Superhero NYC Reviews and Tickets

"'A misfire. Authors with golden track records for serious work have somehow created a musical so lugubrious and underpowered that it never gets off the ground. The problem is built into the low-stakes, high-whimsy concept...Not even as allegory could the fantastical adventure that swallows the second act sustain my interest; its concerns are sketchy, as thin as comic book stock...It does not grant much to 'Superhero' to say that its leads manage to rise above it."
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"A well-meaning, flightless tear-jerker, less cool comic book than Hallmark original...It’s not just that 'Superhero’s' concerns are insistently mundane—it’s that Kitt’s songs fail to strike any new sparks off familiar flint...Ultimately there’s something downright creepy in 'Superhero’s' messaging...'Superhero' isn’t attempting to feed us anything we haven’t digested dozens of times before. It’s feel-good theater, only living up to its title in that it keeps all of us extremely safe."
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"Only occasionally rises above the level of pleasant or cute...'Superhero's' biggest problem is that soon after a mildly intriguing opening it becomes one-note and whiny...The songs here are pretty enough, but bland and interchangeable...Director Moore keeps the scenes moving and provides visual energy...But 'Superhero' is a wan little musical that has no compelling story to tell. While the show is far from terrible, at its best, it's sweet and innocuous, at its worst, dull."
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"Kate Baldwin is the true hero here. As Simon’s mother Charlotte, she does a heroic job of making a pedestrian character seem like a loving, hurting human being...One predictable moment after another. Superheroes are all very well and good, but it’s those nerds on the ground — the ones who write the words and the music — who do all the hard work for them."
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“Underpowered new musical doesn’t get off the ground...’Superhero’ wants to blend a broken-home weepie with something magical and pop-culture-y...A mediocre musical...I wish Logan and Kitt had delved more imaginatively into the subject...Kitt’s score, while skillful, suffers from too much mid-tempo pop balladry, and could use more variation, weirdness...Through sheer charisma and talent, Baldwin and McArthur may wring a tear or two out of you.”
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"The songs (forgettable ditties) are by Tom Kitt....The charmless book is by John Logan...The combination of their proclivities proves deadly, resulting in the predictable tale of a depressed superhero and his neighbors...The most unlikable musical protagonist in recent memory, making it very difficult for us to invest in his happy ending...Despite a troubled script, Jason Moore directs a competent production that is only hindered by a couple of campy visual effects."
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"Much of Logan's writing, and the music and lyrics by Tom Kitt, treat this situation with honesty and insight, but the first act is afflicted with a certain drabness...I'm not saying you can't make a musical out of such downbeat material, but the approach here is, arguably, too conventional to pay off. The real superheroes of 'Superhero' are Kate Baldwin and Bryce Pinkham...This is a distressingly monochromatic affair, often humorless and devoted to working a narrow range of feelings."
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"There are moments that are quite moving, but there are also several tonal problems with Logan's book. First, the supernatural and fantasy elements do not always fit well with the psychological realism in the early scenes...Kitt's songs are better than serviceable, and there are a few small gems...The songs are beautifully served by the fine cast...Director Jason Moore keeps the show moving at a good clip."
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"'Superhero' is a capably crafted, agreeably performed, and fairly dull musical that fails to make the entertaining most of its undeniably original idea...Logan’s script, though unrelievedly drab and recalling 'Dear Evan Hansen' in its basic mother-son situation, is forthright...While their material is scarcely inspired, the performers make the show’s bland doings easy to swallow."
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"Although there is a great deal of talent behind the new musical 'Superhero' at Second Stage Theater, it unfortunately makes little impact. It doesn't help that the thin book by Tony Award winning playwright John Logan is a little too much like the smash hit 'Dear Evan Hansen' which goes much deeper with similar material. Pulitzer Prize winning composer Tom Kitt has written his own lyrics for the first time and they mainly tell us what we know in pedestrian rhymes and phrases."
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"This musical...does have a message, it just takes a while to complete all its cycles...Baldwin brings both dramatic and musical heft with her glorious singing of Charlotte's arias that have to do with her attempt be the emotional and practical support that Simon needs...Overall, this musical has quite a few nice moments but they are just not quite super enough to insure its success."
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"'Superhero' reminds us how fickle is the alchemy of stage magic...A book by John Logan, music & lyrics by Tom Kitt, direction by Jason Moore. You can imagine the pitch to the backers — how could it miss? Yet it does...The music saves more than a few maudlin moments. The crew wisely kept the effects — clever projection and illusion — relatively simple, mirroring the comic book motif. The choreography was nifty."
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"The new musical by Tom Kitt and John Logan...is not like the typical superhero movie or comic book. That’s both good and bad, but mostly bad. And, although it features a serviceable if unmemorable score, a fine design scheme, and, above all, a superb cast — especially the splendid Kate Baldwin — 'Superhero' is full of disappointments...As earnest and well intentioned as the show’s theme may be, it seems to come at the expense of the fun usually associated with superhero fantasies."
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"Even if Logan's script didn't make everything abundantly clear - I half-suspect it was written for teenagers - Kitt's abundant array of ballads spell out the show's themes in big block letters. That's not to say that they aren't both mostly tuneful and very poignant. And they are splendidly sung by the three main players -- especially by Baldwin, who can break your heart without really trying...A little more dialogue and a little less singing wouldn't have hurt."
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"Maybe the superhero stuff is a little silly, but silliness is not the enemy here. If anything, it saves 'Superhero' from sounding like a softer echo of so many other unhappy family stories...Kitt writes beautifully for his anguished characters, shaping the lyrics to each distinct voice. But there are only so many this-is-what-I’m-feeling-right-now-this-second songs a musical can hold, especially when the plot is so wispy and the conclusion so foregone."
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“The downbeat book is intelligent and the songs are well-integrated into it. The first act is quite polished, the second act less so. Nevertheless, the show is still emotionally satisfying. The performances by the three principals are very strong. The secondary characters are all underdeveloped...Moore’s direction is a bit sluggish on occasion...If you liked ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ you might like this too. Just don't go expecting another ‘Next to Normal.’”
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"Pinkham’s glowering presence and delayed timing make this unemployed bus driver alternately creepy and funny, off-putting and compelling, nerdy and appealing...Pinkham is on stage for so much of 'Superhero' that we can ignore the far less interesting Charlotte and Simon...One superhero looks pretty much like another. Only Pinkham is in a class by himself."
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"An unfortunately underdeveloped story that is occasionally charming but suffers in an inert production that is confused in tone...So much about 'Superhero' is undercooked...A boy with a superhero obsession mourning his father and building a future with his mother is a lovely idea for a musical; this one is just too cluttered and ill-focused on paper and on stage. Director Jason Moore is unable to wrangle a single style from several competing factions."
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"Kitt’s pedestrian lyrics, which often hinge on anaemically weak rhymes and are backed by a repetitive, humdrum score. And while both Baldwin and Pinkham do their best with such material, McArthur seems to have trouble hitting the higher notes. Another problem is Logan’s dialogue, which strives for edginess with an occasional burst of profanity but mostly sounds as if it belongs in a dated sitcom. The absence of a proper villain further exacerbates 'Superhero’s' lack of bite."
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"These three lost souls come together as neighbors do, but it's never quite clear where all this is taking us...The music, while not especially memorable, has its moments...The show, directed by Jason Moore, lives on strong performances...There’s also some truly inventive staging, as Beowulf Boritt's simple but effective set gets taken over by Tal Yarden's projections that turn the whole place into a giant comic book."
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"First, there’s the almost entirely exposition-filled Act 1...Things don’t really pick up post-intermission, but the tunes definitely improve...Regrettably, this is not Kitt’s strongest score...'Superhero’s' real inventiveness comes in its direction and design...But these illustrated moments—which capture our attention and our hearts—are so fleeting. It’s almost unfair not to draw them out."
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