Super-heroes have invaded Off-Broadway, according to this review of Men of Steel in The New York Times. It sounds kind of like a stage version of Powers with some of the tone of Hero Squared thrown in the mix:

“The plot centers on the friendship between Captain Justice and Maelstrom (Temar Underwood), a wealthy playboy with a collection of gadgets and a sexual secret. He’s an angrier version of Batman. There are other superheroes as well, including Bryant (Tom Myers), a drag queen whose power is that he doesn’t feel pain, and Captain Justice’s sidekick, Liberty Lady (Melissa Paladino), who some suspect is merely a PR gimmick.”

Too bad it isn’t a musical. Not that the one notable super-hero musical was a smash hit that begs imitation or revival, but I could at least buy the original cast recording. (I’ve heard that it’s unwise to call such things “soundtracks.” I’m not sure why.)

Speaking of It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman, the only decent song from its score (“You’ve Got Possibilities,” sung by Linda Lavin) is being used in a Pillsbury commercial. Clips from a televised version of the show can be found at YouTube. (Between Lavin and Loretta Swit, that number seems to be the song of choice for future sitcom actresses.)

And in terribly important news for musical geeks like me, Avenue Q is preparing a touring production. I saw the show on Broadway and loved it, and I was disappointed that the show’s Las Vegas outpost closed fairly quickly. (That’s what they get for making cuts so they could eliminate the intermission and get people back to the video slots faster.) So foul-mouthed but endearing Sesame Street refugees may be coming to a theatre near you.