Exclusive Interview: Kylie Wieand (Pearl) of Bloomfield Players' 'The Spongebob Musical'

The show must go on, no matter what...At least that's what must be going on in Pearl's head throughout the course of The Spongebob Musical. Set against the backdrop of impending disaster, this musical sees the star in the making, Mr. Krab's cheerleader daughter, decide to save Bikini Bottom from the exploding Mount Humongous in the only way possible. A Benefit concert of course! And so begins her journey through The Spongebob Musical, to bring her favorite band to Bikini Bottom, and maybe make a name for herself as well. Bloomfield Players' production of this wacky musical is currently entering its second week, and just before their premiere, we sat down and spoke with Kylie Wieand, who is bringing Pearl to life on stage!

In this exclusive interview, Kylie Wieand talks about her time in this production of The Spongebob Musical. She discusses what drew her to the role, how she's made the Pearl her own, what it's like slipping into the costume of such an icon, and what she's hoping audiences take away from the production. What is so special about the music of this show according to Wieand? How familiar was she with the musical before being cast in it? You'll have to give this interview a listen to find out!

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Episode Transcript

(00:06):
Thank you so much for joining me today, Kylie.
Yeah, thank you for having me.
How has the rehearsal process for Spongebob the musical been so far?
It's honestly, it's been a roller coaster.
We started like December, I think, and then we had two weeks off.

(00:26):
So we had like a little bit of time to rehearse and then we two weeks off and then wejumped right back into it.
And so it's been fun, like getting the process from start to finish.
Well, almost finished for what?
Three days?
and it's gonna come together perfectly.

(00:46):
So were you familiar with SpongeBob prior to being cast in it?
Not the show.
I had no clue like what happened.
I know spongebob But I was like, I don't know the story of this show.
I don't know what's gonna happen

(01:07):
I mean, so you grew up watching SpongeBob.
Yeah, I would like see it and I was like, okay, that's funny, you know.
Right.
So those who maybe aren't familiar with the show, like you said, you weren't familiar withthe show.
I wasn't familiar with the show.
What is the story of SpongeBob the musical?
And then how who are you playing and how does that character factor into the story?

(01:31):
Okay, so I play Pearl Krabs.
So I am Eugene, Mr.
Krabs' daughter.
Our cheerleader, we love her.
We're taking a little bit of a different take on her on this show.
So she'll be fun.
But the story of SpongeBob, so we follow SpongeBob.

(01:54):
Bikini bottom, everything is perfect for him.
Well, all of a sudden, like...
There's a rumble rumble rumble and this huge mountain is going to erupt Mount Humongous.
So Spongebob has to find a way to make it safe for everyone.

(02:15):
you know, there's like Sandy helps him, Patrick helps him along the way, like get to theend and save everyone.
There is a happy ending spoiler.
then
love a happy ending.
As far as how I play into it a little bit, so, you know, they have to buy this pod, if youwill, to escape.

(02:41):
That's Plankton's idea.
Well, there's no money for it, so Pearl's like, we can have a concert with her favoriteband.
So she's like, getting her favorite band to come and play and...
She's like trying to get in the band and I don't want to give away everything.

(03:06):
She's just like, she inserts her ideas, let's just say that, and she gets her ways.
Somehow, at the end of the day.
all of this happening while a volcano is getting ready to explode.
literally over bikini bottom
As I was talking with Elijah earlier about this, that seems kind of dark for such ahilarious show.

(03:30):
Right?
How does SpongeBob the musical balance the tones?
So I think it's like there is a deeper, serious meaning to it, but everything is so silly.
Like, it's SpongeBob.
It's silly, it's a joke.
Like, a yellow sponge is gonna save us, are you kidding me?

(03:52):
So I think it's just like, there is a deeper meaning to it if you really look into it, buteverything is so silly and everything is so lighthearted.
So I think the silliness just like...
stuffs the serious down.
So this music is very eclectic.
There's a lot of different artists who came into making this music and to developing it.

(04:16):
How do you feel like the music enhances the story of SpongeBob the musical and theadventures that he goes on with his friends?
So obviously I didn't know the show when I auditioned for it.
And I didn't know that it was made by a bunch of different people.
Like each song is created or helped created by someone new.

(04:37):
So there's like, Brendan Urie, there's so many more, I can't think of any right now.
But there's a lot, so there's a bunch of different like.
just different tastes and flavors to it.
So I think you get to go on this journey of like, like that's fun.

(05:00):
Like there's some rock songs in there, but there was also some like hip hop and it's justreally fun.
It's like each character has their own genre and I love that.
What's the genre of Pearl if you can tell me
She is very like...
alternative rock, I guess, like pop.

(05:22):
She just wants to sing.
She just wants to sing.
very much like Kylie.
I know, I'm like, if there was not a perfect character, like, that's literally me.
So for those who are watching this, Kylie and I are friends.
And she sings wherever she goes.
And it's beautiful all the time.

(05:43):
But like, so it makes sense that you'd be playing a character that just wants to sing andbe engaged in the art.
wants to be validated, like that's me.
Okay.
Um, not the validation part, but you, you, you get such a joy out of singing and out of,out of adding your voice to something special.
You know, we got to see you in Beauty and the beast.

(06:05):
Um, and we're going to get to see you in shows coming up too.
I don't know if we're not yet, so I'm not going to say it, um, okay.
You're going to be in Seussical the musical.
am, Seussical .
So, I mean, there's a part of you that does love, not the validation maybe, but theperforming and being a part of something bigger.
And so like that is part of you that's in Pearl.

(06:26):
Yeah, I love that.
has this role challenged you as an actor?
so typically Pearl is a teenager.
I'm not a teenager.
So I think just like allowing my silly playful side to come out a little bit more.

(06:50):
I'm like, but dad!
Just allowing that version to come out of me a little bit more and not being so seriousabout it.
Like this is not a serious show.
I can be silly and fun and just smile.
So I that's been the hardest part for Pearl.

(07:11):
Okay.
What's been the highlight of your time on this production?
meeting all these lovely people.
Okay.
You always make friends when you do a show, but I'm like rekindling friendships from likeold shows with other people and I'm like meeting new people and so I think that's the

(07:37):
biggest part about community theater is just the friendships that you create along theway.
Okay, I love that.
How do you get into the mindset of Pearl?
Like, what do you have to do?
Do you have to do anything specific?
Honestly, I watch TikTok.

(07:57):
I watch, like, Get Ready With Me's because I feel like that's Pearl.
Like, she is younger, she is...
She just wants to sing.
Like, she doesn't have a care in the world.
She wants to go shopping.
That's what she wants to do.
She wants to go shopping.
And so I'll scroll, like, just mindlessly for a little bit.

(08:22):
I don't know if I do anything else crazy.
I get a little bit of an attitude.
Just, like, bring her out, and then I step her back down.
Right, you gotta pull it out a little bit and then boom, you know?
there.
She's just a little hint of her, you know, a little bit.
So have you got to try on the costume yet?
I know you're like days away, so.

(08:43):
I have, um, it is crazy.
It's very colorful.
Um, I don't know if I can give you everything.
Like, it's colorful.
It has my favorite color.

(09:03):
It's sparkly.
It's fun.
What was that like putting that on for the first time?
It wasn't what I expected, so I've seen pictures of what Pearl wore for the Broadwayshows.
And when I first put mine on, I was like, is this who I am?
was like, do I just want to wear this every day?

(09:27):
I'm so excited to see you in it, because I just know you're...
That's like becoming part of that character, know?
Like slipping into their skin.
It's like there's a hair piece, there's rhinestones.
She's fun.
I love that.
love that.
What themes from Spongebob the musical resonate the most with you?

(09:53):
I mean the first one I can think of is friendship.
there's this song called BFF, Best Friends Forever.
I love my friends deeply.
Yeah.
Okay.

(10:15):
I love that.
I'm like, that's, well you probably hear my dog at this point, sorry.
It's okay, you're good.
So friendship.
the friendships that you make along the way and yeah, I think that's a bigger part of thestory is friendship and how you can go and you can fight but you can always come back

(10:36):
together too.
Okay, okay.
Final question for you is, what are you hoping audiences take away from this musical?
to not take life so serious.
Like, yeah, there can be some pretty serious things going on in your personal life, butyou'll always have your friends and you'll always have your family.

(11:02):
Like, know, Eugene Krabs is my father.
You'll always have your friends, you'll always have your family, and you can always justlook at the sky or look at the sun and just, it'll be fine.
Everything's gonna be fine, I promise.
Everything is going to be fine.
While it's another water show, it just keeps swimming.
There's always positives to life.

(11:23):
Just keep swimming.
Exactly.
Thank you so much for your time today, Kylie.
It's always a pleasure talking and hanging out with you.
Thank you so much, I appreciate you.
SpongeBob the musical runs from March 7th through the 16th at the Bloomfield PlayersCommunity Theater.
So get your tickets now and we'll see you there.

(11:44):
Bye.