Toby's Kyle Dalsimer Brings SpongeBob To Life

By Frankie Kujawa
​The gregarious laughter continues to fill the theatre at Toby’s this month as THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL runs through Sunday, July 31st in Columbia, MD. Adapted from the iconic Nickelodeon series and nominated for 12 Tony Awards, this dynamic stage musical finds SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom facing the total annihilation of their undersea world. Just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises and takes center stage. Kyle Dalsimer, who plays SpongeBob in the production, recently chatted about role.

Frankie Kujawa: In your own words, can you describe this production for our readers?
Kyle Dalsimer: I think when people first hear the idea of THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL it’s a little bit worrying to some folks.  They think, ‘Oh, it may be a kid thing,’ or the Time Square costumes and outfits.  But it’s absolutely not that. It’s this beautiful show about community and friendship.  It’s about stepping up when things get tough and being there for others. It’s a beautiful show that is really good for any age.  Yes, the kids are going to love it but so are teenagers and adults up through their elderly years. It’s a powerful show, and if the characters weren’t SpongeBob characters it would still function and being a moving piece. 

Frankie Kujawa: What do you hope to bring your version of the iconic character of SpongeBob?
Kyle Dalsimer: I want to make sure that people see SpongeBob as a real person. There is so much joy, excitement, and larger-than-life energy, but there’s also moments of doubt, there’s friendship, there’s love, there’s fear – there’s just so much there with him. So, I want people to see this guy as a real person who has feelings, and just wants to make the world a better place.  ​

Frankie Kujawa: What kind of work went into preparing for a role such as this?
Kyle Dalsimer: So, when I take on any character, I try to make sure that I do a lot of research for that role.  In this case, that meant re-watching a bunch of old episodes of SpongeBob Square Pants.  I also read a lot about the creation of the character. Watching videos of both the character and of real aquatic life in nature.  Just seeing how things move and things function.  Just really trying to think about, ‘How can I bring the idea of SpongeBob into a human body?’  Obviously, I can’t do a lot of the things that he does in the cartoon, but I can bring the idea of those things.  I might not be able to change my shape and jump around and do seven backflips, but I can do some movements with my body. I can bring that ‘idea.’ So that’s something that I spent a lot of time in preparation for – just figuring out how to embody this character that’s so iconic so when I walk out people will say, ‘Oh, that’s SpongeBob!’ 

For more information on the production, please visit: tobysdinnertheatre.com/