Crosstown Teamwork: AHS, CHS Theatre Will Combine for February Musical

The most talented theatre students in Abilene ISD will be together in one venue next February as Abilene High School and Cooper High School will combine to perform The SpongeBob Musical at the Abilene High auditorium.

With former AHS assistant theatre director Rob Taylor moving into the role of Director of Theatre Arts at Cooper over the summer, both Taylor and AHS Director of Theatre Arts Kyle Martin thought it best to combine the show. The only other time the show has been combined came in 2016 when the schools combined to perform the musical Seussical. The show was combined that year because the auditorium at Cooper was undergoing renovations.

That show was a success, both on the stage and, for two students, off the stage as well.

“From the students’ perspective, that production was a huge success and helped to bridge the two schools,” said Martin, who was the technical director at the time. “Positive relationships between the students formed, and at least one wedding came out of it.”

This year’s show is based on the Nickelodeon animated TV series, SpongeBob SquarePants and made its world premiere in June 2016 at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago. The musical opened to critical acclaim with 12 Tony Award nominations.

The AISD show will be Feb. 2-4, 2023, at the AHS auditorium.

“Musicals based on TV shows aren’t always very good, but The SpongeBob Musical surprised audiences when it opened because of how popular and well-received it was by critics,” Martin said. “I had been thinking for some time that we should try the combined musical again. This year when we were told that Mr. Taylor would be moving to Cooper, it made sense to team up since both schools were going to be down personnel. Musicals are extremely difficult and time-consuming in the best of circumstances. But Rob and I already know that we can work well together, so it seemed like the perfect time to combine our efforts again.”

Taylor agrees that combining the two theatre groups is for the best in 2023.

“I was with Kyle for two years, so I’m very comfortable with that part of it,” Taylor said. “I think this is a great way for the kids to unite and make friends and get outside of their comfort zone.”

Coordinating rehearsal times and building travel times from one campus to another into the schedule will be a challenge, but neither Martin nor Taylor is worried about figuring out those logistics.

“It’s a big task to coordinate with the faculty on both campuses, but we will work well together,” said Taylor, who said after seeing the musical on Broadway in 2018 that it’s been on his bucket list of shows to direct. “Organizing rehearsals at both schools will be a task, but we’ll do a good job communicating with each other, and we’ll be OK in that regard.”

And while the Abilene High-Cooper rivalry runs deep on the fields and courts of competition, neither director anticipates that will seep over into the theatre.

“The ‘rivalry’ doesn’t mean as much in the arts as it does in sports,” Martin said. “Sure, we compete, and we will be in the same UIL One-Act Play contest this year for the first time in eight years, but in the theatre, we try to cultivate a culture of support for our fellow students and teachers across town. We do our best to see their shows and promote the good work they do.”