeBob show!”

Hannah Graybill as Electric Skate and Ensemble

Hannah likes to read graphic novels and play video games. Her loves include singing and watching movies. She’s an expert at Roblox and is an introverted 6th grader.

Indy Lawrence as Ensemble

Indy is a theater kid in training who loves their dog. They are grateful to fellow cast and crew for being so welcoming and hilarious.

Elise Lingwall as Electric Skate and Ensemble

Elise has performed in Lion King Jr., Beauty and the Beast Jr., and is currently working on Alice in Wonderland and this musical. She enjoys theater: it helps relieve stress. Elise thanks the people at the OBT for being so friendly.

Ever Lord as Sandy Cheeks

Ever wasn’t allowed to watch SpongeBob as a kid so she doesn’t really know what’s going on at the heart of it all. But she LOVES the music in this show. She is super excited to be on stage at the OBT again for SpongeBob the Musical. She will be playing the coolest cowboy squirrel ever, Sandy Cheeks. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Kason Seamans as Patrick Understudy

Kason is brand new to the OBT, but not to acting. He’s the amazing understudy for Patrick but has been in SpongeBob previously at Alta High. He’s charismatic and full of talent! Kason is thrilled to be able to perform once again with his friend, Ever! He hopes you enjoy the OBT’s production of Spongebob the Musical!

Shea Potter as Squidward

Gonna be honest… It’s been a hot minute since Shea has been on the stage. Throughout the years, his kids talked to him repeatedly about a certain underwater parallelogram that wore pants, leaving him wondering if perhaps they loved SpongeBob more than him. So now he’s excited to finally prove that he ISN’T a Loser. Shea was in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Arsenic and Old Lace, Willy Wonka, and various film productions, most recently season 2 of The Chosen.

Sia Potter as Ensemble

This is Sia’s first musical at OBT. In the past she’s performed, Nemo, The Musical (The Egyptian), Dogzilla (Wasatch Elementary), and We Are Monsters (Wasatch Elementary). She’s the happiest little sardine in Bikini Bottom and is excited to be a part of the Spongebob the Musical cast! (She even grew gills for this!)

Jett Simmons as Perch

Jett never knew the impact that Stephen Hillenburg made with his silly sea show about a sponge before it was too late. Just like him, Jett hopes to make a positive impact on the audience that grew up with Hillenburg’s work and give them the BEST DAY EVER!

Boston Smith as SpongeBob

Since birth it seems, Boston has always been a performer. You might have recently seen him in Lore of the Rings as Grimly with the Off Broadway Theatre. He’s very excited to be back at the OBT in the role of SpongeBob, a character he has connected and personally identified with since childhood. He dedicates this show to his family and friends for their incredible love and support. And viewers like you. Thank you.

Hannah Zumbrunnen as Sandy Cheeks

Hannah has been performing in theater productions since the age of three, when she played the Elephant Bird in Seussical Jr. Some of her stage credits include Seussical (Who Cadette), James and the Giant Peach (Mrs. Trotter), Who Put the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder? (Mrs. Murphy), and Frozen (Hidden Folk Ensemble). Hannah is ecstatic to be playing Sandy Cheeks in this production of SpongeBob! Thank you to everyone at the Off Broadway Theatre for this amazing opportunity, and thanks to my parents for letting me play!

Josephine Zumbrunnen as Pearl and Ensemble

Josie has loved performing in theater productions ever since she was little. Her favorite roles have been Winifred in Once Upon a Mattress, Florinda in Into the Woods, Cleo Barton in Why Bump Off Barnaby?, and a narrator in Once On This Island. Josie is excited to be performing in her first production with the Off Broadway Theatre. She thanks her family for their continual support and devotion.

CREW BIOS

Holly Anderson – Director

Holly is thrilled to be directing for Off Broadway Theatre at the Draper Historic Playhouse, as she loves finding the humor in every aspect of life. Previous directing experience includes Into the Woods, and previous acting experience includes performing for theaters such as the Hale Centre Theatres, Lyrical Opera Theater, and Mack’s Inn Playhouse. Her favorite role will always be Domina from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, where she met her husband, George.

Lee Wailes – Stage Manager:

Lee has enjoyed being part of this production. The cast has worked hard and laughed often, and he believes that energy of joy and excitement can be felt on the stage. Certainly, he’s come away many nights with this cast with a little more pip in his step. He wants to give a special credit to Boston Smith, our main sponge, for capturing the honest warmth and joy of the lead. Lee truly can’t see anyone else playing this role. He looks forward to sharing the show with you, the audience! Are you ready, kids?

Cameron Christensen – Sound/Light Tech

Cameron has been the tech for several OBT productions, most recently Lore of the Rings. He is happy to help tech this show while Dylan gets a break. Cameron has been working with Off Broadway Theatre for nearly three years. When not working behind the scenes, he can either be found on the stage as a performer or working within the information technology industry.

Dylan Armstrong – Sound/Light Tech

Dylan is excited to make his debut with OBT! His most recent work was with DHT on Newsies. He goes to Riverton High School and was recently the lighting designer for his high school show Nice Work If You Can Get It. He recently directed Frozen and Aladdin Kids for Royal Dream Theater. Dylan thanks his Mom, Dad, Ty, and Addy for their support and help to pursue his dream. #spongebobsquarepants

Robbie Dalley – Sound and Light Consultant:

A Primetime Emmy Award winner (yes, it is true!), Robbie has spent the past 20 years working all things tech for various groups, including the Sugar Factory Playhouse. He helped to start the OBT’s inhouse tech program and has continued to help push the boundaries of what is possible for our theater. Always behind the scenes, he is a dad to a great, soon-to-be-10-year-old son (Robbie), two cats (Penelope & Charlie), and a Corgi (Flora). He divides his non-theater time between work and family.

August 2 – August 31

October 4 – October 26

November 1 – November 30

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Bing Fang, trustee and chair
Clarence Strohn, trustee and vice chair
Sandy Hubble Jensen, trustee and secretary
Christopher Cheeney, trustee 
Jeff Driggs, trustee
Ben Eddington, trustee
Jim Morgan, trustee
Kelly Wideman, trustee

OFFICERS

Eric R. Jensen, Co-Founder / Artistic & Technical Director
Sandy ThuyAnn Jensen, Co-Founder / Executive Director
Bing Fang, Chief Financial Officer
Kevin Hicks, Treasurer
Kelly Wideman, Marketing Director

CONSULTANTS

Aaron Bellis, consultant
Nic Brown, consultant
Austinn Jensen, consultant
Scott Hansen, consultant
Jeff Hunsaker, consultant
Daniel Gillette, consultat

ERIC R. AND SANDY HUBBLE JENSEN’S BIOS

Eric and Sandy are co-founders of the Off Broadway Theatre and Laughing Stock improv comedy troupe. They have worked closely for some 30 years, dedicating much of their time to building and growing the Off Broadway Theatre. They have been married for 30 years and have one son, Austinn, who has grown up acting in numerous OBT and other productions.

Eric, the artistic and technical director for the OBT, grew up in Murray, Utah. He received his bachelor’s degree in theater arts at the University of Utah and his master’s degree in secondary education at the University of Phoenix. As executive producer and lead playwright, director, set designer, costumer, actor, and improviser, he guides many aspiring talents at the OBT. He teaches improv classes while mentoring up-and-coming playwrights, directors, stage managers, and set designers. His acting, writing, and directing experience has also been featured at Desert Star, Centre Point Legacy, Hale (both Orem and West Valley), and Egyptian theaters. He has taught and performed high school workshops and elementary school assemblies, as well as for some after school programs. Eric also teaches K – 6 as a fine arts specialist  in the Davis School District, inspiring children to love theatre, music, dance, and all things art. Under Eric’s leadership, OBT won the Best Community Theatre award from the Utah Theatre Association in 2000, recognizing the quality of the theatre and Eric’s work with high schools and the community.

Sandy serves as the executive director of the theatre, as well as executive producer, box office manager, and social media specialist, with more than 30 years of experience in small business management. She has an extensive acting background, including the OBT, Hale Centre Theatre WVC, The Grand Theatre, Sundance Theatre, Salt Lake Acting Company, Pages Lane, and Stage Right Theater. Sandy continues to work tirelessly to grow volunteer opportunities at the OBT. She was born in Vietnam and has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, with endorsements in ESL, STEM, and Gifted. She teaches 1st grade in the Davis School District. She has earned two Presidential Awards for Volunteering and has been recognized in Who’s Who of America.   

The Off Broadway Theatre has been said to have a feel of “family,” and that’s because it is. Eric and Sandy’s mission has always been to provide a place where people can come together and make laughter ring true and provide a safe place to hone skills and develop friendships. Through the art of live performances, the theatre has reached many new friends, and its charitable outreach program has provided wonderful opportunities to serve our community. 

Eric and Sandy also co-founded Laughing Stock Improv and have performed together on the OBT stage as well as at corporate and  school events. They are proud to have such a long-running improv show with some amazingly talented improvisers who have been with the company for a long time.

Thank you for your many years of support and patronage at the Salt Lake downtown location, and for following us here to Draper. Please continue to donate to help us forge another 25+ years of spreading laughter in Utah! Go to www.theOBT.org to donate today.