The last splash: USU Eastern Theatre says goodbye with “SpongeBob the Musical”
As we continue to progress through the year, we find ourselves slowly moving toward the bittersweet date of the Utah State University Eastern drama department’s final performance. It’s hardly a secret that the program is being cut from the USUE campus, with this semester serving as its final one, which certainly begs the question of what they plan to do with the time they have.
Steven Nielsen will be the director of the department’s final production, SpongeBob Musical. Nielsen will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the show, putting an exclamation point on the department’s 90-plus-year history.
“I actually started off as the choreographer and then Brent Innes asked me if I would be interested in becoming the director, and there was no way I was going to say no,” said Nielsen. “It’s the last production, you know, and I was back in CEU back in 1992 when Utah State University used to be CEU, so I was like, I have to go out with it.”
Nielsen mentioned that one of his biggest goals for production was to wow the audience as much as possible. “We’re going big, we’re going bold, and so I think it’s going to be bigger and better than people are actually expecting it to be.” This is a goal shared not just by Nielsen himself, but by most of the cast and crew. The desire to make the last show something to remember seems to be a group effort, especially among the lead actors, although everyone is, of course, pitching in their fair share.
The biggest concern coming into the show, though, was the cast itself, or rather, their schedules. “It’s a cast of 30, and that includes the community, university students, high school students, and middle school students. So, the cast and the conflict in schedules were my biggest concern.” Another concern he mentioned was costume changes, with several ensemble members having to change outfits at an incredibly fast pace, which is naturally a rather big challenge, especially during a decently long show such as SpongeBob. Especially with some scene changes happening during the choreography, a hallmark of its Broadway origins.
The tech side of the production also hadn’t been entirely free of complications. With such a big production, there are naturally some major hurdles to overcome, including an entire mountain, along with the usual issues of costumes, makeup, lighting, and sound design. Like any show. Although the technical crew is taking on these challenges with eagerness and enjoyment. Once again, another sign of its Broadway heritage.
It’s not all overcoming difficulties, though; there are plenty of good moments during the show. One particular thing that wowed Nielsen was the lead actors themselves. “The Utah State University Eastern actors are phenomenal. So, when some of these songs, they sing these songs and these harmonies come out, it’s mind-blowing, it gives you goose bumps. And the representation of the characters themselves. I’m very impressed with every single lead actor on that stage,“ said Nielsen. “They’re phenomenal, they’re beyond great. They are impressive. And I mean, I’ve worked in Los Angeles television and on Broadway, so what I’m seeing in young actors, again, this is something the community should not miss.”
Regarding what he hopes to achieve with the show as a whole, there are several things. Regarding the cast and crew, he hopes to give them a professional experience they can carry forward, or at the very least be proud of later. As for what he hopes to achieve and have the audience take away, it’s rather simple. “My goal is to sell out this show every single night. We only have seven performances, and I would love to turn that into 10 or 12, so that is my goal,” Nielsen said. “I’m trying to advertise it, I’m trying to let everyone in the community, and the city, and Carbon County know, hey, this is it, you’re not getting anything from us after this. Come see what it’s all about, come see what we’re losing.”
The SpongeBob Musical will run from April 2 to April 4, then continue from April 8 to April 11. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and will be held within the Geary Event Center and will definitely be something you don’t want to miss.
