Music : It's A Bird ... It's A Plane ... It's Superman (1966 Original Broadway Cast)

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Rating:

- A Gem of a Flop
There are so many things that could have made this musical really good. Too bad none of them happened! If you love farce, you'll HAVE to love this one.

Rating:

- Interesting Legacy Of A Broadway Misfire
Because the book writers for this 1966 flop musical (only 129 performances) also co-wrote the Christopher Reeve movies, some like composer Charles Strouse have suggested that the idea was ahead of its time. Actually what this fails to take into account is that what made the Reeve movies a success were the elements that were totally lacking in the musical. The gritty straightforwardness of Superman's origins, and more importantly the faithful depiction of many Superman characters that the show also jettisoned (Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olson and the all but invisible in the show Perry White). The only element of the Broadway show that really made it into the film was the depiction of Clark Kent as a bumbling Harold Lloyd type. It's rather telling that when the Newmans became sole screenwriters for "Superman 3" the series tanked for all intents and purposes.

Back to the musical. There are some good songs, especially "It's Superman" and "You've Got Possibilities" but overall it's not one of Strouse's best. Also, the libretto suffers from serious structural problems, particularly in making Max Menken (Jack Cassidy) the centerpiece. If the show isn't first and foremost about Superman then you're ultimately cheating the audience. In addition, there is a very intrusive and pointless subplot of Lois becoming romantically involved with the villainous Dr. Sedgwick's assistant (note to the listener of the CD. This key subplot is totally missed in the liner notes making them very unreliable in terms of understanding the songs if one hasn't seen the show). All in all, Superman the musical seems to come off like an evening of fun but lacking the all important sense of understanding the character's background and the whole Superman mythos.

The bonus tracks of cut songs from an Adams and Strouse demo record are interesting not just for what they are but for what they tell us about how theater people sometimes haven't a clue as to the mindsets of their audience. The first song "Dot, Dot, Dot" meant for Max as a showstopping number that was also their send-up of Walter Winchell had to be cut after the first preview because it got no reaction whatsoever to everyone's shock. Actually listening to it it's easy to see why the audience didn't laugh or react because it is loaded with show biz inside jokes, naming people the average ticket buyer wouldn't have a clue about (case in point, a reference to obscure film producer Jennings Lang). Strouse and Adams forgot that what goes over with your friends at a cocktail party isn't going to be understood or appreciated by the mass audience who pays to see your final results performed on stage.

The Superman musical has lived on in a weak 1975 TV version, and is apparently still a favorite for the high school and community theater crowd, but don't ever expect Broadway to give it another chance again because this cast album reveals a show that for all its charms was seriously off kilter ultimately in its focus.

Rating:

- Supes flies on the Great White Way
"Superman: The Musical?" You might claim it sounds like a bad idea. And as a life-long Superman fan, I would agree. But when I found out about this show, I rushed to find the soundtrack. Fearing what would happen to Superman without the music of John Williams. But the Man of Steel soars with the music of Strouse and Adams, the same composers of "Bye Bye Birdie." The music is delightfully simple, with no hard edges or philosophical meanings. The lyrics and melodies connote an age of innocence, a comic book culture in which simple actions offered role models and uncomplicated heroes. The CD is reasonably priced with 23 tracks, including 4 bonus tracks. The booklet comes with a synopsis of the show and pictures from the production. A must for fans of Broadway, obscure musicals, or Superman fans.

Rating:

- Not quite invulnerable, but a lot of fun!
I had heard of this, this odd joining of comics and theater, but I never expected to get to hear the actual songs for a show that fizzled a few years before I was even born. I imagine its a testament to the enduring popularity of the character that even what was perceived as a mistake at the time can be enjoyed (yes, enjoyed!) nearly forty years later.
I haven't seen the play (obviously), so I don't know the story. From the liner notes, I can tell that there was an evil scientist and a competitive columnist who teamed up to destroy Superman, and a group of Chinese acrobats who kidnap Lois Lane, but I can't quite imagine how all of it fits together. The songs, however, are mostly timeless and entertaining. Linda Lavin's performance of "You've Got Possibilities" is worth the cost of the cd. Most of Superman's dialog is two dimensional, but it is indicative of the character's development in the sixties. In fact, the only really oddball song is "It's Super Nice." It would fit in with an "Austin Powers" movie, but doesn't work here.
I recommend the cd for musical buffs and comic book geeks alike. Being both of those myself, I got a real kick out of it.

Rating:

- Superman was a great show
I was lucky enough to have seen "Superman" on Broadway and it was one of the most enjoyable times I've had in a Broaway theater. Yes, it had it's faults, but as a show that entertained an audience, it was (to use a cliche) SUPER. I left the theater smiling and humming the music. There were great flying sequences, break apart props as Superman accomplished his feats, great cheorography including the fights. There was one very funny bit during one of Clark Kent's songs, a telephone booth followed him around the stage waiting for him to get in and change to Superman. A really FUN show.

One of the biggest faults was that the starring role was NOT Superman, but that of an unscrupulous newspaper columunist. Jack Cassidy was given star billing for this part over Bob Holiday as Clark Kent/Superman. This pulled the show somewhat out of focus.Good as Cassidy was, it was wrong to emphasize his part.

Bob Holiday was wonderful in the title role. It's a shame that he didn't go on to other roles. He was every inch Superman and had a great voice and imposing presance. He was able to convincingly create two different characters - Kent and Superman - in one performance. However, the major musical numbers were given to Cassidy as the "star".

One of the true joys of the show was Linda Lavin. Her two songs were absolute show stoppers. "You've Got Possibilities" is a really great show tune. It was obvious she would be the major star she has become. Her performance alone, was a reason to see this show.

The other female lead, Patricia Marand, was also wonderful, again, she should have gone on to other Broadway shows. I did see her opposite Yul Brynner in a tour of "King and I" as Anna and she was magnificent. She is drop dead beautiful, a wonderful actress and singer.

There were many reasons "Superman" did not make it on Broadway - it should have - and for a complete run down check out Ken Mandlebaum's book on Broadway failures "Not Since Carrie".

It is wonderful to have this CD of a show that should have been a classic.

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