Bringing Bikini Bottom to the RiverFront: SMTA Making Waves With SpongeBob The Musical

June 25th, 2025

The Summer Musical Theatre Academy (SMTA) is entering its fourth season with its upcoming production of SpongeBob The Musical. SMTA is a tuition-free training program for high school musical theatre artists in Omaha, designed to enhance their craft and provide exposure to an industry-level theatre experience. Students involved in SMTA receive training from industry professionals and University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) faculty as they produce a full-length musical in just four weeks.

This year marks a new chapter for SMTA, as it welcomes its new managing director, Curtis Reynolds. Reynolds, an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at UNO, says, “As someone who grew up in rural Nebraska and did not have access to this type of high-quality program, I think my number one mission is making sure all of the students have a positive experience.”

Taking over from SMTA founder Hal France, Reynolds aims to build upon the program’s strong foundation. This year’s production will not only feature high school performers and technicians, but it also introduces the inclusion of a high school band. This show is a particularly unique opportunity for the student musicians, as each song in the SpongeBob The Musical score was actually written by a different artist. “There really is a type of music for everyone in this show,” Reynolds says.

SMTA is also special in that it is one of the few programs that performs at the Gene Leahy Mall RiverFront stage. Last year, it was the highest-attended event on the RiverFront, making it a momentous occasion for both performers and the community. Reynolds concludes, “[I want to] plant the seeds of a lifelong relationship with theatre [for these students], even if they don’t make it their career.”

SpongeBob The Musical will be performed at the Weber Fine Arts Building from June 27–29, with a special performance open to the community at the Gene Leahy Mall on July 1. More information can be found at UNO Theatre SMTA on Facebook and Instagram.