Encores: It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman
City Center
Sat, March 23, 8pm
How do you cripple the most powerful superhero of all time? Hit him where it counts – his ego. This clever supposition drives the plot of Charles Strouse and Lee Adams’ funky, 60s musical. From the groovy rhythms and meandering book, it seems clear there was some psychotropic motivation involved here. I mean, it was the 60s.
Regardless, the show retains a goofy charm and endearing honesty that makes up for its shortcomings. Sadly, the words “charm” and “honesty” are adjectives rarely used to describe shows post-2000. Not that …Superman… is by any stretch a great musical in the vein of the Golden Age classics. It’s a light-hearted trifle whose purpose is to entertain and amuse – which I don’t mean as derogatory.
Hunky Ed Watts fills out the red and blue tights nicely. He’s a sensitive Man of Steel with a full, legit baritone. Jenny Powers, as love interest Lois Lane, sounds gorgeous and deftly handles the not-quite-belt-yet-not-quite-soprano vocal demands of her material.
The supporting cast of Broadway vets are at their campy best with villains David Pittu and Will Swenson as standouts, selling their numbers with vaudevillian panache.
And that full orchestra…sigh. So sad that modern Broadway audiences are robbed of the excitement that a live orchestra (not 8 players and 2 synths) can provide.
The Roy Lichtenstein-inspired comic book-style set design is a perfect fit for the material and I loved the swinging choreography in “It’s Super Nice.”
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