It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman
Encyclopedia
It's A Bird... It's A Plane... It's Superman is a musical with music by Charles Strouse
and lyrics
by Lee Adams
, with a book by David Newman
and Robert Benton
. It is based on the comic book character Superman
created by Jerry Siegel
and Joe Shuster
and published by DC Comics
.
-losing scientist who seeks to avenge the scientific world's dismissal of his brilliance by attempting to destroy the world's symbol of good. Additionally, Superman comes into romantic conflict with Max Mencken, a columnist for the Daily Planet
newspaper, who resents Lois Lane
's attraction to Superman.
at the Alvin Theatre on March 29, 1966. Directed by Harold Prince with choreography by Ernest Flatt, it starred Jack Cassidy
, Bob Holiday
as Clark Kent
and Superman
, Patricia Marand
as Lois Lane
, and Linda Lavin
as Sydney. The production received generally positive reviews, but it failed to catch on with the theater-going public and closed on July 17, 1966 after 129 performances. The musical received three Tony Award
nominations, for Best Actor in a Musical (Cassidy), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Michael O'Sullivan, playing the main villain), and Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Marand). One of the songs from the score, "You've Got Possibilities" (introduced by Lavin), had some success outside the show as a nightclub and cabaret standard.
Two revivals were staged the very next year. Both the St. Louis Municipal Opera and the Kansas City Starlight Theatre re-staged the show, and Bob Holiday played Superman in both productions. Each was an open air venue, requiring the use of a large crane to facilitate Superman's flights. Other well-known names in these two productions were Karen Morrow
as Sydney and Charles Nelson Reilly
as Dr. Sedgwick.
The show was again produced at the Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam
, Connecticut
, from June 1992 through July 3, 1992, with Gary Jackson (as Superman), Jamie Ross, Veanne Cox
and Gabriel Barre.
On May 14, 2007, the Reprise! Marvelous Musical Mondays program in Los Angeles
presented a concert version of the musical. The cast featured Cheyenne Jackson
as Superman, Jean Louisa Kelly
as Lois Lane, Richard Kind
as Dr. Sedgwick, Patrick Cassidy
in his father's old role of Max Mencken, and composer Charles Strouse
in a special appearance as Perry White. From June 15–17, 2007, the musical was presented in concert by the York Theatre
's Musicals at MUFTI series in New York City
, with Jackson, Kelly, and Strouse reprising their roles from the Los Angeles concert. Others in the cast included Lea DeLaria
as Dr. Sedgwick, Shoshana Bean
as Sydney, and David Rasche
as Max Mencken. Bob Holiday, the original Broadway Superman, attended the June 16 matinee.
From June 18 to July 25, 2010, the Dallas Theater Center
presented a revised version of It's a Bird..., starring Matt Cavenaugh
in the dual role of Superman/Clark Kent, Zakiya Young as Lois Lane, Patrick Cassidy as Max Mencken, and Cavenaugh's real life wife Jenny Powers
as Sydney Sharp. (Mr. Cassidy developed laryngitis during the run of the show, and choreographer Joel Ferrell took over the role until Mr. Cassidy recovered.) The new book for the show was written by playwright and comic book writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
. Kevin Moriarty, the Dallas Theater's artistic director, believed that the show's campy, pop art
-inflected book had "not dated well," and approached Charles Strouse in 2008 for permission to revise the musical. Strouse acquiesced, and Moriarty hired Aguirre-Sacasa, a "lifelong fan" of the musical. Aguirre-Sacasa moved the musical's setting to 1939, and made the show's primary focus the "love triangle" between Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Superman. Songs were cut, new songs commissioned, the order of songs changed, In November 2009, Moriarty and Aguirre-Sacasa held a private reading of the revised book with the show's surviving creators, Strouse, Adams, and Benton.
Still photos can be seen in the documentary Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman
, as well as footage from the TV version.
"It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman" was made into a TV special on February 1, 1975. The show was significantly shortened, and the ethnicity of a troupe of evildoers was changed from Chinese acrobats to Mafia-style gangsters. The show was broadcast on the ABC
network under its Wide World of Entertainment late-night umbrella title to poor critical reception. It starred David Wilson
as Superman/Clark Kent, Lesley Ann Warren
as Lois Lane, Loretta Swit
as Sydney Carlton, David Wayne
as Dr. Abner Sedgwick, and Kenneth Mars
as Max Mencken. Viewers of this re-make felt that the TV production lacked the energy of the original Broadway show.
Act II
Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse is an American composer and lyricist.-Life and career:Strouse was born and raised in New York City, the son of Ira and Ethel Strouse...
and lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
by Lee Adams
Lee Adams
Lee Richard Adams is an American lyricist best known for his musical theatre collaboration with Charles Strouse.Born in Mansfield, Ohio, Adams received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University and a Master's from Columbia University.Adams won Tony Awards in 1961 for Bye Bye Birdie...
, with a book by David Newman
David Newman (filmmaker)
David Newman was an American filmmaker. From the late 1960s through the early 1980s he frequently collaborated with Robert Benton. He was married to fellow writer Leslie Newman, with whom he had two children, until the time of his death...
and Robert Benton
Robert Benton
Robert Douglas Benton is an American screenwriter and film director.Benton was born in Waxahachie, Texas, the son of Dorothy and Ellery Douglass Benton, a telephone company employee. He attended the University of Texas and Columbia University. Benton has won numerous awards for both writing and...
. It is based on the comic book character Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
created by Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
and Joe Shuster
Joe Shuster
Joseph "Joe" Shuster was a Canadian-born American comic book artist. He was best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with writer Jerry Siegel, first published in Action Comics #1...
and published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
.
Synopsis
The plot revolves around Superman's efforts to defeat Dr. Abner Sedgwick, a ten-time Nobel PrizeNobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
-losing scientist who seeks to avenge the scientific world's dismissal of his brilliance by attempting to destroy the world's symbol of good. Additionally, Superman comes into romantic conflict with Max Mencken, a columnist for the Daily Planet
Daily Planet
The Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper in the , appearing mostly in the stories of Superman. The building's original features were based upon the AT&T Huron Road Building in Cleveland, Ohio...
newspaper, who resents Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
's attraction to Superman.
Production history
The musical opened on BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
at the Alvin Theatre on March 29, 1966. Directed by Harold Prince with choreography by Ernest Flatt, it starred Jack Cassidy
Jack Cassidy
John Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy was an American actor of stage, film and screen.His frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay...
, Bob Holiday
Bob Holiday
Bob Holiday played Superman in the 1966 Broadway musical "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman!" Despite excellent reviews, the show closed after 129 performances....
as Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
and Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, Patricia Marand
Patricia Marand
Patricia Marand was an American actress. She was nominated for a 1966 Tony Award for her part as Lois Lane in the musical "It's a Bird ... It's a Plane ... It's Superman". She also appeared in the 1952 musical Wish You Were Here. She was a regular on The Merv Griffin Show.Marand died at the age of...
as Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
, and Linda Lavin
Linda Lavin
Linda Lavin is an American singer and actress. She is best known for playing the title character in the sitcom Alice and for her Broadway performances.After acting as a child, Lavin joined the Compass Players in the late 1950s...
as Sydney. The production received generally positive reviews, but it failed to catch on with the theater-going public and closed on July 17, 1966 after 129 performances. The musical received three Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nominations, for Best Actor in a Musical (Cassidy), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Michael O'Sullivan, playing the main villain), and Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Marand). One of the songs from the score, "You've Got Possibilities" (introduced by Lavin), had some success outside the show as a nightclub and cabaret standard.
Two revivals were staged the very next year. Both the St. Louis Municipal Opera and the Kansas City Starlight Theatre re-staged the show, and Bob Holiday played Superman in both productions. Each was an open air venue, requiring the use of a large crane to facilitate Superman's flights. Other well-known names in these two productions were Karen Morrow
Karen Morrow
Karen Morrow is an American singer – actress best known for her work in musical theater. Her honors include an Emmy Award and a Theatre World Award, and an Ovation Award and five Drama-Logue Award nominations....
as Sydney and Charles Nelson Reilly
Charles Nelson Reilly
Charles Nelson Reilly was an American actor, comedian, director and drama teacher known for his comedic roles in theater, movies, children's television, animated cartoons, and as a panelist on the game show Match Game....
as Dr. Sedgwick.
The show was again produced at the Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam
East Haddam, Connecticut
East Haddam is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,333 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, from June 1992 through July 3, 1992, with Gary Jackson (as Superman), Jamie Ross, Veanne Cox
Veanne Cox
Veanne Cox is an American stage and screen actress and former ballet dancer.Cox was born in Norfolk, Virginia. She studied ballet at the Washington School of Ballet, acting at the Studio Theatre's Conservatory in Washington, D.C., and voice at Catholic University.Her Broadway debut was in the...
and Gabriel Barre.
On May 14, 2007, the Reprise! Marvelous Musical Mondays program in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
presented a concert version of the musical. The cast featured Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson is an American actor and singer. He started in regional theater when he moved to Seattle, and after moving to New York City, made his 2002 Broadway theatre debut understudying both male leads in the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie...
as Superman, Jean Louisa Kelly
Jean Louisa Kelly
Jean Louisa Kelly is an American actress and singer. She is perhaps best known for her long-running role as Kim Warner on the television sitcom Yes, Dear.-Career:...
as Lois Lane, Richard Kind
Richard Kind
Richard John Kind is an American actor known for his roles in the sitcoms Mad About You and Spin City .- Early life :...
as Dr. Sedgwick, Patrick Cassidy
Patrick Cassidy (actor)
Patrick Cassidy is an American actor best known for his roles in musical theatre and television.-Personal life:...
in his father's old role of Max Mencken, and composer Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse is an American composer and lyricist.-Life and career:Strouse was born and raised in New York City, the son of Ira and Ethel Strouse...
in a special appearance as Perry White. From June 15–17, 2007, the musical was presented in concert by the York Theatre
York Theatre
The York Theatre is an Off-Broadway theatre at 619 Lexington Avenue at the corner of 54th Street in the East Midtown section of Manhattan, New York City. It is dedicated to the production of new musicals and concert productions of forgotten musicals from the past. Each season consists of three or...
's Musicals at MUFTI series in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, with Jackson, Kelly, and Strouse reprising their roles from the Los Angeles concert. Others in the cast included Lea DeLaria
Lea DeLaria
Lea DeLaria is an American comedienne, actress, and jazz musician. The "famously controversial" DeLaria was "the first openly gay comic to break the late-night talk-show barrier" with her 1993 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show....
as Dr. Sedgwick, Shoshana Bean
Shoshana Bean
Shoshana Elise Bean is an American stage actress and singer known for her roles in Broadway musicals. She is best known for playing Elphaba on Broadway in the musical Wicked.-Early life and education:...
as Sydney, and David Rasche
David Rasche
-Early life and career:Rasche was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His father was a minister and farmer. Rasche started in theatre, but also has appeared on numerous movies and television series. He became a member of the Chicago Second City, after John Belushi moved on to Saturday Night Live...
as Max Mencken. Bob Holiday, the original Broadway Superman, attended the June 16 matinee.
From June 18 to July 25, 2010, the Dallas Theater Center
Dallas Theater Center
The Dallas Theater Center is a major regional theater in Dallas, Texas . It produces classic, contemporary and new plays. The theater was based in the Kalita Humphreys Theater, a building designed by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, from 1959 to 2009...
presented a revised version of It's a Bird..., starring Matt Cavenaugh
Matt Cavenaugh
Matt Cavenaugh is an American stage, film, and television actor. He graduated from Ithaca College with a BFA in 2001. Cavenaugh's film debut was in Little Monsters as a child actor, and has more recently played starring roles on Broadway and Off Broadway...
in the dual role of Superman/Clark Kent, Zakiya Young as Lois Lane, Patrick Cassidy as Max Mencken, and Cavenaugh's real life wife Jenny Powers
Jenny Powers
Jennifer Diane Powers is an American actress, singer, and beauty pageant contestant. She won the title of Miss Illinois in 2000, and has had major roles in Broadway productions such as Little Women and Grease....
as Sydney Sharp. (Mr. Cassidy developed laryngitis during the run of the show, and choreographer Joel Ferrell took over the role until Mr. Cassidy recovered.) The new book for the show was written by playwright and comic book writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is an American playwright, screenwriter and comic-book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics and for the HBO drama series Big Love.-Biography:...
. Kevin Moriarty, the Dallas Theater's artistic director, believed that the show's campy, pop art
Pop art
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
-inflected book had "not dated well," and approached Charles Strouse in 2008 for permission to revise the musical. Strouse acquiesced, and Moriarty hired Aguirre-Sacasa, a "lifelong fan" of the musical. Aguirre-Sacasa moved the musical's setting to 1939, and made the show's primary focus the "love triangle" between Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Superman. Songs were cut, new songs commissioned, the order of songs changed, In November 2009, Moriarty and Aguirre-Sacasa held a private reading of the revised book with the show's surviving creators, Strouse, Adams, and Benton.
Still photos can be seen in the documentary Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman
Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman
Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman is a documentary film from executive producers Bryan Singer and Kevin Burns which details the history of the Superman franchise, from comic book, to television, to the big screen...
, as well as footage from the TV version.
TV special
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
network under its Wide World of Entertainment late-night umbrella title to poor critical reception. It starred David Wilson
David Wilson (actor)
David Patrick Wilson is an American actor and director, probably best known for playing Superman in the 1975 TV musical special It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman! an adaptation of the 1966 Broadway musical....
as Superman/Clark Kent, Lesley Ann Warren
Lesley Ann Warren
Lesley Ann Warren is an American actress and singer. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Emmy Awards and five times for Golden Globe, winning one....
as Lois Lane, Loretta Swit
Loretta Swit
Loretta Swit is an American stage and television actress known for her character roles. Swit is best-known for her portrayal of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H.-Early life:...
as Sydney Carlton, David Wayne
David Wayne
David Wayne was an American actor with a career spanning nearly 50 years.-Early life and career:...
as Dr. Abner Sedgwick, and Kenneth Mars
Kenneth Mars
Kenneth Mars was an American television, movie, and voice actor. He may be best-remembered for his roles in several Mel Brooks films: the insane Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind in 1968's The Producers, and the relentless Police Inspector Hans Wilhelm Fredrich Kemp in 1974's Young Frankenstein...
as Max Mencken. Viewers of this re-make felt that the TV production lacked the energy of the original Broadway show.
Original Broadway cast
- Max Mencken – Jack CassidyJack CassidyJohn Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy was an American actor of stage, film and screen.His frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay...
- Jim Morgan – Don ChastainDon ChastainDon Chastain was an American actor and screenwriter.He worked in television in Los Angeles and New York and toured the United States and Canada with major productions...
- SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
/Clark KentClark KentClark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
– Bob HolidayBob HolidayBob Holiday played Superman in the 1966 Broadway musical "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman!" Despite excellent reviews, the show closed after 129 performances.... - Lois LaneLois LaneLois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
– Patricia MarandPatricia MarandPatricia Marand was an American actress. She was nominated for a 1966 Tony Award for her part as Lois Lane in the musical "It's a Bird ... It's a Plane ... It's Superman". She also appeared in the 1952 musical Wish You Were Here. She was a regular on The Merv Griffin Show.Marand died at the age of... - Perry WhitePerry WhitePerry White is a fictional character who appears in the Superman comics. White is the Editor-in-Chief of the Metropolis newspaper the Daily Planet.White maintains very high ethical and journalistic standards...
– Eric Mason - Sydney Sharp – Linda LavinLinda LavinLinda Lavin is an American singer and actress. She is best known for playing the title character in the sitcom Alice and for her Broadway performances.After acting as a child, Lavin joined the Compass Players in the late 1950s...
- Dr. Abner Sedgwick – Michael O'Sullivan
- Father Ling – Jerry Fujikawa
- Suspect #2 – Dick MillerDick MillerRichard "Dick" Miller is an American character actor who has appeared in over 100 films, particularly those produced by Roger Corman, and later in films of directors who started their careers with Corman, including James Cameron and Joe Dante, with the distinction of appearing in every film made...
Musical numbers
Act I- "Overture" - Orchestra, Superman, Lois
- "Doing Good" - Superman
- "We Need Him" - Company, Lois, Max, Superman
- "It's Superman" - Lois
- "We Don't Matter at All" - Jim, Lois
- "Revenge" - Dr. Sedgwick
- "The Woman for the Man" - Max, Lois
- "You've Got Possibilities" - Sydney
- "What I've Always Wanted" - Lois
- "Everything's Easy When You Know How" - The Flying Lings
- "Revenge" (reprise) - Dr. Sedgwick
- "It's Super Nice" - Company
Act II
- "Entr'acte" - Orchestra
- "So Long Big Guy" - Max
- "The Strongest Man in the World" - Superman
- "Ooh, Do You Love You?" - Sydney
- "You've Got What I Need" - Dr. Sedgwick, Max
- "It's Superman (reprise)" - Lois, Superman, Sydney, Max, The Flying Lings, Jim, Company
- "I'm Not Finished Yet" - Lois
- "Pow! Bam! Zonk!" - Superman, The Flying Lings
- "Finale" - Company
Other media
Two of the songs have become notable outside of the musical. One, an instrumental version of the song "It's Superman" was used as the introductory music for all the newscasts on WTOP-TV/WDVM-TV (Channel 9, now WUSA-TV) in Washington, DC, from 1970 until 1982. The song "You've Got Possibilities" from the musical was featured in a 2005 TV commercial for Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits.External links
- APPLAUSE! Musicals in Concert for the 1975 TV production
- Lyrics
- Bob Holiday's Web Site