Strouse and Adams' Superman Musical to Take Flight in NYC March 11-13
By Kenneth Jones
05 Feb 2007
Opening Doors Theatre Company will present a concert version of It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's Superman!, the second production in its "Closing Notice" Concert Series, March 11-13 in Manhattan.
All three 7 PM performances will be held at The Duplex, 61 Christopher Street.
It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's Superman! is produced by Holli Leggett in a unique concert style — the songs will be linked with "liner notes"-like narration and parts of the original book.
With songs by composer Charles Strouse and lyricist Lee Adams, and a book by David Newman and Robert Benton, It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's Superman! was produced in 1966 starring Bob Holliday, Linda Lavin and Jack Cassidy.
"The story drops the Man of Steel into a 1960s Metropolis and finds the city may not really need a hero anymore," according to Opening Doors. "It features characters familiar to Superman fans: Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Perry White, etc."
The show failed to find an audience in the age when a satiric "Batman" was already appearing on television. It ran 126 performances and spawned a cast album (and a cabaret hit with the tune "You've Got Possibilities").
The Opening Doors production will be directed by Casey Burden with musical direction by Steven Bednasz. Choreography will be by Rick Delancy.
The cast will include Suzanne Adams, Bryce Bermingham, Andrew Cao, Desireé Davar, Autumn Hurlbert, Sarah Lilly, Eric Martin, Ivory McKay, Rovi Roth, Jason B. Schmidt, Michelle Solomon and Rob Ventre.
Tickets are $20 plus a two-drink minimum. Members of AEA pay only $15 plus a two-drink minimum. For reservations, call (212) 255-5438 after 4 PM daily or anytime through The Duplex website at www.theduplex.xom.
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Opening Doors Theatre Company is a New York City-based, non-profit performing arts ensemble committed to developing an eclectic mix of programming through the artistic collaboration of performers as well as playwrights, composers, directors and designers, and providing opportunities for new talent to be seen and heard. The company was formed in 2006 by Suzanne Adams (artistic director), along with Hector Coris (associate artistic director) and Eric Martin (production manager).
ODTC's "Closing Notice" Concert Series is a trio of "living cast album" presentations focusing on classic musicals that were either dubbed a "flop," had short commercial runs or most likely will never be produced again. ODTC respectfully presents these scores with the understanding that – unsuccessful or not – the creators poured their craft, guts and love into the work and they deserve to be heard once again – live on stage.
The 2006-2007 "Closing Notice" series began with the sold-out smash Bring Back Birdie (1981) by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams (December 2006) and concludes with a special 50th anniversary production of 1957's Whoop-Up by Moose Charlap and Norman Gimbel (June 2007).
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