2008 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News Archives

Bob Holiday

April 28, 2008: Bob Holiday Recovering From Heart Surgery

Bob Holiday, star of the hit 1966 Broadway musical It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman!, underwent coronary bypass surgery on Wednesday, April 9th, at Mercy Hospital, in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Bob was released 13 days later and is back home in Hawley, where he is making a super-recovery and has resumed supervising new construction projects. Says Bob, "I feel great and thank Mercy Hospital and my family - particularly my daughter Kelly - for the excellent treatment I received."

Click "Read More" for a press release on the re-launch of Bob Holiday's official website.

The official website of Bob Holiday, the first and only actor ever to portray the Man of Steel on the Broadway stage, in the 1966 musical It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman, has been re-designed with new content (which will be updated on an ongoing basis) at www.SupermanBobHoliday.com.

Bob debuted as history's third live-action Superman (after Kirk Alyn and George Reeves) on the evening of March 29, 1966 when It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman premiered at New York's Alvin Theatre. Presented (in association with Ruth Mitchell) and directed by legendary Broadway producer Hal Prince, the musical also starred theatrical greats Jack Cassidy as gossip columnist Max Mencken and Patricia Marand as Lois Lane.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman featured music by the team of composer Charles Strouse and lyricist Lee Adams, winners of the Tony award for their scores to Applause and Bye Bye Birdie (Strouse won an additional Tony as the composer of Annie). The script to It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman was written by Robert Benton and David Newman (who would later co-write two and three of the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, respectively).

Critics praised It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman, with The New York Times calling it "Easily the best musical this season," and adding "It would be enjoyable in any season." Other reviewers on the morning of March 30, 1966 stated: "It's a winner!" (WCBS); "Hasn't a dull moment in it. Superman soars!" (Newhouse Newspapers); "It's so damned good!" (Newsday); and "The fun musical of the year!" (WABC). The show ran for 129 performances on Broadway and played the following summer in open-air arenas in St. Louis and Kansas City, where it was seen by more than 10,000 people. Despite its short run, regional theater groups frequently revive this acclaimed musical. The LP and CD of its original score have been steady sellers for more than 40 years. "It's Superman," one of the musical's 17 showstopper tunes, was a Top-10 hit; another tune, "You've Got Possibilities," was recently used for a Pillsbury TV commercial.

Bob Holiday, who both sang and flew onstage as Superman, also starred in such shows as Fiorello!, Camelot, and Promises Promises. In 2003 he took time out from his work as a successful homebuilder in the Pocono Mountain resort town of Hawley PA to perform an array of songs and share his Superman reminiscences at the annual Superman Celebration in Metropolis IL. His visit is chronicled in the video documentary Holiday in Metropolis, produced by Chuck Harter. Bob and Chuck also co-authored Superman on Broadway, a well-illustrated book that chronicles the story of one of the most important chapters in Superman's media history.

The new www.SupermanBobHoliday.com, re-designed by life-long fan Toni Collins, includes exclusive photos of Bob at the 2003 Metropolis Superman Celebration (taken by Holiday in Metropolis director Steve McCracken) and an all-new "Broadway Memories" section. Upcoming reminiscences will include Bob's description of his appearance on NBC's Tonight Show with Johnny Carson on the evening of May 12, 1966. Bob presented Carson with a small box bearing a special gift: the Superman curl he wore on stage every night. Bob recalls singing "The Girl That I Marry" and "If Ever I Would Leave You" for an enthusiastic audience. Unfortunately, the video of this unique broadcast no longer exists.

Other rare video is, however, available for viewing on www.SupermanBobHoliday.com. This includes Bob's appearance as Superman on a 1966 episode of the CBS game show I've Got a Secret. In it, Bob flies onstage and teaches host Steve Allen how to fly as well. Look for other video surprises on www.SupermanBobHoliday.com in the coming months as well.

The new www.SupermanBobHoliday.com also welcomes content from Superman and Bob Holiday fans. In particular, we're looking for a film or video copy of Bob's 1966 Aqua Velva TV commercial in which he appears as Superman. To submit content, email Web hostess Toni Collins at ToniVCollins@aol.com.



2008 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News

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