I can't say it enough, "Boho Days" is one of the best deep dive books I've ever read. If you wanna learn more about the obscure works of a composer taken way too soon check it out for yourself: amzn.to/3E2J1FR Also if you want to help me continue to make long form video docs like this, consider heading over the WitW patreon: www.patreon.com/witw And if you DONT want to spend money. A simple share of the video or a like would be great too.
I think that Superbia would be extremely relevant to pull off as a musical today in 2022. He was ahead of its time with this musical and with some refinement I think it could be good.
Except someone who truly cared about his work would have the responsibility of revising and finishing it. Like the Recobbled cut of Thief and the Cobbler.
I think part of the problem was trying to incorporate every critique. Just because an expert says you should change X or Y of a story doesn't mean that it's actually a good idea to do so, especially when you try and apply every single note.
Agreed. And I think that that's indicative of a shaky foundation. As Brendon is unspooling the narrative of Superbia, I'm hearing a collection of "concepts" that have been stapled together into some kind of hard-to-fathom story. When one of your first pieces of feedback is "add an antagonist", then you're pretty darn early in the process of developing your piece. Maybe I'd have to read the script, but from just this video I'm not surprised this got round after round of rejections. It sounds like his driving energy was for the innovation in the musical form, but I can't really tell what exactly he was trying to say about repression, individuality and his other themes. I once heard of a Hollywood screenwriter who said if he had to start over, he would take a college major in classic literature. Sounds to me like this guy needed less musical brilliance and more knowledge in how to write powerful fiction. That said, I think his adaptation of 1984 would have been amaze-balls!!!!
@@allenrubinstein3696 Agreed! Not to be mean, but listening to the summary of the story, to me it had a very “I’m 17 and this is deep commentary” vibe. There were nuggets there that seemed interesting, but nothing struck me as particularly unique about his premise (then again, I can’t know for sure without having read the work myself). The innovative factor would come in the form of the music and the fact that it was a Sci-fi Musical, but the story itself seems so concerned with trying to make a “Relevant Commentary About Society” that it forgets that it is telling a story and that we need to care about the characters. It would have been interesting to see what he could have done with it once he became a bit more mature and experienced, and it’s sad that we’re never going to have a chance to see it.
Yeah that's a common problem when you begin at writing. Either you think you are a genius and people are morons so you don't listen to them at all so your work never improves, either you think all criticism is right and you correct them to the point that you don't recognize your own writing. Then when you have experience, you learn to see what criticism is relevant or not, and if they're not, why it was a problem for the critic. For instance, if someone tells you "add an antagonist", it doesn't necessarily mean you have to add an antagonist (you have good stories that doesn't have one), but you may miss an element that would engage people into the story and makes the plot evolve. But that's a long road to get there.
@@Mazapan404 yeah that's why on the writing forum I'm in, we have a rule : we point out problems (or thing we consider problems), but we never give solutions.
I'm nowhere near Larson's level of dedication to his craft, but I can acknowledge how soul crushing it must have been for the responses to Superbia be "Great, I look forward to the next one". After SO much work, that must have been soul destroying.
@@MsAliciaRLThis right here is why I can’t bring myself to criticize RENT, even though there are plenty of things one could criticize about it. But the ghost of Johnathan Larson is so inextricably tied to the show that criticizing it feels like criticizing him, and I don’t feel comfortable speaking ill of the dead (unless they’re a total asshole, and Larson wasn’t as far as I know)
Wait in the Wings: *trying to explain the plot of Superbia as if its the most complex story in the world* me: this is just the plot of every early 2000s dystopian movie, why did everyone think this play was so confusing??
We only got what Superbia is about, not how it was written word per word. Maybe there were little things that made the storytelling confusing, not the story itself.
Because it’s so disorganized. It’s a mess. It’s a tangled doorstop of a story. It would need to get streamlined down. That’s what I’d tell Jonathan - strip the thing down to its basic plot. Start there. Then add to that plot.
i think it wasn’t because it was necessarily ‘confusing’ more just too unique for theatre, just people trying to make it seem bad when its just different for the field its in. like you don’t see sci fi dystopias too often in 1980s-90s theatre, more operatic classics.
Maybe it's because Webber did the smart thing of waiting until he already made a name for himself before working on a weird passion project... Also while starlight is silly, it is entertaining, which in the end is the most important thing in the entertainment industry. Not that I would call superbia high art either, more like those drawings about "the evils of social media" about how we all are desperate for likes, that the attention desperate artists post on their facebook and instegram begging for likes.
When my friend got me to watch Tick Tick Boom, the whole time I was wondering about that musical and wanted to hear more of it- like I would complain that most of the songs are hidden away somewhere
I have never seen the concept of any story go from THAT sappy and bright to THAT dark and cynical THAT fast. This man really was having troubles. Glad he worked it out though.
@@antomcmanus1775 I'd picture it more as a more cynical take on the Romeo and Juliet narrative from the perspective of Rosaline(whom Elizabeth would represent), in the sense that the "laser play" with Roi the spy[if that was still maintained in the latter script] were to play out as the bottom line-popular yet ethically superficial viewing of R and J's romance by the Superbia landscape. A sort 80s synth Jesus Christ Superstar-like narative(told from the perspective of long-time vilanized[even to only the mere underliningly sexist degree] side character), if you will.
I would fucking love to see the version of Superbia with the 33:59 ending like yesss give me hopeless tragedy!! I honestly think that would work so well, especially since stuff like Hadestown in recent years has proven that people will still love and enjoy a play even if it has the bleakest fucking ending. Fingers crossed someone will be able to properly stage and produce this show one day, it deserves to be seen.
I agree except for the hopeless part. Hadestown was so successful I think because it's a hopefull tragedy. No matter how many times you see it and know the ending, you can't help but hope that just this once they'll change the ending.
@@yvaincallipso84 Andre DeShields does such a great job conveying this on the soundtrack as well. His delivery of "And we're gonna sing it again" combined with the finale "Raise Your Cup" brings me to tears even as I think about it!
I have done so much research into Superbia, both before and after the Tick…Tick…Boom movie. It’s been a dramaturgical dream to wrestle with the countless drafts, and using just Larson’s words to find a version that would strike with today’s audiences. I have lost some of that passion in recent months, focusing on my own work and finding the possibility of working on something so massive feeling impossible for a 20something theatre maker. Thank you for this piece, it has lit a fire under me.
Hello! i'm planning a trip to DC to do just the same thing. Any tips for what i'm in store for? I am happy to know i'm not the only one that sees the potential in JL's work
@@kimishere7240 the issue is fighting your own dramaturgical/playwriting instincts. I’ve gone through archived drafts and I always want to merge different sections from different drafts together, and to add connective tissue through book work of my own. But to do it properly, as a historical piece, the pieces can be shifted and drafts can be swapped in and out. But, to adapt or blend in a way more violent than that is to damage the mission of mounting this show. To do this show is to show the only other full book musical of the author of the most important composer/lyricist of the end of the 20th century. To see the first ripples of what shifted musical theatre forever. To editorialize is to bastardize it, and the fight against that urge is strong.
if audiences love and understand shows like Be More Chill, I don’t see why Superbia can’t be workshopped in 2022. I’d love to see more of Larson’s work produced and give him that full circle moment where the show he put so much into, finally takes off ❤️
I’m so invested in everything Larson…but sometimes just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. I think BMC struggles with the same challenges the book for Superbia allegedly did (great melodies, not so much everything else); the only difference is that BMC got produced 30 years later in a theater environment that is much more inviting to modernity. I don’t know if a production of Superbia would be a service to his legacy at this point since he did go on to write a quintessential piece of theater afterward
Man, I love your documentaries SO MUCH. They're so exciting to listen to. Every time I'm watching one I'm at the edge of my seat, waiting for the next big plot twist. The way you tell those stories does it better than any other RUclips channel I know. So give yourself and your team a pat on the shoulder and be proud of yourselves. You’re awesome.
The short version is that it would be incredibly complicated. "Boho Days" goes into better detail on this, but basically there's just so many different drafts of Superbia it would be hard to parse a complete version from that.
@@kilimenjiro3753 Any idea how hard it would be from a legal standpoint? I heard LMM had a real hard time getting the sheet music to use in the Tick Tick Boom movie, but I wasn’t sure if that was a problem with the Library of Congress or the Larson estate.
@@Gemnist98 Don't know where you heard that from, it's news to me, but I do know the Larson estate is fairly sensitive about what Jonathan Larson music gets released. It's mostly about protecting his image, namely it's pretty vulnerable to put these songs that reflect his early development as a writer out into the open, which is part of the reason why most of the Superbia music still hasn't had a major release (I'm actually working on my own video essay about that!). I imagine Lin-Manuel Miranda's issue was more putting Larson's actual handwriting and sheet music onscreen, though I wouldn't be surprised if he had to fight to include the new songs. That being said, I find it hard to believe the legal thing is a major barrier to a Superbia revival. It's just a really complex endeavor: there was an attempt at making an animated movie version in the mid-2000s that didn't go anywhere largely because they couldn't handle the multiple drafts on top of adapting it for a different medium.
I'd say the biggest issue with Superbia, is that it's clearly more focused on it's concept, world building, and commentary. Than it is on the story and characters. The lore is fascinating, but the characters are more defined by the world built around them, rather than themselves. It feels very similar to Ready Player One's film adaptation issues.
If you listen to the superbia live stream Brenden mentioned that somone from Seattle Washington is putting on a production of superbia with an all LGBTQ+ cast. Brenden met him while researching superbia at the library of congress in DC
He met someone that WANTS to produce it. They don't have the rights yet. The rights lay with Larsons estate so any productions would need to be approved thru them.
@@drodcurrie sorry thats all the info I know. I too am from the area so I will keep my eye out for any local theatres putting on superbia in the next few years.
I’m currently writing an original musical and have already watched this 3 times - not sure your intent was an AMAZING breakdown on what makes musicals work and what to keep in mind in the writing process, but I will treasure this doc forever. Thank you ❤️
Good luck, Maiga! I hope you are surrounded by people who support your vision and help you through any writers blocks you may experience. Some of us never dare to dream such ambitious dreams for ourselves.
@@trentintampa9328 I appreciate your words so much Trent! And it is never too late to dream such dreams - I started much later than Larson, but I hope to catch up to him someday. I'm sure you can do the same ❤️
There's so much that I can relate to in terms of Jonathan's journey from Superbia to Tick Tick Boom to Rent. Superbia feels like he was leaning into trends, but his cynicism and desperation to please everyone led to a project with a lot of potential, but no real possibility. I feel like now, it could work as a concept album, especially given that concert he held. TikTok would eat this shit up. Tick Tick Boom feels the most parallel to where I am now as a writer, trying to make art that means something in the midst of a world that feels indifferent and disingenuine. And Rent? It'll always be my first love. It's something that hits different after a couple decades. Do all the characters suck? Oh yeah. Do I still love the music? Hell yes! Besides that, it really put a new spin on rock musicals. Looking forward to the Fun Home video!
I don’t think all the people (and there where a lot) who didn’t believe in superbia were wrong. The premise sounds equally confusing and sophomoric. I think the whole thing is a lesson in killing your darlings, not getting so committed to one thing that you pour your entire being into something subpar and don’t continue on to write other, better things. I don’t believe it’s a lost gem no matter how romantic that idea is.
Also perhaps controversially but I think a dystopian musical about the same themes of the ever present spectre of tv is done much better in rocky horror 2 Shock Treatment (weird.. it also has an electrocution theme..)
As an enthusiast for Tick, Tick... Boom and someone putting on Rent at his school, this was a really interesting and entertaining watch! I found it interesting how this made all the lyrics in "Come to Your Senses" make sense lol!
You should really do a video on the Oklahoma revival and what went wrong next, I work at a theater and personally thought it was a decent show but out of a crowd of usually 2000 we would have on average 600 walkouts a night. I think it would be interesting to explore why it's so well received in reviews yet hated by audiences, also loved this video!
I think one issue is that was clearly produced with the venue in mind as so much of it revolved around the layout of the Circle in the Square that there was no way it would work in a normal theater
I loved the production but I'm still bitter that I waited on line for chili for 20 minutes, only to have them say they had to stop and pack up literally right before I was next to get a cup
Sorry to hijack your comment but I had some thoughts and felt like sharing. I saw the tour not too ago (assuming that’s what you’re talking about) with my parents and we all had negative feelings about the show for different reasons. For context: my dad knew going in (from me) that it was based on the 2019 revival and was going to be a bit darker but didn’t have any expectations going in, my mom went in not knowing the nature of this production but knew the material from when she stage managed the show in high school. Both are experienced theater goers and loved the shows I went to see with them on Broadway (Hadestown for my dad and Company for my mom.) I felt that the actors were lacking the energy needed to make it work, so an already slow and ponderous production felt like a total slog. The music was good but because the actors were only 80% that day (probably because it was a 2 show day and the last performance at the stop so they most likely just wanted to gtfo) it felt kind of cheap and second rate. I also felt that some of the direction and production design would have worked better in a more intimate venue where you feel like you’re in it with the actors rather than watching from a distance. My dad had similar feelings but also felt that it didn’t really “update” much so things that are now considered problematic were still there. I realized after that it was probably the point, to make you really wallow in the grosser elements of the show, like the Ado Annie side plot or Curly being a smarmy piece of shit, but it just didn’t click. I think my mom’s thoughts were most representative of the average theatergoer to that production. All she knew going in was that it was Oklahoma, the whimsical R&H show with the catchy tunes and fun production numbers. So to be presented with an dark, art theater piece (and not one done all that well) is quite the shock. Stuff like the dream ballet is pretty abstract and more of a head-scratcher than anything else. Also, I have a feeling that for some people in the audience (especially considering the demographic that would pay to see Oklahoma on tour), there was an element of transphobia that was causing walkouts, especially in the first act.
@@sparky4223 i think you make a really good point when it comes to the transphobia at play, i overheard a lot of disgust towards ado annie and it was very disheartening to hear. After seeing the actors leave the theater that last night you could see they all felt so defeated and i truly empathize with them, like i can only imagine how hard it is to even give half your best when almost half your audience is rooting for your failure. Thank you for your reply though it was very insightful!
I can't stand RENT, and from the description of Superbia I can't say I think I'd have liked it much better -- *but good on him for his perseverence.* Art means communication, communication means sharing, sharing means caring, and caring means *caring even when no one else does.* We all have different artistic tastes, but ANY artist or art lover must recognize and respect that.
I’ll be honest, I don’t really like Superbia, at least given what I’ve learnt about it so far. I love RENT and Tick Tick Boom and I do appreciate Jonathan Larson, but this musical seems like it wouldn’t really have been great commentary, but more the kind of self-righteous storytelling that one would expect of a young artist who is proud of having “seen through the system”. There’s an anti-establishment theme that runs through all of Larson’s shows, from Superbia to TTB to RENT, but I think this is probably the poorest expression of it. It sounds more like a kind of “wow everyone’s so dumb, ggod thing the all-powerful artist is gonna free them” kind of story. I think that’s a bit of a problem with TTB and RENT too, but it’s much less present than it seems to be in this one. In my opinion, Stone wasn’t really wrong: Just saying “TV is bad, traditional entertainment is good” is not any kind of political statement, it’s just nostalgia without a message. I’m glad Larson moved more towards clear political commentary in RENT, I think it really improves the musical.
Not to take away from the comment, but given the very cynicism displayed by so many Zoomers today it makes me wonder if superbia just needed the right generation to speak to.
@@CJBroonie I personally don’t think it’s a generational thing, though. I agree with OP that, from how the story is presented in this video (and I will fully admit that not having read it myself and that the tone of the video is skewed towards it being a more humorous summary), the commentary still feels a bit shallow. Cynicism was still very present before Gen Z, and I think the most interesting concepts in the story presented have been present in the Sci-fi genre for decades, with the most successful having been able to dive deeper and come up with more interesting things to say then what Superbia seemed to been presenting. Again, I can’t say for certain without having read anything myself, but I genuinely don’t think that it’s a case of “the older generations weren’t ready for Superbia,” but more of a case of “on one hand this social commentary feels too shallow as it is currently presented, and on the others, ideas of how systems use entertainment to appease/control the masses have been done better in sci-fi literature time and time again for decades, and it doesn’t feel like you’re adding anything new to the conversation.” Exploring how entertainment can be used to create social stratification and control our attention and/or behavior is always interesting, but it’s not new. And, as the OP said, Larson doesn’t seem to have gone beyond the “new forms of entertainment BAD, traditional art GOOD,” and “people are sheep, they need this unique and creative artist to save them.”
@@bebel9 you know, I was trying to figure out what exactly I don't think this didn't sound great to begin with, but I think you hit the nail on the head.
Neither do I, but having watched this documentary I am touched by the story of Jonathan Larson. Also something I've learned about ideas and creativity is this: a really, really great new idea usually sounds crazy when you first hear it. That's one of the things that makes being first with something great so painful and frustrating.
I would love to see Superbia performed as a limited concert in a tribute to Larson, similar to other performances over the years. Obviously someone would have to go through the drafts and polish it up, but I think it could be really cool to make his dream of a Broadway performance come true in a way.
Something that I think is Interesting is that despite being set in 1990, Tick tick boom shows the earlier, less dark, 1985/1986 version of superbia and not the post 87 version. It still heavily features come to your senses, it has the music box, and the laser mishap leading to a face award nomination.
Okay okay lesbian ramblings aside man what a video, your ability to go to rarely seen lengths for the sake of research and taking the time to truly understand the context of every single decision made before you break them down never ceases to amaze me. Like many people I was dying to hear more about Superbia after Tick Tick Boom and soured at the lack of information available online, this video is exactly what was needed, we genuinely owe you so much for all the information you consistently manage to bring to light. Incredible work, the moment my income becomes stable I am jumping over to patreon that is a promise (Also loved the doodles! 10/10 art skills)
Not gonna lie, the plot sounds like an episode of Doctor Who or like one of those crazy adult animated movies from the 80s. It could’ve worked as an animated film but I also think had Larson lived past the success of Rent, he could’ve figured out how to make Superbia work for the stage (maybe not Broadway) especially since so many shows have been able to utilize digital special effects.
I think he did tbh. A story all about resisting the establishment, enjoying life for the simple pleasures instead of just the pursuit of fame and money, centered heavily around the power of art and with a song that (kinda) saves one of the protagonists at the end? I'd say RENT is sort of a heavily reworked and refined version of Superbia - just not inspired by sci-fi and 1984, but instead by La Boheme and by the real-life HIV/AIDS epidemic. It definitely still carries a lot of the same DNA.
@@socialismandrevolution8299 for sure, I just think there is still some potential in his original ideas for Superbia and maybe he could’ve figure out a way to make his earlier project work especially with how much the theater landscape has changed over the years.
Yea, the reason why it sounds like an episode of Doctor Who is because it is actually rather similar in premise to the episode in the first season with Eccleston where they end up on the game show satellite orbiting earth-- not identical, but the premises are def similar
Oh my god. Oh my god there is so much to say about this video but I just reached the end and the announcement of a Fun Home centric video and I'm in a state of excitement that has me close to squealing I'm so excited for this!!!!! Such a phenomenal musical, I can't wait to see you dive into it
I've got to say this was not only fascinating (all your videos are) but so encouraging as an aspiring, not yet officially published writer. We don't talk enough about the good side of failing, and it can become so hopeless before you get there - whatever magical marker you've set for yourself.
I feel like Superbia could work well as a movie musical to achieve the effects that Jonathan Larson was looking for although I'm not sure how good the story itself is. Also, it would have to be updated to be VR control rather than TV because sadly most of the storyline has come to fruition
I came to this video because someone put the link on a subreddit and man what an amazing job! Congratulations for your video, I love it. Since I saw Tick Tick Boom I wanted to know more about Superbia and this documentary is the most complete video I have found
I had been familiar a bit with the general plot of Superbia from when Tick Tick Boom came out but I had no idea that Marin Mazzie helped with the initial workshops. RIP, another broadway legend taken from us too soon
I am convinced that Ben Elton must have had some knowledge of Superbia to have gone on to write the book for the Queen Musical, We Will Rock You. The parallels between the 2 are uncanny.
Amazing documentary! A renthead here and always love learning more about the scope of Larson’s work and life. Thank you Jonathan Larson! And thank you 🙏🏻
@@WaitintheWings I did so much. I was recently reminded of a video you made years ago about the outsider trope where you sight phantom and grizabella. Do you have any interest in doing other theater trope videos in the future?
i just wanted to say i've been so enamored with jonathan larson's story ever since i watched the 2021 adaptation of tick tick boom, and i was especially intrigued by the mentions of "superbia" within it. i was devastated when i couldn't find... pretty much anything about it online, so when my friend sent me a video of yours about the american psycho musical (another fixation of mine) and i saw that you'd made another vid about superbia, i immediately knew that i HAD to watch it. everything you talked about was so in-depth and truly created a compelling story. i would give anything to be able to go to the library of congress and listen to the recordings or read the script for this show because--as flawed as it may be--i think it really speaks to the nature of the time in which it was created, as well as the psyche of its creator. when i found out that larson died a day before rent opened on broadway, i SOBBED, and learning about his struggles with superbia made me even more sympathetic toward him. i think he would appreciate knowing that people out there still care about his work, especially enough to do such an in-depth report on it as you have. larson clearly DESPERATELY wanted people to know about superbia, and with this video, you have given a lot of people that opportunity. this is probably the closest i'll ever get to truly being able to appreciate the show, and for that, i am immensely grateful... and i think larson would be, too. :)
I think a good way to honor Jonathan is to have Superbia be completed and be made into a musical film. I say film instead of stage show because more people can be reached through film.
Wow, so Gizel plays Roi and I already knew that Josh Henry played Josh Out. I love how you explained the whole story, from Jonathan going to the nightclub to the “what ifs?”. Amazing video!!! 💗
Thank you for this work of art!! I can't imagine how much work went into this, sifting through notes and recordings and weaving it all into historical context. There is so little online about Superbia - all I'd been able to track down is a basic synopsis of V1 and V2. As someone who lives across the world from the US (I doubt I'll ever get the chance to see the original items in DC), I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing in such a beautifully creative way! I still think the optimistic early versions sound great, even with cheesy songs making the computer explode as the ending.🤣
Another incredible documentary by WITW. While I have never been a huge fan of Rent, I have always been a fan of Larson, his story, and his legacy. This is a terrific glimpse into all three. Were he around today, I think he would be pretty pleased at the landscape of Broadway today - while it's still subject to works based around pre-existing IPs as a cash grab, I think he'd revel in pieces like Hadestown, Fun Home, and The Great Comet. I do think his darker version of Superbia would fit right in this day and age, but it seems this and others, came around at the wrong time. (Much like another personal favorite America Psycho) A huge thank you to Brendon for giving the rightful credit to all the lost shows, all the written off pieces and BTS stories that otherwise might have been lost to time.
I think all of us have written something with a post-apocalyptic theme and changed it from hopeful to drab. Speaking from personal experience, I'm sure Larson was (and is) definitely not alone in that.
The internet came too late for Superbia. Kinda ironic since it's one of the late 20th century tech-future anxiety works. In today's online age one doesn't need a producer to share their art to the world. Would it have gone viral and made gotten someone's attention? Maybe not, it really did seem too ambitious of a plot for a Broadway show. But there was clearly an audience for the music and I could see it gaining a comfortable following. Especially among the "MTV generation" that wasn't too into the theatre district. Hadestown famously was an album before it began it's journey to Broadway and it did have a good following among the folk crowd. The Lemon Twigs put together "Go To School" themselves and labeled it a musical even though it probably could never actually make it to a stage.
Thank you so much for doing this. I'm currently getting ready to take a trip to D.C just for this, I can't imagine the amount of research and HOURS you must of spent on this. I don't know exactly if you respond to your emails often but I sent over one regarding research. Thank you Thank you Thank THANK YOU for doing this - it means the world
Superbia was and probably is so ahead of its time to the point that almost 40 years later it has remained unstageable all while conversely becoming far more relevant in the age of social media. Like, I was watching Tick Tick Boom last December and the whole idea of the media transmitters felt like an eerie prescience of smartphones plus… the fact that they all have cameras and Internet connection, well there’s no need for a huge-ass satellite up in space.
To say I loved your video would be an understatement. The visuals, graphics and b-roll you had was perfectly put together. And, of course it was such a good look at Jonathan's life and Superbia, my forever inspiration.
Loved this video! I always love your in depth documentaries about musicals I never even heard about. This story does remind me of the quote (commonly misattributed to Einstein) "Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results".
I know that description of the synopsis was supposed to sound chaotic and incomprehensible, but that actually sounds dope. I don't know why it didn't work on stage cause on paper that sounds amazing.
Just gotta say, the story of Superbia kinda reminds me of the story of We Will Rock You, the jukebox musical. Wonder if there was any inspiration from Superbia in that…
AHHH it’s here!! I’ve been so excited to watch this! After watching Tick Tick Boom, I’ve been consuming all the content pertaining to this composer. There’s not much coverage of Superbia out there, so thank you for this deep dive into its history!! Love your content so much💗💗💗
The production quality of this video is out of this world. Did Larson at least get to have a nice time in Nantucket? The space spy being called "Hank" is so charming.
Thank you so much for making this wonderful doc. I've been waiting for something like this on Superbia for so long. I have known about the Library Of Congress files for a long time, with no idea how someone could access them, I am so glad you've put this together!!!
This was more information about the musical I never knew had this much history. This was perfection at its finest. I do have to ask, since you did a history on Superbia, maybe you could do one in Rent? I'm sure there's information that no one may not know, such as why Aronson never received credit for the work to this day? Just a thought.
Your documentaries are always really engaging and informative, and this one is no exception. I love Rent and Tick, Tick...Boom!, and based on what I've heard, I think I would love Superbia, as well. Thank you for covering this show!
It's sad that he never got to see social media of today, with all its pros and cons. Can you imagine him coming back from the dead and seeing all that?!
It’s crazy that Larson was so forward thinking to see the world we are living in today but couldn’t figure out how to articulate it into someone the average theater goer would get. I would’ve loved to have seen what he would’ve come up with for 1984. I bet he would’ve had a great interpretation for that.
This piece is masterful. I can’t believe I got to watch it for free and that RUclips’s algorithm brought it to me. I was lucky enough to see Fun Home at Circle In the Square. I went in knowing nothing and was wrecked emotionally by the end in the most beautiful way possible. Thank you for this. Keep making. Bravo.
I'm not familiar enough with Larson or his work to have heard of Superbia before, but woof, what a story. You're doing some great documentary work here, man!
Your video came in at a perfect time for me! I literally watched Tick Tick Boom last Friday and couldn't stop thinking if there was more to Superbia. Thanks for making this video :)
Thank you for these documentary videos! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched them and how many people I’ve told about your channel! Please continue these series, they are so interesting and informative 😊
I loved this one so much! It's really timely as well since right now I am querying a novel and keep being rejected. But you have to keep using what feels like a failure to help you keep moving forward. Jonathan Larson was a true visionary and it is such a shame that we never got more works from him. Also, now that we are doing Fun Home....I did see the Korean adaptation when it was produced in 2020. Also, I have a friend based in New York who saw the show a record 23 times...so if you need any audience type stuff about it...
I honestly don’t find the basic plot to be hard to follow at all. In fact, I think taking the basis of Larson’s concepts and music, Superbia could be fully imagined for Broadway or the big screen today. I find the general world he created to be intriguing, inventive, and relevant. I don’t disagree with the general critiques given at the time- that the show was too complicated to be produced. However, the show could be realized for either Broadway or the screen now with ease. I would thoroughly enjoy a collaborative effort to reimagine Superbia. It could be done in a way that workshops and revamps the show while also remaining true to the artistic integrity and vision of the original source material that Jonathon created. Without a doubt in my mind, if Larson were still with us, I fully believe that he would’ve been able to complete his lifelong work to see Superbia on Broadway.
Wow just WOW this was a true labor of love and for just under an hour we were in Larsons world. It’s was crazy and strange but all the more fascinating.
Honestly the "dark" version sounds a thousand percent better. The ending is a little melodramatic but it fixes a lot of the issues with the too cheesy original. I'd go see it if someone could manage to make it.
I would have liked the version with the happy ending (but that’s my bias showing). Finding your videos so interesting thanks for all the time you’ve spent on this.
I can't say it enough, "Boho Days" is one of the best deep dive books I've ever read. If you wanna learn more about the obscure works of a composer taken way too soon check it out for yourself: amzn.to/3E2J1FR
Also if you want to help me continue to make long form video docs like this, consider heading over the WitW patreon: www.patreon.com/witw
And if you DONT want to spend money. A simple share of the video or a like would be great too.
The 80s were a warning of what we live in now.
I think that Superbia would be extremely relevant to pull off as a musical today in 2022. He was ahead of its time with this musical and with some refinement I think it could be good.
No longer futuristic though. We have arrived.
... it is basic af and reads like a teenagers first sci fi story
@@LynnHermione true but who wrote what first is the question 🤔
Except someone who truly cared about his work would have the responsibility of revising and finishing it. Like the Recobbled cut of Thief and the Cobbler.
I’m afraid to ask how is it relevant for today.
I think part of the problem was trying to incorporate every critique. Just because an expert says you should change X or Y of a story doesn't mean that it's actually a good idea to do so, especially when you try and apply every single note.
Agreed. And I think that that's indicative of a shaky foundation. As Brendon is unspooling the narrative of Superbia, I'm hearing a collection of "concepts" that have been stapled together into some kind of hard-to-fathom story. When one of your first pieces of feedback is "add an antagonist", then you're pretty darn early in the process of developing your piece. Maybe I'd have to read the script, but from just this video I'm not surprised this got round after round of rejections. It sounds like his driving energy was for the innovation in the musical form, but I can't really tell what exactly he was trying to say about repression, individuality and his other themes.
I once heard of a Hollywood screenwriter who said if he had to start over, he would take a college major in classic literature. Sounds to me like this guy needed less musical brilliance and more knowledge in how to write powerful fiction.
That said, I think his adaptation of 1984 would have been amaze-balls!!!!
@@allenrubinstein3696 Agreed! Not to be mean, but listening to the summary of the story, to me it had a very “I’m 17 and this is deep commentary” vibe. There were nuggets there that seemed interesting, but nothing struck me as particularly unique about his premise (then again, I can’t know for sure without having read the work myself). The innovative factor would come in the form of the music and the fact that it was a Sci-fi Musical, but the story itself seems so concerned with trying to make a “Relevant Commentary About Society” that it forgets that it is telling a story and that we need to care about the characters. It would have been interesting to see what he could have done with it once he became a bit more mature and experienced, and it’s sad that we’re never going to have a chance to see it.
I remember some dude in gamedev saying "listen to the feelings, ignore the solutions"
Yeah that's a common problem when you begin at writing. Either you think you are a genius and people are morons so you don't listen to them at all so your work never improves, either you think all criticism is right and you correct them to the point that you don't recognize your own writing. Then when you have experience, you learn to see what criticism is relevant or not, and if they're not, why it was a problem for the critic. For instance, if someone tells you "add an antagonist", it doesn't necessarily mean you have to add an antagonist (you have good stories that doesn't have one), but you may miss an element that would engage people into the story and makes the plot evolve.
But that's a long road to get there.
@@Mazapan404 yeah that's why on the writing forum I'm in, we have a rule : we point out problems (or thing we consider problems), but we never give solutions.
I'm nowhere near Larson's level of dedication to his craft, but I can acknowledge how soul crushing it must have been for the responses to Superbia be "Great, I look forward to the next one". After SO much work, that must have been soul destroying.
And he never got to hear the audience praise from his musical that actually took off. At least he died with the joy of the coming up preview.
@@MsAliciaRLThis right here is why I can’t bring myself to criticize RENT, even though there are plenty of things one could criticize about it. But the ghost of Johnathan Larson is so inextricably tied to the show that criticizing it feels like criticizing him, and I don’t feel comfortable speaking ill of the dead (unless they’re a total asshole, and Larson wasn’t as far as I know)
Wait in the Wings: *trying to explain the plot of Superbia as if its the most complex story in the world*
me: this is just the plot of every early 2000s dystopian movie, why did everyone think this play was so confusing??
I guess it was ahead of it's time when it was written. Now it's played out.
We only got what Superbia is about, not how it was written word per word. Maybe there were little things that made the storytelling confusing, not the story itself.
Because it’s so disorganized. It’s a mess. It’s a tangled doorstop of a story. It would need to get streamlined down. That’s what I’d tell Jonathan - strip the thing down to its basic plot. Start there. Then add to that plot.
an early 2000s dystopia in 1980??? ur about 20 years too early
i think it wasn’t because it was necessarily ‘confusing’ more just too unique for theatre, just people trying to make it seem bad when its just different for the field its in.
like you don’t see sci fi dystopias too often in 1980s-90s theatre, more operatic classics.
The fact that Starlight Express was able to get onto Broadway and not Superbia BLOWS my mind and is so frustrating.
Maybe it's because Webber did the smart thing of waiting until he already made a name for himself before working on a weird passion project...
Also while starlight is silly, it is entertaining, which in the end is the most important thing in the entertainment industry. Not that I would call superbia high art either, more like those drawings about "the evils of social media" about how we all are desperate for likes, that the attention desperate artists post on their facebook and instegram begging for likes.
Superbia doesn't have roller skates /s
@@castlegarden2999 which makes it much less entertaining and visually appealing😁
SAME.
I love Starlight Express.
When my friend got me to watch Tick Tick Boom, the whole time I was wondering about that musical and wanted to hear more of it- like I would complain that most of the songs are hidden away somewhere
Sos Is amazing 😍
So far LCD Readout, One of these Days, Come to Your Senses, and Sextet have been released in some form
I have never seen the concept of any story go from THAT sappy and bright to THAT dark and cynical THAT fast. This man really was having troubles. Glad he worked it out though.
Actually it sounded bit Romeo Juliette the last version. But reversed
@@antomcmanus1775
I'd picture it more as a more cynical take on the Romeo and Juliet narrative from the perspective of Rosaline(whom Elizabeth would represent), in the sense that the "laser play" with Roi the spy[if that was still maintained in the latter script] were to play out as the bottom line-popular yet ethically superficial viewing of R and J's romance by the Superbia landscape.
A sort 80s synth Jesus Christ Superstar-like narative(told from the perspective of long-time vilanized[even to only the mere underliningly sexist degree] side character), if you will.
I would fucking love to see the version of Superbia with the 33:59 ending like yesss give me hopeless tragedy!! I honestly think that would work so well, especially since stuff like Hadestown in recent years has proven that people will still love and enjoy a play even if it has the bleakest fucking ending. Fingers crossed someone will be able to properly stage and produce this show one day, it deserves to be seen.
more writers shouldn't be afraid to ditch the happy ending cliche. give me a tragic/bittersweet ending, it might hurt but i live for it, aha.
I agree except for the hopeless part. Hadestown was so successful I think because it's a hopefull tragedy. No matter how many times you see it and know the ending, you can't help but hope that just this once they'll change the ending.
@@yvaincallipso84 Andre DeShields does such a great job conveying this on the soundtrack as well. His delivery of "And we're gonna sing it again" combined with the finale "Raise Your Cup" brings me to tears even as I think about it!
I wouldn't call it bleak.... Its a Greek tragedy
I came to make the same comment! Seriously, I think the tragic ending would've made more impact with the message he was trying to get across.
This story inspired me. This man got rejected but learned to bounce back and ended up writing a true masterpiece. That's the lesson. Never give up.
I have done so much research into Superbia, both before and after the Tick…Tick…Boom movie. It’s been a dramaturgical dream to wrestle with the countless drafts, and using just Larson’s words to find a version that would strike with today’s audiences.
I have lost some of that passion in recent months, focusing on my own work and finding the possibility of working on something so massive feeling impossible for a 20something theatre maker.
Thank you for this piece, it has lit a fire under me.
Hello! i'm planning a trip to DC to do just the same thing. Any tips for what i'm in store for? I am happy to know i'm not the only one that sees the potential in JL's work
@@kimishere7240 the issue is fighting your own dramaturgical/playwriting instincts. I’ve gone through archived drafts and I always want to merge different sections from different drafts together, and to add connective tissue through book work of my own. But to do it properly, as a historical piece, the pieces can be shifted and drafts can be swapped in and out. But, to adapt or blend in a way more violent than that is to damage the mission of mounting this show. To do this show is to show the only other full book musical of the author of the most important composer/lyricist of the end of the 20th century. To see the first ripples of what shifted musical theatre forever. To editorialize is to bastardize it, and the fight against that urge is strong.
if audiences love and understand shows like Be More Chill, I don’t see why Superbia can’t be workshopped in 2022. I’d love to see more of Larson’s work produced and give him that full circle moment where the show he put so much into, finally takes off ❤️
I’m so invested in everything Larson…but sometimes just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. I think BMC struggles with the same challenges the book for Superbia allegedly did (great melodies, not so much everything else); the only difference is that BMC got produced 30 years later in a theater environment that is much more inviting to modernity. I don’t know if a production of Superbia would be a service to his legacy at this point since he did go on to write a quintessential piece of theater afterward
Man, I love your documentaries SO MUCH. They're so exciting to listen to. Every time I'm watching one I'm at the edge of my seat, waiting for the next big plot twist. The way you tell those stories does it better than any other RUclips channel I know. So give yourself and your team a pat on the shoulder and be proud of yourselves. You’re awesome.
This means so much to hear. Thank you! :D
They remind me a lot of Defunctland. Very well-written with super interesting stories about a specific topic about their field.
i feel like starkid could definitely pull off a superbia production
Oh my god you’re so right 😳😂
Absolutely
Lauren Lopez as the girl
I feel like Jeff Blim could've remade Superbia for a modern audience
i need to see this
Come on StarKid! You can do it!
Be honest: What are the odds that someone could take "Suburbia", revamp it slightly, and actually get it on Broadway? I would LOVE to hear this music!
The short version is that it would be incredibly complicated. "Boho Days" goes into better detail on this, but basically there's just so many different drafts of Superbia it would be hard to parse a complete version from that.
@@kilimenjiro3753 Any idea how hard it would be from a legal standpoint? I heard LMM had a real hard time getting the sheet music to use in the Tick Tick Boom movie, but I wasn’t sure if that was a problem with the Library of Congress or the Larson estate.
@@Gemnist98 Don't know where you heard that from, it's news to me, but I do know the Larson estate is fairly sensitive about what Jonathan Larson music gets released. It's mostly about protecting his image, namely it's pretty vulnerable to put these songs that reflect his early development as a writer out into the open, which is part of the reason why most of the Superbia music still hasn't had a major release (I'm actually working on my own video essay about that!). I imagine Lin-Manuel Miranda's issue was more putting Larson's actual handwriting and sheet music onscreen, though I wouldn't be surprised if he had to fight to include the new songs.
That being said, I find it hard to believe the legal thing is a major barrier to a Superbia revival. It's just a really complex endeavor: there was an attempt at making an animated movie version in the mid-2000s that didn't go anywhere largely because they couldn't handle the multiple drafts on top of adapting it for a different medium.
I find it hysterical that the writer of 1776 was literally telling Larson to “Sit Down John”
Larson was ahead of his time. I love the first version of Superbia, feels like it could be made in present day
That hour of story went by like 10 mins Wait in the Wings always makes me feel entranced with how the story is told
You're so kind. Thank you for this that really means alot and I'm happy you enjoyed the video!
I'd say the biggest issue with Superbia, is that it's clearly more focused on it's concept, world building, and commentary. Than it is on the story and characters.
The lore is fascinating, but the characters are more defined by the world built around them, rather than themselves.
It feels very similar to Ready Player One's film adaptation issues.
yes!!! that's exactly what i thought! meanwhile, jonathan thrives when writing character-driven songs and narratives.
I hope one of these days someone gets the permission to restage Superbia, from TTB it already sounds incredible
If you listen to the superbia live stream Brenden mentioned that somone from Seattle Washington is putting on a production of superbia with an all LGBTQ+ cast. Brenden met him while researching superbia at the library of congress in DC
@@selenamcmahan9234 Is there any more information on that? I'm from the area and would love to see it if possible.
He met someone that WANTS to produce it. They don't have the rights yet. The rights lay with Larsons estate so any productions would need to be approved thru them.
@@drodcurrie sorry thats all the info I know. I too am from the area so I will keep my eye out for any local theatres putting on superbia in the next few years.
@@AmbeeLee Good to know, makes sense.
I’m currently writing an original musical and have already watched this 3 times - not sure your intent was an AMAZING breakdown on what makes musicals work and what to keep in mind in the writing process, but I will treasure this doc forever. Thank you ❤️
Good luck, Maiga! I hope you are surrounded by people who support your vision and help you through any writers blocks you may experience. Some of us never dare to dream such ambitious dreams for ourselves.
@@trentintampa9328 I appreciate your words so much Trent! And it is never too late to dream such dreams - I started much later than Larson, but I hope to catch up to him someday. I'm sure you can do the same ❤️
There's so much that I can relate to in terms of Jonathan's journey from Superbia to Tick Tick Boom to Rent.
Superbia feels like he was leaning into trends, but his cynicism and desperation to please everyone led to a project with a lot of potential, but no real possibility. I feel like now, it could work as a concept album, especially given that concert he held. TikTok would eat this shit up.
Tick Tick Boom feels the most parallel to where I am now as a writer, trying to make art that means something in the midst of a world that feels indifferent and disingenuine.
And Rent? It'll always be my first love. It's something that hits different after a couple decades. Do all the characters suck? Oh yeah. Do I still love the music? Hell yes! Besides that, it really put a new spin on rock musicals.
Looking forward to the Fun Home video!
I don’t think all the people (and there where a lot) who didn’t believe in superbia were wrong. The premise sounds equally confusing and sophomoric. I think the whole thing is a lesson in killing your darlings, not getting so committed to one thing that you pour your entire being into something subpar and don’t continue on to write other, better things. I don’t believe it’s a lost gem no matter how romantic that idea is.
Also perhaps controversially but I think a dystopian musical about the same themes of the ever present spectre of tv is done much better in rocky horror 2 Shock Treatment (weird.. it also has an electrocution theme..)
I followed the plot pretty well when you explained it with simple words, but in musical format I think I would be very confused the whole time
Anyone else loving the fact that Jonathan Larson wrote a venting letter and opened with "AHHHHHHHHH! BULL****!"?
No? Just me? Okay 😁
wow! I had no background going in and learned so much. MBA is my new favorite supervillain.
As an enthusiast for Tick, Tick... Boom and someone putting on Rent at his school, this was a really interesting and entertaining watch! I found it interesting how this made all the lyrics in "Come to Your Senses" make sense lol!
I love the focus on one of those "never was" shows. I think every struggling playwright out there would be really cheered up if they saw this.
Is it weird that I followed the explanation of Superbia’s plot pretty well? It sounds really cool
"sadly the world Larson envisioned while writing Superbia has come true" DAMN talk about a gut punch
You should really do a video on the Oklahoma revival and what went wrong next, I work at a theater and personally thought it was a decent show but out of a crowd of usually 2000 we would have on average 600 walkouts a night. I think it would be interesting to explore why it's so well received in reviews yet hated by audiences, also loved this video!
I think one issue is that was clearly produced with the venue in mind as so much of it revolved around the layout of the Circle in the Square that there was no way it would work in a normal theater
I loved the production but I'm still bitter that I waited on line for chili for 20 minutes, only to have them say they had to stop and pack up literally right before I was next to get a cup
Sorry to hijack your comment but I had some thoughts and felt like sharing. I saw the tour not too ago (assuming that’s what you’re talking about) with my parents and we all had negative feelings about the show for different reasons. For context: my dad knew going in (from me) that it was based on the 2019 revival and was going to be a bit darker but didn’t have any expectations going in, my mom went in not knowing the nature of this production but knew the material from when she stage managed the show in high school. Both are experienced theater goers and loved the shows I went to see with them on Broadway (Hadestown for my dad and Company for my mom.)
I felt that the actors were lacking the energy needed to make it work, so an already slow and ponderous production felt like a total slog. The music was good but because the actors were only 80% that day (probably because it was a 2 show day and the last performance at the stop so they most likely just wanted to gtfo) it felt kind of cheap and second rate. I also felt that some of the direction and production design would have worked better in a more intimate venue where you feel like you’re in it with the actors rather than watching from a distance.
My dad had similar feelings but also felt that it didn’t really “update” much so things that are now considered problematic were still there. I realized after that it was probably the point, to make you really wallow in the grosser elements of the show, like the Ado Annie side plot or Curly being a smarmy piece of shit, but it just didn’t click.
I think my mom’s thoughts were most representative of the average theatergoer to that production. All she knew going in was that it was Oklahoma, the whimsical R&H show with the catchy tunes and fun production numbers. So to be presented with an dark, art theater piece (and not one done all that well) is quite the shock. Stuff like the dream ballet is pretty abstract and more of a head-scratcher than anything else.
Also, I have a feeling that for some people in the audience (especially considering the demographic that would pay to see Oklahoma on tour), there was an element of transphobia that was causing walkouts, especially in the first act.
@@sparky4223 i think you make a really good point when it comes to the transphobia at play, i overheard a lot of disgust towards ado annie and it was very disheartening to hear. After seeing the actors leave the theater that last night you could see they all felt so defeated and i truly empathize with them, like i can only imagine how hard it is to even give half your best when almost half your audience is rooting for your failure. Thank you for your reply though it was very insightful!
The only thing that went "wrong" was the entire Baby Boomer generation.
I can't stand RENT, and from the description of Superbia I can't say I think I'd have liked it much better -- *but good on him for his perseverence.* Art means communication, communication means sharing, sharing means caring, and caring means *caring even when no one else does.* We all have different artistic tastes, but ANY artist or art lover must recognize and respect that.
Not gonna lie, bruh... "sharing means caring" kinda sounds like a meek cuck mindset.
I’ll be honest, I don’t really like Superbia, at least given what I’ve learnt about it so far. I love RENT and Tick Tick Boom and I do appreciate Jonathan Larson, but this musical seems like it wouldn’t really have been great commentary, but more the kind of self-righteous storytelling that one would expect of a young artist who is proud of having “seen through the system”.
There’s an anti-establishment theme that runs through all of Larson’s shows, from Superbia to TTB to RENT, but I think this is probably the poorest expression of it. It sounds more like a kind of “wow everyone’s so dumb, ggod thing the all-powerful artist is gonna free them” kind of story. I think that’s a bit of a problem with TTB and RENT too, but it’s much less present than it seems to be in this one.
In my opinion, Stone wasn’t really wrong: Just saying “TV is bad, traditional entertainment is good” is not any kind of political statement, it’s just nostalgia without a message. I’m glad Larson moved more towards clear political commentary in RENT, I think it really improves the musical.
Not to take away from the comment, but given the very cynicism displayed by so many Zoomers today it makes me wonder if superbia just needed the right generation to speak to.
@@CJBroonie I personally don’t think it’s a generational thing, though. I agree with OP that, from how the story is presented in this video (and I will fully admit that not having read it myself and that the tone of the video is skewed towards it being a more humorous summary), the commentary still feels a bit shallow. Cynicism was still very present before Gen Z, and I think the most interesting concepts in the story presented have been present in the Sci-fi genre for decades, with the most successful having been able to dive deeper and come up with more interesting things to say then what Superbia seemed to been presenting. Again, I can’t say for certain without having read anything myself, but I genuinely don’t think that it’s a case of “the older generations weren’t ready for Superbia,” but more of a case of “on one hand this social commentary feels too shallow as it is currently presented, and on the others, ideas of how systems use entertainment to appease/control the masses have been done better in sci-fi literature time and time again for decades, and it doesn’t feel like you’re adding anything new to the conversation.”
Exploring how entertainment can be used to create social stratification and control our attention and/or behavior is always interesting, but it’s not new. And, as the OP said, Larson doesn’t seem to have gone beyond the “new forms of entertainment BAD, traditional art GOOD,” and “people are sheep, they need this unique and creative artist to save them.”
@@bebel9 you know, I was trying to figure out what exactly I don't think this didn't sound great to begin with, but I think you hit the nail on the head.
@@bebel9 I think that's the terrible irony of anti-establishment media. They become established with the veneer of anti-establishment. Like Green Day.
Neither do I, but having watched this documentary I am touched by the story of Jonathan Larson. Also something I've learned about ideas and creativity is this: a really, really great new idea usually sounds crazy when you first hear it. That's one of the things that makes being first with something great so painful and frustrating.
I would love to see Superbia performed as a limited concert in a tribute to Larson, similar to other performances over the years. Obviously someone would have to go through the drafts and polish it up, but I think it could be really cool to make his dream of a Broadway performance come true in a way.
Something that I think is Interesting is that despite being set in 1990, Tick tick boom shows the earlier, less dark, 1985/1986 version of superbia and not the post 87 version. It still heavily features come to your senses, it has the music box, and the laser mishap leading to a face award nomination.
Okay okay lesbian ramblings aside man what a video, your ability to go to rarely seen lengths for the sake of research and taking the time to truly understand the context of every single decision made before you break them down never ceases to amaze me. Like many people I was dying to hear more about Superbia after Tick Tick Boom and soured at the lack of information available online, this video is exactly what was needed, we genuinely owe you so much for all the information you consistently manage to bring to light. Incredible work, the moment my income becomes stable I am jumping over to patreon that is a promise
(Also loved the doodles! 10/10 art skills)
I'm so happy I could help bring more info to light about the show! Thank you for this and for complimenting my doodles hahaha
By “lesbian ramblings”, are we talking about Rent’s controversial depiction of them or that he’s doing Fun Home next?
Not gonna lie, the plot sounds like an episode of Doctor Who or like one of those crazy adult animated movies from the 80s. It could’ve worked as an animated film but I also think had Larson lived past the success of Rent, he could’ve figured out how to make Superbia work for the stage (maybe not Broadway) especially since so many shows have been able to utilize digital special effects.
I think he did tbh. A story all about resisting the establishment, enjoying life for the simple pleasures instead of just the pursuit of fame and money, centered heavily around the power of art and with a song that (kinda) saves one of the protagonists at the end? I'd say RENT is sort of a heavily reworked and refined version of Superbia - just not inspired by sci-fi and 1984, but instead by La Boheme and by the real-life HIV/AIDS epidemic. It definitely still carries a lot of the same DNA.
@@socialismandrevolution8299 for sure, I just think there is still some potential in his original ideas for Superbia and maybe he could’ve figure out a way to make his earlier project work especially with how much the theater landscape has changed over the years.
Yea, the reason why it sounds like an episode of Doctor Who is because it is actually rather similar in premise to the episode in the first season with Eccleston where they end up on the game show satellite orbiting earth-- not identical, but the premises are def similar
Oh my god. Oh my god there is so much to say about this video but I just reached the end and the announcement of a Fun Home centric video and I'm in a state of excitement that has me close to squealing I'm so excited for this!!!!! Such a phenomenal musical, I can't wait to see you dive into it
I've got to say this was not only fascinating (all your videos are) but so encouraging as an aspiring, not yet officially published writer. We don't talk enough about the good side of failing, and it can become so hopeless before you get there - whatever magical marker you've set for yourself.
I feel like Superbia could work well as a movie musical to achieve the effects that Jonathan Larson was looking for although I'm not sure how good the story itself is. Also, it would have to be updated to be VR control rather than TV because sadly most of the storyline has come to fruition
I came to this video because someone put the link on a subreddit and man what an amazing job! Congratulations for your video, I love it. Since I saw Tick Tick Boom I wanted to know more about Superbia and this documentary is the most complete video I have found
I had been familiar a bit with the general plot of Superbia from when Tick Tick Boom came out but I had no idea that Marin Mazzie helped with the initial workshops. RIP, another broadway legend taken from us too soon
I am convinced that Ben Elton must have had some knowledge of Superbia to have gone on to write the book for the Queen Musical, We Will Rock You. The parallels between the 2 are uncanny.
i thought the same
Amazing documentary! A renthead here and always love learning more about the scope of Larson’s work and life. Thank you Jonathan Larson! And thank you 🙏🏻
You did it again! Congratulations on a fantastic doc.
Thank you so much!! I'm happy you enjoyed it :D
@@WaitintheWings I did so much.
I was recently reminded of a video you made years ago about the outsider trope where you sight phantom and grizabella. Do you have any interest in doing other theater trope videos in the future?
i just wanted to say i've been so enamored with jonathan larson's story ever since i watched the 2021 adaptation of tick tick boom, and i was especially intrigued by the mentions of "superbia" within it. i was devastated when i couldn't find... pretty much anything about it online, so when my friend sent me a video of yours about the american psycho musical (another fixation of mine) and i saw that you'd made another vid about superbia, i immediately knew that i HAD to watch it. everything you talked about was so in-depth and truly created a compelling story. i would give anything to be able to go to the library of congress and listen to the recordings or read the script for this show because--as flawed as it may be--i think it really speaks to the nature of the time in which it was created, as well as the psyche of its creator. when i found out that larson died a day before rent opened on broadway, i SOBBED, and learning about his struggles with superbia made me even more sympathetic toward him.
i think he would appreciate knowing that people out there still care about his work, especially enough to do such an in-depth report on it as you have. larson clearly DESPERATELY wanted people to know about superbia, and with this video, you have given a lot of people that opportunity. this is probably the closest i'll ever get to truly being able to appreciate the show, and for that, i am immensely grateful... and i think larson would be, too. :)
Based on Rent and Tik Tik Boom, I was absolutely not prepared for the plot of Superbia
He will always inspire me and push me to keep going creatively
Superbia's setting seems eerly symilar to 2005 episode of Doctor Who - "The Long Game".
I think a good way to honor Jonathan is to have Superbia be completed and be made into a musical film. I say film instead of stage show because more people can be reached through film.
Wow, so Gizel plays Roi and I already knew that Josh Henry played Josh Out. I love how you explained the whole story, from Jonathan going to the nightclub to the “what ifs?”. Amazing video!!! 💗
Thank you for this work of art!! I can't imagine how much work went into this, sifting through notes and recordings and weaving it all into historical context. There is so little online about Superbia - all I'd been able to track down is a basic synopsis of V1 and V2. As someone who lives across the world from the US (I doubt I'll ever get the chance to see the original items in DC), I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing in such a beautifully creative way! I still think the optimistic early versions sound great, even with cheesy songs making the computer explode as the ending.🤣
Another incredible documentary by WITW. While I have never been a huge fan of Rent, I have always been a fan of Larson, his story, and his legacy. This is a terrific glimpse into all three. Were he around today, I think he would be pretty pleased at the landscape of Broadway today - while it's still subject to works based around pre-existing IPs as a cash grab, I think he'd revel in pieces like Hadestown, Fun Home, and The Great Comet. I do think his darker version of Superbia would fit right in this day and age, but it seems this and others, came around at the wrong time. (Much like another personal favorite America Psycho) A huge thank you to Brendon for giving the rightful credit to all the lost shows, all the written off pieces and BTS stories that otherwise might have been lost to time.
I think all of us have written something with a post-apocalyptic theme and changed it from hopeful to drab. Speaking from personal experience, I'm sure Larson was (and is) definitely not alone in that.
The internet came too late for Superbia. Kinda ironic since it's one of the late 20th century tech-future anxiety works. In today's online age one doesn't need a producer to share their art to the world. Would it have gone viral and made gotten someone's attention? Maybe not, it really did seem too ambitious of a plot for a Broadway show. But there was clearly an audience for the music and I could see it gaining a comfortable following. Especially among the "MTV generation" that wasn't too into the theatre district.
Hadestown famously was an album before it began it's journey to Broadway and it did have a good following among the folk crowd. The Lemon Twigs put together "Go To School" themselves and labeled it a musical even though it probably could never actually make it to a stage.
Jonathan Larson predicted influencers. That's what I got out of this.
Thank you so much for doing this. I'm currently getting ready to take a trip to D.C just for this, I can't imagine the amount of research and HOURS you must of spent on this. I don't know exactly if you respond to your emails often but I sent over one regarding research. Thank you Thank you Thank THANK YOU for doing this - it means the world
im only 8 minutes but an alt-rock stagemusical adaptation of 1984 sounds wicked!
Superbia was and probably is so ahead of its time to the point that almost 40 years later it has remained unstageable all while conversely becoming far more relevant in the age of social media. Like, I was watching Tick Tick Boom last December and the whole idea of the media transmitters felt like an eerie prescience of smartphones plus… the fact that they all have cameras and Internet connection, well there’s no need for a huge-ass satellite up in space.
Great video, but why did you draw John and Elizabeth as Fred and Daphne from Scooby Doo? That was certainly an... interesting choice.
To say I loved your video would be an understatement. The visuals, graphics and b-roll you had was perfectly put together. And, of course it was such a good look at Jonathan's life and Superbia, my forever inspiration.
Loved this video! I always love your in depth documentaries about musicals I never even heard about.
This story does remind me of the quote (commonly misattributed to Einstein) "Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results".
I know that description of the synopsis was supposed to sound chaotic and incomprehensible, but that actually sounds dope. I don't know why it didn't work on stage cause on paper that sounds amazing.
Just gotta say, the story of Superbia kinda reminds me of the story of We Will Rock You, the jukebox musical. Wonder if there was any inspiration from Superbia in that…
AHHH it’s here!! I’ve been so excited to watch this! After watching Tick Tick Boom, I’ve been consuming all the content pertaining to this composer. There’s not much coverage of Superbia out there, so thank you for this deep dive into its history!! Love your content so much💗💗💗
The production quality of this video is out of this world.
Did Larson at least get to have a nice time in Nantucket?
The space spy being called "Hank" is so charming.
Your documentaries and video essays are always so well done 😭 You're crazy talented. Thank you for helping to make theater more accessible
I'm so freaking in love with your essay videos. They are just so well researched.
Thank you so much for making this wonderful doc. I've been waiting for something like this on Superbia for so long. I have known about the Library Of Congress files for a long time, with no idea how someone could access them, I am so glad you've put this together!!!
This was more information about the musical I never knew had this much history. This was perfection at its finest.
I do have to ask, since you did a history on Superbia, maybe you could do one in Rent? I'm sure there's information that no one may not know, such as why Aronson never received credit for the work to this day? Just a thought.
this is my new favorite channel 🥲 as a huge jonathan larson fan, i can’t thank you enough for this documentary.
Please do a documentary on RENT, it would be amazing to hear Larson's story of success from you and how it impacted the Musical world.
Trying to turn my script zombie cheer squad into a musical and these videos are both compelling and frightening
Woah. This makes the everyone whose anyone song make SO MUCH SENSE NOW.
Your documentaries are always really engaging and informative, and this one is no exception. I love Rent and Tick, Tick...Boom!, and based on what I've heard, I think I would love Superbia, as well. Thank you for covering this show!
It's sad that he never got to see social media of today, with all its pros and cons. Can you imagine him coming back from the dead and seeing all that?!
Thank you
Thank you for this! All I wanted after Tick Tick Boom was to learn more about Superbia.
The quality of these videos is always astounding! Love your work!
It’s crazy that Larson was so forward thinking to see the world we are living in today but couldn’t figure out how to articulate it into someone the average theater goer would get. I would’ve loved to have seen what he would’ve come up with for 1984. I bet he would’ve had a great interpretation for that.
babe no i can’t come out with you wait in the wings just posted
I mean, date night?
the original premise sounds amazing, i wish i could see a professionally recorded stage musical version
This piece is masterful. I can’t believe I got to watch it for free and that RUclips’s algorithm brought it to me. I was lucky enough to see Fun Home at Circle In the Square. I went in knowing nothing and was wrecked emotionally by the end in the most beautiful way possible. Thank you for this. Keep making. Bravo.
I'm not familiar enough with Larson or his work to have heard of Superbia before, but woof, what a story. You're doing some great documentary work here, man!
Your video came in at a perfect time for me! I literally watched Tick Tick Boom last Friday and couldn't stop thinking if there was more to Superbia. Thanks for making this video :)
This was wonderful! I had so many questions about Superbia, and you went deep down the rabbit hole and gave me the lore. Thank You!
Thank you for these documentary videos! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched them and how many people I’ve told about your channel! Please continue these series, they are so interesting and informative 😊
Man I love this channel! It’s so high quality and I never get bored while watching
"And it all started...with a lesbian cartoonist."
Admittedly, I didn't see that one coming.
Thank you for your fundraiser.
I am 40 and only now getting appropriate help for a genetic disorder.
Education is key.
This is a VERY professionally made and visually stunning documentary. Extraordinary work dude
I loved this one so much! It's really timely as well since right now I am querying a novel and keep being rejected. But you have to keep using what feels like a failure to help you keep moving forward. Jonathan Larson was a true visionary and it is such a shame that we never got more works from him.
Also, now that we are doing Fun Home....I did see the Korean adaptation when it was produced in 2020. Also, I have a friend based in New York who saw the show a record 23 times...so if you need any audience type stuff about it...
I honestly don’t find the basic plot to be hard to follow at all. In fact, I think taking the basis of Larson’s concepts and music, Superbia could be fully imagined for Broadway or the big screen today. I find the general world he created to be intriguing, inventive, and relevant. I don’t disagree with the general critiques given at the time- that the show was too complicated to be produced. However, the show could be realized for either Broadway or the screen now with ease. I would thoroughly enjoy a collaborative effort to reimagine Superbia. It could be done in a way that workshops and revamps the show while also remaining true to the artistic integrity and vision of the original source material that Jonathon created. Without a doubt in my mind, if Larson were still with us, I fully believe that he would’ve been able to complete his lifelong work to see Superbia on Broadway.
This was very ahead of it's time with the modern reality show, smart devices, social media and teen distopia books.
Wow just WOW this was a true labor of love and for just under an hour we were in Larsons world. It’s was crazy and strange but all the more fascinating.
This needs to be…we need this play. I think i have a life goal now…
Honestly the "dark" version sounds a thousand percent better. The ending is a little melodramatic but it fixes a lot of the issues with the too cheesy original. I'd go see it if someone could manage to make it.
I would have liked the version with the happy ending (but that’s my bias showing). Finding your videos so interesting thanks for all the time you’ve spent on this.
I low key want to watch this full musical!
This probably would’ve worked better as a musical film. Trying to wrap my head around staging this is.. we’ll beyond me.