Breaking News 7/31/2019

SupermanBobHoliday.com mourns the July 31, 2019 passing of Harold (Hal) Prince, producer of many of Broadway's greatest musicals, including "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©" as well as Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, and Cabaret. Although it didn't achieve the success of many of his other shows, our personal favorite, "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©" (1966), was both produced and directed by Prince. Critics loved it, but the TV debut of Batman diminished audience interest in what was perceived as similar material.

Hal Prince was an important man in Bob Holiday's life. In Bob's first role on Broadway, he played the law clerk "Neil" in Fiorello!, which was co-produced by Hal Prince. It was Hal Prince who first suggested that Bob Holiday be cast as Superman, having remembered Bob's earnest demeanor as Neil, not to mention Bob's imposing physique. It was Hal Prince's casting director who set up Bob's first audition for Superman.

And it was Hal Prince to whom Bob Holiday turned after "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman ©" was cancelled. Mr. Prince assured Bob that he had been a marvelous Superman and that Bob should in no way think that the closing of the show was his fault. This assurance stuck with Bob for the rest of his life.

Harold Prince won 21 Tony Awards, more than anyone else in the American theatre. He was 91.

To learn more about this great man,
the man who brought us Bob Holiday as Superman,
please see a never-before aired video at:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/theater/hal-prince-dead.html