Superman is faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a locomotive, and can leap tall buildings in a single bound, but can he sing? Charles Strouse and Lee Adams sure thought so, and one year after their musical Bye Bye Birdie became a hit on Broadway they penned a campy, goofy show in conjunction with original librettists David Newman and Robert Benton. That version—a critical success but commercial flop—has been all but ignored since it shuttered over forty years ago. But now director Kevin Moriarty and the Dallas Theater Center have summoned all their otherworldly powers (and hired Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa to write a new book), bringing Superman back to life. Only problem is, Superman is no longer the star of his own show. This “revisal” of It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman belongs almost entirely to Patrick Cassidy as super villain Max Menken.

Whenever Cassidy steps onstage, it’s POW! BAM! ZONK! in stage form. Clearly relishing the broadly drawn lines of his character, we can tell he’s having a blast playing the role his father, Jack Cassidy, originated on Broadway. Max Menken is the über-powerful billionaire businessman jealous of Superman for capturing not only the loyalty and admiration of the citizens of Metropolis, but also Lois Lane’s heart. Determined to eradicate the Man of Steel, Menken attempts to replicate kryptonite and assembles a band of super villains (in a parade of imaginative costumes by Jennifer Caprio) to plant the dangerous substance on the hero.

Matt Cavenaugh's Superman takes flight (Photo by Brandon Thibodeaux)

Cassidy, dapper in pinstripes and light on his feet, owns the show. Whenever he’s offstage, the pacing, energy, and even storyline drag, but as soon as he reappears it’s a much-needed jolt of adrenaline. That’s not to say that the other three leads are inadequate; in fact, Jenny Powers gives Cassidy a run for his money as newly hired gossip columnist and all-around saucy minx Sydney Sharp. As Lois, Zakiya Young has plenty of charm but not quite enough moxie to bring the intrepid girl reporter from inquisitive comic book damsel in distress to living, breathing leading woman. And Matt Cavenaugh, fresh from playing Tony in Broadway’s West Side Story, is left with little to do other than bravely flaunt blue tights, knee-high red boots, and an itty-bitty Speedo. Yes, he does fly, but the novelty quickly wears off, exposing the underdeveloped sides of both Superman and his mild-mannered alter ego, Clark Kent.

The songs, reworked by Adams and Strouse, leave hardly an impression and rarely provide the emotional insight we’re longing for. At nearly three hours, the micro-exchanges between characters, obvious scene-changing filler, and multiple reprises add little but time to a plot that can’t decide if it’s an earnest interpretation of arguably the most revered superhero in pop culture or a cheesy romp through fast-talking, 1930’s Metropolis. But my hat’s still off to Moriarty and Company for nurturing a show that had previously been relegated to the odd Trivial Pursuit question. Sourcing top-notch talent, like musical director Kimberly Grigsby and recent Tony-winning sound designer Rob Kaplowitz, shows the national theater community that Dallas is becoming a serious player in the field of developing new and newly discovered works. I’m just hoping that next time the outcome will be more Superman than Clark Kent.

Main Photo: Zakiya Young and Matt Cavenaugh (Credit: Brandon Thibodeaux)