Squidward Sings!

Now a veteran performer on the NASH stage, junior Evan Wilson will play the iconic SpongeBob character in this year’s spring musical.

Kat Klinefelter, Multimedia Editor

I met Evan Wilson in middle school when we were in The Lion King JR. together. Since then, we have become close friends and have participated in several other musicals together. As a fun way to test my knowledge of Evan’s life, I tried to predict his answers.

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Can you talk about the shift from being an athlete and to becoming very involved within the musical? What was this change like? What did you have to learn, and what do you miss about swimming and baseball?

It was a very scary kind of shift because people look at the two as different worlds. We have that whole High School Musical thing where you have athletes against theater kids, so it was definitely a set outside my comfort zone, but it was just something that I stumbled into and then really enjoyed. I definitely had to learn a different skill set. When it comes to theater, you’re now a part of a team of 60 people instead of just like nine guys, so everyone is able to be involved in different ways. I had to learn that success comes in many different ways and colors. It’s a really valuable life lesson to learn, but I think it’s very interesting that it came in the form of singing and dancing and being weird with people.

I thought your answer was going to be about how you overcame obstacles through musical theater.

That’s not what you asked! Anyway, I didn’t answer what I miss about swimming. I definitely miss swimming more than I miss baseball. I really got bored of baseball and I was just doing it because it was just what I had been doing, but I really miss swimming. I miss showing up every day with an opportunity to numerically be better than you were yesterday. It was really fun to show up every day and have a number assigned to that day. For example, I did it in 45 seconds one day, and then I’d show up the next day and do it in 44.8 seconds. I think that competition against yourself was super fun. 

What are your musical dream roles?

Jack Kelly, Nick Bottom, and Don Lockwood, which is not a name I would have expected.

I predicted your answer would be Jack Kelly from Newsies, Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain, and Nick Bottom in Something Rotten! But moving on, what has been your favorite NA musical to have been part of?

The Drowsy Chaperone.

Who is your celebrity-look-alike?

There’s the right answer and then the answer that I accept. The right answer is Fix-It Felix, Jr., but I will accept Andrew Keenan-Bolger. I’m not disputing the fact that I look like Fix-It Felix, Jr., but I refuse to accept that that is the look-alike. It can be a look-alike, but the fact that my celebrity look alike is Fix It Felix Junior doesn’t fly with me.

I forgot about Fix-It Felix, Jr. I would have said Captain America and Andrew Keenan-Bolger.

I don’t look like Chris Evans, though. 

What is your biggest pet peeve?

People who don’t keep their word.

I thought you’d say lateness.

Ooh! That’s another good one! I hate when people are late. Yeah, no, you’re right, but a close second is when people don’t keep their word. 

What is your beef with neckties? Why are bow ties better?

Okay, ties get in the way of everything. You’re bending over and you’re like, “Whoops, it’s in the food now.” And then it gets caught in whatever and it’s just flopping around. Bowties are just nice. They don’t flop around. They don’t choke you out. They don’t get caught on anything. They’re just better in every conceivable way. 

You could have just said, “Ties are just stupid. They just are.”

Ties are stupid. They’re a scam. 

Are you a dog or cat person?

Not only am I a dog person — I sincerely hate cats.

I thought up a very long paragraph about it.

Oh, do share.

You LOVE dogs. You’re allergic to dogs but you don’t care. You love them. You plan on getting a Bernese Mountain Dog and naming it Moose. It’s so big and fluffy. After that dog, you want a golden retriever and you’re naming it Cooper. That one has a story about it. When you were a kid, your first “dog” was a Golden Retriever stuffed animal your dad bought you. You named it Cooper. Then, you want a sheep dog. No reason why. You just do.

I want a sheepdog named…?

I don’t remember…

Morris. Because dogs are so fluffy!

But changing subjects, describe your dream car.

70s Cobra. Mustang Cobra. Or literally anything Dodge has made because they all look good.

My answer is better. A blue Hyundai Sonata named Frank because of Ol’ Blue Eyes. His full name is Frank Sonata.

Frank is a much more entertaining answer. So yeah, put that one down. That one’s the right one, it’s literally Frank Sonata. 

Who is on your lock screen and why?

Gene Kelly is on my lock screen because he’s wonderful and I want to be him.

This next part was asked to be included by our friend Spencer: Why is it not me?

Why would it be you?

Because the picture of us at Newsies is my lockscreen.

That’s a choice you made. Mine is Gene Kelly from Singin’ In the Rain and he’s leaning on a light post in the rain because that’s what the movie’s called. It’s in black and white because it looks really nice.

Why Gene Kelly, though?

I just really like his style. Everyone has their celebrity heroes right? Mine is Gene Kelly. I just really like how he sings and dances. After Drowsy the one and only Jill Bradley said I reminded her of Gene Kelly, and that’s the best compliment I have ever received. She came up to me and said, “You dance like Gene Kelly.” I love Gene Kelly. Everything he touches turns to gold. Musical, theatrical gold.