The Westerville City Schools District is having auditions for “Spongebob the Musical“ on May 2 All students in grades 7-12 are welcome to audition.

Auditions started at 3:30 p.m. at Westerville South in the auditorium. Students went through a dance and singing audition.

On April 26, director Matt Wolfe posted interest forms that included more information about auditions.

The directors also include Cindy Straub as the choreographer and Tyler Domer as the music director.

More information about callbacks will be posted by email.

Lily Conrad (2025) is a South student auditioning for Karen in the cast. “My throat honestly is not great right now…but I’m just hoping for a callback,” Conrad said. 

Westerville North student (2026) Eliza Flores shares her experience with the dance audition. “I was really nervous at first because this is my first musical audition,” Flores said.

Maximus Iquina, a student (2024) at Central likes the attention and tries out for one of the leads. “There’s been a lot more media attention on (theatre),” Iquina said.

Jeannette Moriak, a North student (2026) auditions with community in mind. “I’m excited to do it with all my friends,”Moriak said. 

Westerville South student (2027) Evelyn Piamonte has a lengthy theater resume with middle school experience, plus five shows in high school. “Theater is my second home,”Piamonte said.  

Callbacks will be held at Westerville South in the auditorium on May 6 at 3:30 p.m., along with makeup auditions for students at 2:30 p.m. the same day.

Director Matt Wolfe sent an email Friday, giving the list of students called back to audition for certain roles.

At callbacks, students will sing and read monologues for the characters they were called back for.

Roughly 30 students were called back out of nearly 50 who auditioned.

More information about callbacks will be available on May 6, followed by the cast list posted on May 8. 

Rehearsals are planned to begin May 28 and the show is July 18 through 21 at Westerville North. 

The stakes are high as students compete against their friends and those from other schools for 14 named roles.

“I love this time of year because I see everyone in their pockets of friends and they are trying to guess and decide who is going to do what,” Wolfe said. “When we do callbacks and we’re together, then we get to mix the voices and schools and that’s when the competition part for me starts.”

About 75 students auditioned and the cast will be about 45.

The lead, Spongebob, is down to four final people, one of whom is a girl.

Crew interviews are also being held the same day, which will give time for students to mingle and see who they might get to work with for the show.

Matt Wolfe says, “I am looking really forward to this show, I think it is gonna be a great opportunity for the community to come together to bring your whole family and not only to bring the high schools together in a show that is fun and sort of light[-hearted], but also something that has a really great message about chosen family.”

UPDATE: 5/16/24 – Evelyn Piamonte’s experience was incorrectly attributed to middle school only.