Look at this ad from 1985, asking for a girl age 10-14 who could "sing, dance and act up a storm" to costar as the Star-Spangled Avenger's "special friend" (BAD TOUCH) in a Broadway musical spectacular. This is the first sign that a musical based around the American Super Soldier with a top hat might not have been a good sign.According to the New York Times:
'Captain America' boasts a hero-sized $4 million budget. IT'S going to be a big one, if everything works out as befits a musical named ''Captain America.'' Big, in this case, means a budget of $4 million - a lot of money, even for a superhero fighting for the American dream, the flag and the woman he loves. The superhero will not, in fact, be particularly super when the curtain goes up. The book by Mel Mandel and Norman Sachs (who are also responsible for music and lyrics) has Captain A. going through a mid-life crisis. Fortunately, the action speeds up - his girlfriend, a candidate for President, is captured by terrorists and held hostage at the Lincoln Memorial. That's enough of the plot - when you invest millions, as are Shari Upbin, James Galton and Marvel Comics and some as yet untapped sources, you're entitled to a few secrets.
That's right......Maybe the Spider-man musical was never destined to be the biggest broadway disaster of all time, because a musical that has Captain America, one of America's most iconic creations and icons go through a mid-life crisis sounds like one of the worst ideas ever. That being said, it could be amazing. Sure, it wouldn't be subject to broken limbs and near-death experences, but I for one would have love to see Captain America spend his hard-earned money on a sports car that doesn't suit him and makes him 10 years older, abuse alcohol or date the 14 year old's they had audition. Would have been cool. And lets not forget the $65 million that Turn Off The Dark has racked up (and a rumoured $1million per week on top) makes a $4million budget look like nothing.
But most people forget that the Spider-man musical isn't the first Superhero musical ever produced. "It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman" (Yes, that's seriously what they called it) Opened AND closed in 1966 after 129 performances. It's opened and closed in smaller places around the world, as well as having it's own TV special (Check out The Cinema Snob riff of the musical here, but beware NSFW due to language). It bombed, but makes for a funny watch. If Superman 3 makes you laugh, then you'll LOVE the Superman Musical.
I guess I'll finish with a sad story. There is a Batman Arena Musical....thing on it's way (AND BOY am I excited), but it wasn't the first attempt to make the Dark Knight fight flat notes. Jim Steinman (record producer, composer and lyricist, who was behind the amazing albums, Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell and Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell) was working on the songs score, with Tim Burton supposedly directing the stage incarnation of the franchise because of his work with the Batman films. Unfortunately, Steinman's vampire-themed musical (with former "Phantom" Michael Crawford, perhaps biding his time for "Condorman: The Musical"?) proved to be a flop and the studio's momentum for "Batman" dwindled.Jim Steinman, however, managed to record what came to be known as "The Batman Demos" at the historic (and now gone) The Hit Factory in New York, with vocals from Rob Evan as Batman, Karine Hannah as Catwoman, Elaine Caswell, and Steinman himself. You can listen to Steinman's "The Joker Song", here. Shame, a rock and Roll Batman musical would be the perfect present to us Comic fans.
So there you have it. A look at Superhero musicals, the good and the bad and the ugly. Personally, I'll stick with the Batman musical. Long live the bat.
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