WHY CAN’T A SUPERHERO CATCH A BREAK?
(OR A BROADWAY RUN)

Foster Cat Productions is taking a gleeful leap off the tall building that is It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman!, the 1966 Broadway musical that dared to blend comic book heroism with musical theatre razzmatazz. The result? A full-out, knowingly ridiculous, intriguingly tuneful, and odd-as-can-be revival that — faster than a closing notice — leans into the show’s vintage absurdity with both cape and confidence. Musical Theatre aficionados will most likely never get another chance to see this, and it ends this coming weekend. When you do go, there is one burning question: With mostly favorable reviews, why did the show close after only 129 performances? Some pundits claim that the public, having just been introduced to Batman on TV, only had interest in one superhero. My guess is that — like Smash and Boop closing early this year on Broadway — a show can be quite entertaining, but some head-scratchingly loopy decisions just don’t create buzz. One of many is that Lois Lane sings “What I’ve Always Wanted,” a starry-eyed ode to domestic bliss that is antithetical to her feminist wiles.

Elliot White, Raphael Berglas and Cast

Originally penned by the dream team of Charles Strouse and Lee Adams (Bye Bye Birdie), the score may be imperfect, but it’s still better than most newer musicals. Per DC Comic’s stipulations, it couldn’t be called Superman The Musical, giving way to that unwieldy title. Also, DC would only give rights to a few characters. David Newman and Robert Benton (who’d go on to co-write the 1978 Superman film) crafted a confusing book with not one but two villains. Even with a madman blowing up a building (and nary a mention of cleaning up the mess and what one assumes are mutilated bodies), the show is less about world-saving than it is about workplace woes, romantic triangles, and the existential crisis of being super in a world that undervalues kindness. Think less Justice League, more How to Succeed in Superhero-ing Without Really Flying.

Cooper McAdoo and Cast

In addition, Strouse, who passed in May this year at 96, shows off his savvy background in musical studies by incorporating a gallimaufry of styles: jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, Broadway pizzazz, 60s pop, and more. With all those fascinating elements, however, the show only gives us one true memorable standard, “You’ve Got Possibilities,” which was introduced by Linda Lavin. Take a listen to the Original Broadway Cast album, and notice that the true star of the score is the optimistic, brass-heavy orchestrations by erstwhile big-band arranger Eddie Sauter, which is clearly not possible to replicate at the 96-seat Broadwater Theatre in Hollywood. Instead, we get Ron Barnett working like a Superdog on his synth to replicate a few of those orchestrations, aided by Randy Fox on drums.

Emily Jones and Elliot White

The plot is pure pop-art pulp: Superman (Elliot White) must foil the evil plans of Dr. Abner Sedgwick (Cooper McAdoo), a ten-time Nobel Prize-losing mad scientist bent on revenge against the scientific community. Meanwhile, as Clark Kent, he is loved by Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane (Emily Jones), who’s far more interested in Superman than the mild-mannered man behind the glasses. Add in scheming gossip columnist Max Mencken (Harry White), his occasional girlfriend and secretary Sydney (Jaley Hoyt), a gang of criminal Russian acrobats called the Flying Lynskeys (changed from the original Kung Fu henchmen, The Lings) with dialogue that would make Boris Badenov blush, and you’ve got a musical that’s more cartoon than canon — and proud of it.

Jaley Hoyt and Elliot White

As Clark Kent/Superman, Elliot White channels vintage charm with just enough winking bravado to keep things light. Whether thwarting missiles or dodging Lois Lane’s affections, he’s a delight — square-jawed, soft-spoken, and somehow managing to belt a ballad without messing up the curls in his hair. You totally buy him “Doing Good”:

It’s a satisfying feeling
When you hang up your cape
To know that you’ve averted
Murder, larceny, and rape!

Harry White and Emily Jones

The other Mr. White, Harry, has the most astoundingly distinctive vibrato in memory as Max. The show is well-cast, and the un-miked ensemble gets all those harmonies right, but there’s some caricatures played to the hilt in the mish-mash. I liked Will Fulginiti as Jim Morgan, a rather unformed character; he’s a scientist working as an assistant to Dr. Sedgwick and a potential rival for Lois Lane’s affections, but he has a song with timeless, prescient lyrics about the rat race, “We Don’t Matter at All”:

Oh sure, every hundred years or so
We come up with a Gandhi or a Michelangelo.
“Hooray! Ain’t that dandy?” we say,
Then we muck things up
In the same destructive way.

Emily Jones and Will Fulginiti

Directors Raphael Berglas and Harry White (who not only plays Max, but serves snacks at intermission!) smartly don’t try to reinvent the wheel — instead, they let the show’s datedness become a feature, not a bug. The production gleams with retro flair: pop-art sets, technicolor lighting, and costumes that look borrowed from a vintage Halloween shop in the best possible way. The movement is intentionally exaggerated, evoking a comic-strip come to life, complete with punch sound effects and freeze-frame poses.

The Cast

Is it silly? Yes. Is it satire? Not quite. But Foster Cat treats the material with a loving smirk, not a sneer, and that makes all the difference. The ensemble leans into the camp without ever mocking it, and the result is a buoyant reminder that superhero stories — even goofy musical ones — are still about hope, identity, and the weird loneliness of standing out.

The Cast

If you come looking for logic, look elsewhere. But if you’re ready to suspend disbelief, hum along to some high-flying show tunes, and watch a man in tights save the day with a tenor solo while flying, er, running offstage, It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman! might just be your kryptonite.

photos courtesy of Foster Cat

It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman!
Foster Cat Productions
Broadwater Main Stage, 1076 Lillian Way in Hollywood
Fri & Sat at 8; Sun at 3
ends on August 10, 2025
two hours with intermission
for tickets, visit Foster Cat or Plays 411

for more shows, visit Theatre in LA