For all you simpletons who said Spongebob Squarepants was lame, let me tell you, revenge is oh. so. sweet.
The Bob himself is headed to Broadway where he'll star as the subject of his very own musical, aptly titled, "Spongebob Squarepants! The Musical." And that's not all. Glam rocker (and potentially the coolest person alive) David Bowie will be writing some of the music.
Bowie. Spongebob. Music. Magic. Picture it. Just picture it.
Priscilla Frank
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The musical, directed and co-created by Tina Landau with a book by Kyle Jarrow and music supervision by Tom Kitt, is slated to show at Chicago’s Oriental Theatre from June 7 to July 3, 2016, before heading to Broadway for the 2016-2017 season.
And that's still not all! Bowie is not the only first rate musical force signed on to tell the age old tale of a sponge living in a pineapple under the sea. The Dirty Projectors, the Flaming Lips, John Legend, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s and They Might Be Giants are some of the other big deals on board.
Who's laughing now, Spongebob haters? Who is laughing now???
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Artifacts from David Bowie's early years on display, including a replica of the plastic Grafton alto saxophone his mother gave him for Christmas in 1961. Geoffrey Marsh, co-curator of "David Bowie Is" at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, said the actual saxophone was the only item they requested from Bowie's massive archive that they were not given, due to its fragility.
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More early artifacts -- from before Bowie became Bowie -- include a pencil sketch Bowie did of his mother (right) and an early school photo (center).
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Neon sign in the MCA Chicago's fourth floor, introducing "David Bowie Is..."
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Bowie paid close attention to his on-stage wardrobe from the very start of his musical career, playing in bands including the Kon-rads (which he formed at the age of 15 in 1962), the King Bees and the Riot Squad.
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A photo of a young Bowie (center) accompanies some of the artist's earliest releases as Bowie, after he changed his name to distinguish himself from the Monkees' Davy Jones in 1965. At right, his self-titled debut album, released in 1967.
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Bowie's meeting of dancer and mime artist Lindsey Kemp in 1967 proved instrumental for his career's theatrical, often character-driven trajectory. He took classes from Kemp and created mime performance pieces, including "The Mask," which is featured in the exhibition.
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Bowie's first commercial hit, "Space Oddity," was released in 1969. Bowie was reportedly inspired by the feelings of isolation in the Stanley Kubrick film "2001: A Space Odyssey."
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A "Hunky Dory" promotion photo from 1971 where Bowie was styled to look like the early 20th century British occultist, poet and painter Aleister Crowley.
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Bowie's performance of "Starman" on BBC One's Top of the Pops in 1972 cemented his new Ziggy Stardust persona. The iconic jumpsuit, designed by Freddie Burretti, he wore for that performance is on display. Another Kubrick film, "A Clockwork Orange," inspired this look.
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The green and white suit Bowie wore on the cover of "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust" (which was later tinted turquoise for the cover art).
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A promotional poster showing a cartoon Bowie as Ziggy Stardust.
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The slender blue suit worn for Bowie's "Life on Mars?" 1972 video. Bowie reportedly had a 26-inch waist at the time.
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Bowie wore his famous leotard-style "Woodland Creatures" garment for a show at London's Rainbow Theatre in 1972.
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Handwritten lyrics to "Ziggy Stardust" in 1972.
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After Ziggy came the "Aladdin Sane" album (1973) and tour. This cloak covered in kanji characters was worn on the tour.
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"Tokyo Pop" vinyl bodysuit from 1973 that Japanese designer Kansai Yamamoto created for Bowie.
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A costume, designed by Kensai Yamamoto, from Bowie's Aladdin Sane era.
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A cobweb costume designed by Natasha Korniloff that Bowie wore for a television appearance in 1973. The show's producers reportedly ordered a third fake hand over Bowie's crotch be removed from the design prior to the show's airing.
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Bowie's notes for his makeup during the "Diamond Dogs" era.
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Handwritten lyrics to "Rebel Rebel," the first single off "Diamond Dogs."
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After Bowie moved to the U.S. in 1974, living for a time in New York City, came "Diamond Dogs," an album inspired by George Orwell's "1984" and ideas of a musical based in a post-apocalyptic city. A set model for the "Diamond Dogs" tour.
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Bowie's "black-and-white" era --corresponding with the release of the "Station to Station" album (1976) -- is depicted with a range of variations on the black and white suit.
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In 1976, Bowie starred in his first feature film, "The Man Who Fell to Earth." At right, a manipulated film still.
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The clown costume from Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes."
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Bowie created these paintings after he moved to West Berlin in the late '70s.
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At left, handwritten lyrics to "Fashion," the second single off 1980's "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)."
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Bowie starred in "The Elephant Man" in Chicago and later on Broadway in 1980.
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In 1986, Bowie's film work continued with another high-profile role as Jareth the Goblin King in Jim Henson's "Labyrinth." Here is the crystal ball that belonged to Jareth.
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Alexander McQueen's Union Jack coat creation for Bowie (right). The coat was worn on the cover of Bowie's 1997 "Earthlings" album.
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The capstone of the show is the final room, which features an immersive array of live Bowie performances spanning 1973 to 2004, and an impressive display of more of the artist's iconic fashions.
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A retrospective of Bowie's album covers through the years.