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Things You Don't See on Stage: Super Heroes Versus Science Fiction
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Are there any plays on superheroes? Comic book superheroes like our beloved web-slinger, Spiderman, inspire movies--good and bad, but not really so many plays. I can't recall seeing any, but maybe my spider sense is tingling.
A search online shows that there have been some attempts. In NYC in 2008, there was a show called "Save the World" which makes sense because isn't that what superheroes do? There was also "Heroes and Villains" in Chicago last year.
In 2010, there a certain superhero will be on-stage in big way. With the blessing of Marvel a Spiderman musical set is set for Broadway, "Spider-man" Turn Off the Dark." Previews begin January 16, 2010. Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor who brought us the 1997 "The Lion King" will be directing and Bono and The Edge will be in charge of the music.
You might think you need special effects and CGI or at least animation--things that aren't readily available on stage and, if not impossible, quite costly. However, that hasn't stopped science fiction from taking the stage.
There was the British science fiction meets Shakespeare rock musical, "Return to the Forbidden Planet" which I saw in a large theater in London and on a small stage in Los Angeles. Both worked well. It works like a quick of Shakespeare while using low tech science fiction fashion and a list of rock and roll classics. This remains one of my favorite musical CDs. .jpg)
There is also that lovely musical that started out as a 1960s comedy science fiction movie, "The Little Shop of Horrors." Directed by Roger Corman, that featured Jack Nicholson in a minor role. The movie inspired an off-Broadway musical, "Little Shop of Horrors" and that in turn, inspired a 1986 musical movie with Rick Moranis and Steve Martin. I've seen this musical in Los Angeles in both a small venue and a large venue. Good music and hilarious dental humor made this one a winner.
On a smaller scale, I've seen two very funny parodies on "Star Wars." One was an unauthorized version of the first movie if it had been done as a cheap Mexican soap opera. You didn't have to understand Spanish to understand this campy play. R2D2 was played by a broken down vacuum cleaner. The Death Star was a piñata.
More recently, an authorized version of the original Star Wars trilogy was produced by a USC graduate, Patrick T. Gorman. His "Star Wars in 30 Minutes," which I've seen twice (at the Coronet Theater) and has been performed for George Lucas at Skywalker Ranch, is a delight. Obviously, if you can't manage an illusion, a heavy dose of humor helps.
If science fiction can survive the transition from the small or big screen to the stage, why can't superheroes? You'd think someone in Los Angeles would want to take a shot. Perhaps it will depend upon if old Spidey catches on or ends up squished flat by the critics and audiences.
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