Bob Holiday, Broadway's First Superman
Bob Holiday's Publicity Portfolio
Lois Gazes at Superman

The Stars of Broadway

The Souvenir Program sold at the original Broadway production of "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman" gave a peek into the lives of the stars of that fabulous production. Enjoy these great show-biz biographies ...

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Superman Flies in Kansas City, MO

On-Stage Antics

or
What Can Go "Wrong" in a Live Show

See a Broadway production 20 different times, and you're sure to know every line by heart. But you're also likely to see 20 different versions of the show...

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St. Louis Municipal Opera Program, 1967

The First Revivals

Superman Sings Again!

One sign of the sheer joy of "It’s a Bird It’s a Plane It’s Superman", is that the very next summer, in 1967, not one but two revivals were staged...

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St. Louis Municipal Opera Program, 1967

Backstage
On Broadway

Meeting Broadway's Superman

Who are the "Superman Kids"? Well, for one thing, they're lifelong Bob Holiday fans!

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Superman Costume

The Costumes

There are hundreds of moving parts in every Broadway musical. Critically important to create theater magic—the magic that makes us suspend disbelief and become immersed in the story—are the costumes. We've collected some of the early sketches that were used to design the costumes for "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©", and we compare these sketches to the actual costumes for the show. We begin with Superman's costume, and from there you'll find early sketches for Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Sydney's costumes.

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Comics Scene Magazine

The Al Hirschfeld Tribute to "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©"

Al Hirschfeld was called upon to memorialize all the greatest actors and shows of our times. And he did precisely that for our favorite Broadway show, "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©". And check out the extra-special signature on this print!

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Comics Scene Magazine

Superman on Broadway
Flop or Hit?

Awhile back, I set out on a quest to prove that "It's A Bird It's A Plane It's Superman©" was not the biggest flop on Broadway. It was inconceivable to me that the joyous, colorful, exciting show—featuring the wonderful Bob Holiday as Superman—could possibly have been a financial disaster. Did I succeed? Well, yes and no.

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Comics Scene Magazine

Bob Holiday
Actor, Comedian, and
Home Builder

Bob Holiday is one of the few people in the world who was successful in two very different careers! We all know and love him because of the time he spent bringing Superman to life. But stars rarely spring from nowhere, and Bob Holiday honed his talents both here and abroad. Once he decided to leave the stage, Bob became a respected home builder.
We've featured this timeline every January, and it's time to make it a permanent part of Bob's website!

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Comics Scene Magazine

The Writer and
The Lyricist

Over thrity years ago, a quarter century after "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©" closed on Broadway, Comics Scene© Magazine ran an article about the play. The primary focus of Comics Scene© was covering the adaptation of various comic book properties into movies and television shows. They were dedicated enough to hunt down lyricist Lee Adams and writer David Newman to capture their thoughts about Superman's stint on Broadway!

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Superman Becomes Clark Kent

The Superman Kids Speak!

We're approaching old age, but we still remember and love Bob Holiday. The Superman Kids, as Bob always called us, share our memories of "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©"!

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Bob's Dressing Room Door

The Night Before Opening Night!

Opening night was just one day away, when "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©" staged the Invitational Premiere. Afterward, UPI snapped a photo of an elated Bob Holiday. The night before the official opening looked like they had a hit on their hands!

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Promises

Promises, Promises

All good things must come to an end, and Bob Holiday eventually decided to move out of the theater and into the exciting world of real estate development. But before he left, he did one final show—that lasted for two good years.

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Wildcat

The Dinner Theatre Circuit

After Fiorello! closed, Bob continued to work hard and improve his craft. He moved up from Nightclubs—which he loved—to the Dinner Theatre circuit. His run in Wildcat was a fun one!

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Lady In The Dark

Bob Takes On Hollywood

After "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©" closed, Bob decided to move to Hollywood. The first task for an actor in a new locale is to hire an agent. Bob hired Leon O. Lance, who created a blockbuster portfolio to sing the praises of his newest star.

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Lady In The Dark

Lady In The Dark

Work is always important to an actor, and Bob was happy to keep working after the close of his first Broadway show, Fiorello! Read about one of the many shows Bob starred in before he played Superman!

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Bob in the Army

Bob In The Army

Bob Holiday was proud of the time he served in the U.S. Military. A twist of fate—the end of the Korean War—allowed Bob's talents to shine.

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Bob and The Dancers

The
Dancers

The dancers in "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©" were central to the excitement of the show. Woven into the story line, their joy seemed a natural part of the brightness Superman brought to the world.

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It's a Bird... Playbill

The
Playbill

Playbills of the 1960s felt like small entertainment magazines wrapped around a bit of information from the show you'd just paid to see. But the Playbill for "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©" conatined surprisingly thorough bios of the cast.

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Theatre World, 1966

Theatre World
1965-1966 Edition

A long-running, annual archive of Broadway shows, Theatre World, published a two-page spread on our favorite show, "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©". Enjoy an interactive peek at the coverage in the 1965-1966 edition!

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Superman in LOOK Magazine, 1966

LOOK Magazine
March 22, 1966

The publicity machine for "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©" always made sure that Bob Holiday's name was front and center. This time, however, they chose a writer who didn't much like the comics!

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Bob Holiday as Sir Lancelot, 1967

Reprising the Role of
Sir Lancelot!

Producers remembered Bob Holiday for more than one memorable role. Not only did Bob play Superman in the first two revivals, he also reprised his prior triumph as Camelot's Sir Lancelot!

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Bob Holiday

The Young
Bob Holiday

Click on the articles in this list to
learn about Bob Holiday's early career

Serving In The Army
Bob's First Publicity Photo
Bob Performs in Canada, 1958
Bob Performs in Dallas, 1950s
Bob cast as Neil in Fiorello!
Bob Holiday in Camelot

Judy Newman Greenhut and Bob Holiday

Judy Newman Greenhut aka Marnie, the Model

Interview With A Dancer

What a treat, to spend an afternoon chatting with "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©" cast member Judy Newman Greenhut. Get the inside stories from someone who was there!

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Part of Bob Holiday's Autograph

We Found an Autograph!

Was it the last one?

Spoiler alert: We don't know! But take a peek at what may very well have been the final autograph signed by Bob Holiday as Broadway's Superman!

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Bob and Patricia and Shirley and Jack

Who Was the Real Star of "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman©"?

Did Milk and Cookies Decide?

Let's have a discussion! Was Bob Holiday the star of "It's A Bird It's A Plane It's Superman ©"? Or was it Jack Cassidy?

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Superman Exhibit at The Smithsonian

When "It's A Bird It's A Plane It's Superman ©" Became a Part of History

Part 1

Bob Holiday himself may have discovered the moment that "It's A Bird It's A Plane It's Superman ©" became an authentic part of Superman history!

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Artist Rendering of Bob as Superman

When "It's A Bird It's A Plane It's Superman ©" Became a Part of History

Part 2

We share with you what may be the first time "It's A Bird It's A Plane It's Superman ©" made its way into a Superman history book!

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Artist Rendering of Bob as Superman

Bob Holiday Fans Are The Best

A Long Time Fan of Bob Holiday shares his memorabilia!

Even Bob Holiday himself would have liked a copy!

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Life After Superman

Bob Holiday

Post Superman

Bob Holiday was always as hopeful and as indestructible as Superman himself. After "It's A Bird It's A Plane It's Superman©" ended, Bob kept busy. By the end of his life, he had built not one, but two, succussful careers.

This page provides the narrative and a number of links to pages that allow us a peek into Bob's life after Broadway:
LA Times article by Mark Edlitz
Bob recreates his role as Superman in two Missouri open-air theaters
Bob Holiday Cast as Mike Brady
Bob Holiday Custom Homes

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Philly Tryouts

The Philadelphia Critics

We're not happy they panned the show, but history demands we preserve their words.

Following the Hal Prince Interview in VARIETY last week, we see just what the Philadelphia critics said. It wasn't complimentary, but it does help history realize the brilliance of the men who created "It's A Bird It's A Plane It's Superman©" and how they fixed the show for Broadway.

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VARIETY

Superman Received
Excellent Coverage

This week: VARIETY Magazine

In April, 1966, the respected trade magazine VARIETY interviewed "It's A Bird It's A Plane It's Superman©" producer/director Hal Prince.

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Superman in LIFE

Superman Received
Excellent Coverage

This week: LIFE Magazine

A terrific article in LIFE Magazine covered the Pop Art Craze of the 1960s and featured "It's A Bird It's A Plane It's Superman©"!

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Superman Sits Alone

The Broadway Original

vs
The Revivals

Revivals of "It's A Bird It's A Plane It's Superman©" have changed one crucial scene. Was it a change for the better? Or the worse?

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A West Coast Revival Logo

A Tale of
Two Men

What made Broadway's 1966 production inherently different from modern revivals of the show? For one thing, Superman wasn't a joke and neither was Max Mencken. The 2006 revivals proved this point ...

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Bob Holiday and the Bevy of Beauties

A Super Mystery

Bob Holiday and the Bevy of Beauties!

We found this amazing photo on eBay, but we don't know anything about it. Do you?

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Bob Holiday and Patricia Marand

AP Press Coverage

Backstage camaraderie was on display!

The cast is not off duty when the curtain goes down. Actors and actresses are approached by the press, and need to keep up the act. Not to worry, after a succesful opening night, Bob and co-star Patricia Marand happily posed together.

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Bob Holiday's Brother

A Second Treasure
From Steven Thompson

A human interest story about Scranton, PA resident Donald Sklar, brother of Bob Holiday!

We're grateful to Steven Thompson for sharing another part of the historical record of "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman" and the cast!

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The Right Fashions

From Steven Thompson

A new take on "It's a Bird..."

We're excited to share this long-lost image publicizing "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman" and the cast!

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The Right Fashions

ACT III

The Daily Planet

The larger size of a vinyl album allowed for one of the cleverest Broadway cast albums in history. A special edition of The Daily Planet itself graced the back of that original jacket, and it served as ACT THREE for the Broadway play.

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The Right Fashions

Publicity

Take THREE!

The Publicity Department reached out to teen-age girls, featuring Bob Holiday in a six-page mini-comic!

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Ten Best Plays of 1966

What Did The Critics Say?

Part TWO!

Out of the hundreds of plays on Broadway staged for the 1965-66 season, only ten were chosen ...

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Bob Holiday

The 50th Anniversary

Part TWO!

Continue reading Brian McKernan's terrific look back at how "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman." reached Broadway!

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Bob Holiday

The 50th Anniversary

Part ONE!

The year 2016 marked the 50th anniversary of the opening of "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman." You don't want to miss Brian McKernan's terrific look back!

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Bob Holiday

Publicity!

Take TWO!

The producers kept Bob Holiday busy promoting "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman"! Here are the results of a rather unique photo shoot!

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Bob Holiday

Publicity!

Take ONE!

Bob Holiday was game to help promote "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman" in every way asked. Here's a novel approach to publicizing the show!

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Bob Holiday

What Did the Critics Say?

Take ONE!

Critics can make or break a Broadway show. What did they say about "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman"? For one thing, critic Normal Nadel thought Bob Holiday was perfect!

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Overture

Judy Harris

First On The Web

Judy Harris built the first web page ever that discussed "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman" in depth. What were her favorite tunes?

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Bob Holiday as Superman Bob Holiday as Clark Kent