Low male voice repertoire in contemporary musical theatre: a studio and performance guide of selected songs 1996-2020 by

Musical 
Music Lyrics 
Range 
Tessitura 
SpongeBob SquarePants, The 
Broadway Musical (2017) 
David Bowie 
Brian Eno 
N/A E
2
– E
3
E
2
– B
3
with 
pre-chorus
Verse - L
Pre-chorus - ML
Musical Theatre Style 
Song Type/Feel 
Tempo/Time 
Rock/Pop 
Alt. Rock 
56bpm, rubato 
Vocalism 
Breathy 
Speech-like 
Character 
Belt 
Legit 
Operatic 
Sources: Data adapted from Kelvin Moon Loh, “No Control,” track 3 on SpongeBob SquarePants, The New Musical 
(Original Cast Recording), Sony Music Entertainment, 2017, Amazon Music streaming audio, 
https://music.amazon.com/albums/B074TPFV7M?trackAsin=B074TXS4L3&ref=dm_sh_4fab-5377-dmcp-dfb7-
39a8d&musicTerritory=US&marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER; “SpongeBob SquarePants, The Broadway 
Musical,” Playbill Inc., access Jan 10, 2020, http://www.playbill.com/production/the-spongebob-musical-palace-
theatre-2017-2018. 
Plot 
Based on the Nickelodeon series, this musical follows SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy as they try 
to save the town from volcanic destruction. The conflict tests their resolve as they face resistance from 
the townspeople, the villains Plankton and Karen, and themselves. In the end, the villains are discovered, 
the trio’s friendship is strengthened, and secondary characters escape impeding disaster while 
experiencing emotional growth.
25
Character and Context 
The musical opens with a breaking of the fourth wall, as characters rehearse a skit about audience 
etiquette. The exposition of the stories setting is done with voice over in the manner of a National 
Geographic documentary. SpongeBob then enters and begins the cast’s opening number about his town ( 
“Bikini Bottom Day”). We are introduced several other lead or featured roles by each of their respective 
verses, like Sandy the scientist, and Patrick the starfish. The second number in the show features 
25
The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage!, “The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage!,” December 7, 2019, 
video, 1:54:20, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts8XxxJ9-cA. 

---

45 
SpongeBob at work, yearning to be more than just a “Simple Sponge”. His number is interrupted several 
times by loud tremors, and Perch Perkins appears, live on the scene reporting to the town that the tremors 
are coming from a long dormant volcano of doom, and to start singing a portion of “No Control”.
26