It's delightful, it's delicious, it's dlevy!
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“It’s Superman” from It’s A Bird… It’s A Plane… It’s Superman! (Encores! 2013)
music Charles Strouse lyric Lee Adams
performance Jenny Powers
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If you’ve been following me for awhile, you may remember that time when I first learned that the song “It’s Superman” existed and FREAKED THE FUCK OUT, posting an audio from the OBCR and a squeeling fan boy video (not to mention a few reblogs along the way.
Though I wasn’t able to see the Encores production, a dear friend (whose chortle you will distinctly hear) was kind enough to send me a recording. And the charm and whimsy of this number transcends the primitive, iphone-in-pocket recording technology. And I love the addition of the typewriter!
The Encores! production of It’s A Bird… It’s A Plane… It’s Superman! was delightful in every way possible. IT was the most fully costumed show I can remember at Encores, with great choreography and a vibrant set. All of that is to say that listening doesn’t quite do it justice, and I wish this of all shows had been captured for television broadcast.
At the post-show talkback, Jack Viertel mentioned that they are in active discussions with one of the groups that simulcasts live performances into movie theaters, so there’s hope for the future. He mentioned that there’s been a little bit of interest in transferring this production to Broadway, but unless someone comes forward with $12 million, that’s unlikely. (And as much as I loved this show, a transfer would be a poor investment.)
Kristin Chenoweth sings “You’ve Got Possibilities” from It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman at the 2001 Encores! Bash.
this is the second time I’ve reblogged it this week I don’t even care no commas
This show is the real reason I subscribed to Encores this year.
There was an ill-conceived television adaptation of It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Superman done for late-night television in 1975 (with Leslie Ann Warren as Lois Lane and Loretta Switt as Sydney!). Here’s the entire thing. h/t Bleeding Cool.
While it will never replace Super Grover in my heart, Iron Monster is made of win.
Superman was born from the creative minds of two Jewish teens whose boyhoods were steeped in comic books and science fiction. At age 18, co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first drew the caped superhero that would capture the imagination of future generations. Academics have attributed the boys’ inspiration for Superman to the lofty pages of literature (Shaw), philosophy (Nietzsche), and religion (the Golem). But a far more likely muse, according to Reform Judaism magazine, was something much more accessible to a couple of sci-fi geeks: a real-life strongman from Poland. Keep reading …
(Image by aka Kath)
I can’t be the only person surprised to find the Utne Reader on Tumblr.
