BWW Reviews: It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's BROOKLYNITE

Legendary comic book locales such as Metropolis and Gotham City are usually regarded as stand-ins for Manhattan, but Kings County takes center stage in Brooklynite, the fast and funny musical comedy where hipsters, artists, vegans and Peter Luger customers are protected day and night by a legion of heroes with super powers and personal issues.

Inspired by the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company in Park Slope and based on characters created by Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman, the book by Michael Mayer (who also directs) and Peter Lerman (who penned the score) takes place ten years after an asteroid containing a mineral, deemed as "Brooklynite," crashed into the Gowanus Canal and immersed six ordinary citizens with varying degrees of extraordinary powers.

There's the speedy Kid Comet (acrobatic dancer Gerard Canonico), ladies' man fire master El Fuego (Andrew Call), the bubble-headed water mistress Blue Nile (Grace McLean) and the invisible Captain Clear (voiced by Max Chernin).

Astrolass (Nicolette Robinson), the leader of the group's Legion of Victory, was closest to the asteroid's landing and received the greatest surge of powers, but after ten years in the spotlight she yearns for a normal life. The thuggish Avenging Angelo (a hilarious turn by Nick Cordero) was furthest away from the asteroid and received the least super of the gang's powers; the ability to sense where there's an empty parking spot.

Meanwhile, the nerdy hardware store clerk, Trey (a terrific Matt Doyle), whose parents were murdered by robbers during a rare moment when the legion couldn't help, is working on devising a synthetic form of Brooklynite so that he can obtain super powers and forever be the hero he wasn't when his parents were killed.

Astrolass hopes that if Trey is successful he can take her place as leader, but Angelo, tired of having his one power disrespected, wants to steal Trey's creation so that he can take over Brooklyn.

Lerman's bouncy rock score and the cartoon splashes of color by Donyale Werle (set) and Andrea Lauer (costumes) keep the evening giddy and enjoyably mindless. Steven Hoggett's choreography is highlighted by Canonico's "solo" when Kid Comet dances with Captain Clear.

The always funny Ann Harada may be underutilized in her multiple roles, but she adds great comic flair, as does Remy Zaken in her ensemble part as a flirtatious lab scientist who momentarily becomes Angelo's girlfriend.

Don't look for any dark messages behind these super adventures. All you'll find is a solid evening of laughs.

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Matt Doyle (Photo: Carol Rosegg)

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