It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman
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Introduction to "It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman"
"It’s a Bird... It’s a Plane... It’s Superman" premiered in London’s West End at the Duchess Theatre on December 22, 1975, running for a modest 48 performances until early 1976. With music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Lee Adams, and a book by David Newman and Robert Benton, this musical adapts the iconic DC Comics hero into a campy romp. Directed by Harold Prince for its 1966 Broadway debut, the London production was helmed by David Hummel, starring Bob Holiday as Superman. Following a hit TV airing in 1975, its brief West End stint reflected a niche appeal amid a superhero craze, leaving a quirky mark on London’s stage.
The Creative Team Behind the Show
Charles Strouse, of "Annie" fame, composed the jazzy score, paired with Lee Adams’ playful lyrics think "You’ve Got Possibilities." David Newman and Robert Benton, later Oscar-winning screenwriters, crafted the book, leaning into comic-book absurdity. Harold Prince’s original Broadway direction set the tone, with David Hummel adapting it for London. Bob Holiday, a Broadway veteran Superman, led alongside Lesley-Anne Down as Lois Lane and David Firth as villain Max Mencken. Producers David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers banked on the TV buzz, but the team’s high-flying vision struggled to soar in the West End.
A Super-Powered Showdown
Set in 1930s Metropolis, Clark Kent mild-mannered reporter and secretly Superman faces a jealous scientist, Dr. Abner Sedgwick, plotting his downfall after losing a Nobel Prize to the Man of Steel. Max Mencken, a scheming Daily Planet columnist, joins Sedgwick, framing Superman for bridge sabotage while vying for Lois Lane’s heart. Songs like "Doing Good" and "The Woman for the Man" fuel the farce, with Lois torn between Clark and his cape. Aided by acrobatic goons and a femme fatale, the villains falter as Superman triumphs, restoring order in a splashy, tongue-in-cheek finale.
Performance and Reception
Opening post-Christmas 1975, the musical rode ABC’s TV special wave, drawing fans with Holiday’s chiseled charm. Critics were lukewarm Variety called it “cheerfully goofy” but “dated” praising the score yet panning its thin plot. Audiences enjoyed the camp, but its 48-show run, after shaky Birmingham tryouts, signaled a quick fade. The Times noted its “childlike simplicity” clashed with a post-"Hair" West End craving edge. Holiday’s star turn and a lively cast couldn’t lift it past niche status, ending a supersonic sprint rather than a marathon.
Legacy in West End Theatre
"It’s a Bird... It’s a Plane... It’s Superman" remains a West End oddity, its 48 performances dwarfed by its 129-show Broadway run and later cult revivals like a 2010 Dallas staging. Strouse’s score and a 1966 cast album endure, with a 2013 Encores! concert sparking renewed interest. Unlike "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," it predated blockbuster superhero musicals, its kitsch too early for London’s taste. A 1975 TV cut and global fringe runs keep it aloft, but in the West End, it’s a fleeting caped crusader a bold leap that didn’t quite stick the landing.