Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Designer David Zinn Talks SpongeBob SquarePants
Dramatics Magazine: BROADWAY SCENIC and costume designer David Zinn is a multifaceted wizard. With his burly beard and bushy handlebar moustache, he even resembles a crafty oracle who might hold the key to life’s biggest mysteries. What he holds in reality are two Tony Awards for his scenic designs — one in 2016 for The Humans and another for his majestic underwater world of Bikini Bottom in last year’s SpongeBob SquarePants.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
When I first heard that Spongebob was being adapted into a musical, I really thought it was going to be like what the article said; an amusement park show onstage. But as soon as I saw the production photos, I realized it wasn’t going to be so simple. After seeing the show twice, I can confidently say this was one of the most creative and thoughtful and fun designs I’ve seen in a while. Not only were Zinn’s costume and scenic pieces incredibly creative (boxing gloves as claws, boxes and ladders for a volcano), they also captured the spirit that the show and the characters have. It’s fun and quirky and a little home-made. Also the attention to detail is incredible. They even took the time to paint fun swirly shapes onto the line arrays to keep them in the world of the set. It was such a well executed design, and I’m glad it’s getting the recognition it deserves.
Similarly to Emma's comment above, I heard the phrase "Spongebob musical," and was immediately taken back to thoughts of the Wiggles and Veggietales Live!; shows written about well known characters but with adults in huge character costumes. I thought it would be like an amusement park, with the actors in these huge mascot costumes trundling around on stage. Much of my hesitance towards the show was founded in that, how would they possibly be able to keep the physical illusions of Spongebob while transferring the show to the stage. I was so happily surprised when I say the actual product of the musical. Each character wears a costume that is clearly their character. I think some very important things that David Zinn considered while creating the designs (as well as the other designers) was to think about what made each of those elements recognizable, and how to incorporate the everyday "normal" into this fantastical world. You know from the moment the characters walk on stage, exactly who they are. So I applaud David Zinn for being able to reimagine these memorable, nostalgic characters in a way that allows them to move more freely on stage and this new environment.
When I originally heard about SpongeBob SquarePants being turned into a musical, I thought, “Seriously, are we doing that bad of a job at coming up with original content these days???” But after seeing the production photos from it, my opinion has changed a lot. Even now, after reading this article, my opinion continues to change and become more and more in favor of this show. The concept of using found objects and playing into the idea of pollution and how it would affect the beloved SpongeBob characters, in reality, is extremely thoughtful and interesting and leads to really well done, well throughout designs. I really liked the photo from Squidward’s big scene where there is what looks like a big sun behind him that’s actually made of surfboards. Little details like these makeup really great theatrical designs that audiences often appreciate more than they even are able to realize.
Fun spectacle theatre has its place and I think Spongebob the Musical fits this space very well. I liked how the production team focused on what an audience wants to see. It’s meant to be fun and energetic and it meets and exceeds those goals. It's very inspiring to see this creative team looking to stir the imagination in such a fun way. I thought the comment to educational and youth theatres to try to create their own world and not replicate the broadway one was well meaning. With a recurring theme of found object throughout the show I wonder how that will be interpreted for smaller scale productions and theatres. I also wonder if the show has a conservationist theme from the objects at the bottom of the ocean. I also had a similar experience to the previous comment about a first reaction to spongebob the musical and I honestly did not take it to seriously until I came to school and a friend whos an avid fan put on some of the music and such.
I have never seen or listened to this show, but man it looks like a wild ride. I do not think I agree with the concept of a spongebob musical honestly, but maybe I will when I eventually see it. Either way, there is no denying the talent behind this design. The production value in general is incredible, which is to be expected from a Broadway show. I love how the design itself says a lot about the waste we produce and send off to the ocean. I also think it makes it a show that could potentially be done at smaller theaters in the future which is always a wonderful discovery. I also find it pretty incredible that this person was both the scenic and costume designer for the show. That is an incredible amount of work and I think it turned out very well. It makes for an extremely cohesive design.
Post a Comment