“SpongeBob SquarePants” will end its run on Sept. 16 due to previously planned renovations at the Palace Theatre, according to the press release.
Upon closing, “SpongeBob” will have played 327 regular performances and 20 previews. “SpongeBob” will launch a North American tour in fall 2019 and will be available for school and youth group licensing in early 2019 with professional licensing planned for the future.
“Our bold reimagining of ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ as a musical has been embraced by SpongeBob fans and theatre-goers alike, who experienced the wondrous life in Bikini Bottom first-hand during the Broadway engagement in New York City,” Susan Vargo, executive producer of ‘SpongeBob’ said in the press release.
Renovations at the Palace Theatre have been in the works for several years, involving a plan to lift up the theater above street level and put retail shops underneath.
“SpongeBob” opened at the Palace Theatre on Dec. 4, 2017. The musical was nominated for 12 Tony Awards last season and won for Best Scenic Design of a Musical.
The musical has seen peaks and valleys in its attendance and grosses, reaching a high of $1.46 million in the week ended Dec. 31, 2017, and most recently bringing in $937,090 for the week ended July 1, 2018.
