| There can never be enough said about the orchestrations, which Encores! restored, much to the pleasure of the audience. To me, "It's Superman" is the most underrated song in the show and completely establishes the intended satirical/bemused tone IF YOU ARE REALLY LISTENING. I think one of the show's principal challenges is that it is drawn in such primary colors that the audience doesn't tend to really listen to the subtleties of the material. Benton, Newman, and Adams were all working in a very mid-'60s groove, satirizing and celebrating things at the same time. It's a subtler version what Ashman was doing in Little Shop years later. But you have to listen. When the show descends to "It's Super Nice" we're invited to think that it's just Hullabaloo and a comic book. It has so much more to offer, but the tone doesn't really announce itself clearly enough for a typical audience to get it. And sometimes the show doesn't help. Still, a favorite of mine. |
