"'A misfire. Authors with golden track records for serious work have somehow created a musical so lugubrious and underpowered that it never gets off the ground. The problem is built into the low-stakes, high-whimsy concept...Not even as allegory could the fantastical adventure that swallows the second act sustain my interest; its concerns are sketchy, as thin as comic book stock...It does not grant much to 'Superhero' to say that its leads manage to rise above it."
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"A well-meaning, flightless tear-jerker, less cool comic book than Hallmark original...It’s not just that 'Superhero’s' concerns are insistently mundane—it’s that Kitt’s songs fail to strike any new sparks off familiar flint...Ultimately there’s something downright creepy in 'Superhero’s' messaging...'Superhero' isn’t attempting to feed us anything we haven’t digested dozens of times before. It’s feel-good theater, only living up to its title in that it keeps all of us extremely safe."
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"Kate Baldwin is the true hero here. As Simon’s mother Charlotte, she does a heroic job of making a pedestrian character seem like a loving, hurting human being...One predictable moment after another. Superheroes are all very well and good, but it’s those nerds on the ground — the ones who write the words and the music — who do all the hard work for them."
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"Only occasionally rises above the level of pleasant or cute...'Superhero's' biggest problem is that soon after a mildly intriguing opening it becomes one-note and whiny...The songs here are pretty enough, but bland and interchangeable...Director Moore keeps the scenes moving and provides visual energy...But 'Superhero' is a wan little musical that has no compelling story to tell. While the show is far from terrible, at its best, it's sweet and innocuous, at its worst, dull."
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“Underpowered new musical doesn’t get off the ground...’Superhero’ wants to blend a broken-home weepie with something magical and pop-culture-y...A mediocre musical...I wish Logan and Kitt had delved more imaginatively into the subject...Kitt’s score, while skillful, suffers from too much mid-tempo pop balladry, and could use more variation, weirdness...Through sheer charisma and talent, Baldwin and McArthur may wring a tear or two out of you.”
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"The songs (forgettable ditties) are by Tom Kitt....The charmless book is by John Logan...The combination of their proclivities proves deadly, resulting in the predictable tale of a depressed superhero and his neighbors...The most unlikable musical protagonist in recent memory, making it very difficult for us to invest in his happy ending...Despite a troubled script, Jason Moore directs a competent production that is only hindered by a couple of campy visual effects."
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"Much of Logan's writing, and the music and lyrics by Tom Kitt, treat this situation with honesty and insight, but the first act is afflicted with a certain drabness...I'm not saying you can't make a musical out of such downbeat material, but the approach here is, arguably, too conventional to pay off. The real superheroes of 'Superhero' are Kate Baldwin and Bryce Pinkham...This is a distressingly monochromatic affair, often humorless and devoted to working a narrow range of feelings."
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"There are moments that are quite moving, but there are also several tonal problems with Logan's book. First, the supernatural and fantasy elements do not always fit well with the psychological realism in the early scenes...Kitt's songs are better than serviceable, and there are a few small gems...The songs are beautifully served by the fine cast...Director Jason Moore keeps the show moving at a good clip."
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