Edward Watts, Jenny Powers and More Star in Encores! IT'S A BIRD... IT'S A PLANE... IT'S SUPERMAN, Opening Tonight

Superman finds his Lois Lane! Joining Edward Watts (Superman) in the New York City Center Encores! production of It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman will be Jenny Powers as Lois Lane and David Pittu as the evil Dr. Sedgwick, along with Erich Bergen, Alli Mauzey, James Saito and Will Swenson. Superman will play at City Center for seven performances, tonight, March 20 - 24, and will be directed by John Rando with choreography by Joshua Bergasse and music direction by Rob Berman.

It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman, based on the comic strip "Superman," has a book by David Newman and Robert Benton, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams. Strouse and Adams's partnership began in 1960 with their hit Bye Bye Birdie and continued with All American, Golden Boy and Applause.

In addition to Edward Watts as Superman, the cast features Craig Henningsen, Suo Liu, Alli Mauzey, Adam Monley, Jason Ng, David Pittu, Jenny Powers, James Saito and Will Swenson, with Wendi Bergamini, Ward Billeisen, Sam Bolen, Stephen Carrasco, Hannah Florence, Sara Jean Ford, Miles Johnson, Max Kumangai, Samantha Massell, Skye Mattox, Kenita R. Miller, Michael Mindlin, Jessica Lea Patty, David Scott Purdy, Scott Weber, Manuel Stark, Charlie Williams, Kirsten Wyatt and Samantha Zack.

The original production of It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman opened at the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre) on March 29, 1966 and ran for 129 performances. It was directed by Harold Prince and starred Bob Holiday as Superman, Patricia Marand as Lois Lane, Jack Cassidy and Linda Lavin. The show features the songs "You've Got Possibilities," "You've Got What I Need," "I'm Not Finished Yet and "The Woman for The Man."

Since its founding in 1994, Encores! (Artistic Director Jack Viertel and Music Director Rob Berman), has presented 58 musical productions for an audience of more than half a million people. The series celebrates the rarely heard works of America's most important composers and lyricists. Each season, Encores! gives three glorious scores the chance to be heard as their creators originally intended. Each production is a whirlwind, with just nine days of rehearsals, one day of dress rehearsal and seven performances. The cast is backed by The Encores! Orchestra, often more than 30 players strong. The program received a special 2000 Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, as well as an Outer Critics Circle Award, Lucille Lortel Award and Jujamcyn Theaters Award.

Over the years, Encores! has presented the works of Harold Arlen, Burt Bacharach, Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, George and Ira Gershwin, Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern, John Kander and Fred Ebb, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Stephen Sondheim, Kurt Weill and many others. Past productions have included Christine Baranski, Kristin Chenoweth, Tyne Daly, Charles Dutton, Christine Ebersole, Sutton Foster, Anne Hathaway, Megan Hilty, Cheyenne Jackson, Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Donna McKechnie, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Robert Morse, Donna Murphy, James Naughton, Bebe Neuwirth, Rosie O'Donnell, Kelli O'Hara, Lynn Redgrave, Ann Reinking, Martin Short, Jock Soto, Vanessa L. Williams, Patrick Wilson and Jerry Zaks.

New York City Center (Arlene Shuler, President & CEO) has played a defining role in the cultural life of the city for nearly 70 years. It was Manhattan's first performing arts center, dedicated by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1943 with a mission to make the best in music, theater and dance accessible to all audiences. Today, City Center is home to many distinguished companies, including City Center's Principal Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, as well as New York City Opera and Manhattan Theatre Club; a roster of renowned national and international visiting artists; and its own critically acclaimed and popular programs. The Tony-honored Encores! musical theater series has been hailed as "one of the very best reasons to be alive in New York." Dance has been integral to the theater's mission from the start, and dance programs, including the annual Fall for Dance Festival, remain central to City Center's identity. City Center is dedicated to providing educational opportunities to New York City students and teachers with programs such as Encores! In Schools and the Young People's Dance Series. City Center recently completed an extensive renovation to revitalize and modernize its historic theater.

City Center is located on 55th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues. It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman will run for seven performances, March 20 - 24, according to the following schedule: Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at the New York City Center Box Office (West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues), through CityTix at 212-581-1212, or online at www.NYCityCenter.org. Tickets start at $25.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus