Bob Holiday (November 12, 1932 – January 27, 2017) was an American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

best known for playing

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

in the 1966 Broadway musical '' It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman''. Historically, Holiday was the next "live-action" Superman after

George Reeves George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 – June 16, 1959) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series '' Adventures of Superman'' (1952–1958). His death at age 45 from a g ...

. Holiday played Superman more than any other actor, having played the role in over 140 performances, as well as several live appearances in character. From 1999 until his death in 2017, he reigned as the eldest surviving, live-action Superman.

Superman

Holiday had the title role in the 1966 musical. According to author Bruce Scivelli, "Holiday remained in his Superman costume after the matinees and invited the kids backstage for autographs. Towering over his young fans, the 6-foot-4-inch actor signed their programs and admonished them to drink their milk and be good." Despite excellent reviews and Tony nominations for co-stars

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, Michael O'Sullivan and

Patricia Marand Patricia Marand (January 25, 1934 – November 27, 2008) was an American actress and singer, best known for roles in musical theatre. She was nominated for a 1966 Tony Award for her part as Lois Lane in the musical '' It's a Bird...It's a Plane...I ...

, the show closed after 129 performances. In 1967 he reprised the role of Superman in two separate revivals. These revivals took place in open-air theatres, requiring Superman to fly with the help of a large crane. During the heyday of ''"It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman!"'' he appeared as Superman in an ad for UniRoyal carpet and made personal appearances on "

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," "

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", and at the Sixth International Fashion Show held at Macy's in New York City. In 1971, Bob donned the cape yet again, appearing as Superman in an

Aqua Velva Aqua Velva is an American brand of grooming products targeted at men. Its best known product is the Ice Blue aftershave introduced in 1917 by the JB Williams Company. History Aqua Velva was first trademarked in 1917 by the JB Williams Company ...

TV commercial. On March 23, 2013, Holiday attended the

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama,. The name "City Center for Music and Drama Inc." is the organizational parent of the New York City Ballet and, until 2011, the New York City Opera. and th ...

Encores! Encores! is a Tony-honored concert series dedicated to performing rarely heard American musicals, usually with their original orchestrations. Presented by New York City Center since 1994, Encores! has revived shows by Irving Berlin, Rodgers & Ha ...

staged concert of the show and met with the cast. Holiday always enjoyed hearing from fans of the show. In 2003, he celebrated his time as Superman at the annual Metropolis Superman Celebration in Illinois. A documentary was made of this visit, entitled "Holiday in Metropolis." A panel discussion as well as still photos from the visit are available on Holiday's official website. Holiday died at his home in Hawley, Pennsylvania on January 27, 2017, aged 84.

Other activities

Holiday appeared previously on Broadway in ''

Fiorello! ''Fiorello!'' is a musical about New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia, a reform Republican, which debuted on Broadway in 1959, and tells the story of how La Guardia took on the Tammany Hall political machine. The book is by Jerome Weidman and ...

'' opposite Tom Bosley. He also starred as Sir Lancelot in the 1964 touring company of ''

Camelot Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as the ...

'' opposite

Howard Keel Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), known professionally as Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer, known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s and in the CBS tel ...

. After '' It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman'' ended, Bob moved to Los Angeles and co-starred with

Anthony Roberts Anthony John Roberts (born 19 April 1970) is an Australian politician. He is the New South Wales Minister for Planning and the Minister for Homes in the Perrottet ministry since December 2021. Roberts is a member of the New South Wales Legisl ...

in '' Promises, Promises''.

The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family with six children. The show aired for five seasons and, after ...

producer Sherwood Schwartz cast Holiday as Mike Brady, but studio executives overrode that decision. After leaving show business, Holiday opened Bob Holiday Custom Homes, LLC. He spent 30 years as a successful home builder in the

Pocono Mountains The Pocono Mountains, commonly referred to as the Poconos , are a geographical, geological, and cultural region in Northeastern Pennsylvania. They overlook the Delaware River and Delaware Water Gap to the east, Lake Wallenpaupack to the north, W ...

, and retired in 2009. His assistant for the last ten years of his life was a dedicated fan, Toni Collins.

References

External links

*
Bob Holiday on ibdb.comBob Holiday on SupermanBobHoliday.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holiday, Bob 1932 births 2017 deaths American male musical theatre actors