Superbia is an unproduced musical with book, music, and lyrics by Jonathan Larson. Stemming from an earlier attempt at writing a musical based on Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, Larson spent a six-year period from 1985 to 1991 working on Superbia, which for numerous reasons never went beyond the workshop stage of development. Eventually, Larson set aside Superbia for other projects, including Rent, and died in 1996 before he could return to working on it.
Superbia was a science fiction musical set in the year 2064 in a world dominated by TVs and cameras. The overall message Larson pursued, which remained to his final draft, was a cautionary tale about media desensitization and what Larson referred to as "Bottom Line Mentality". He initially described it as a futuristic fairy tale along the lines of Cinderella and The Emperor's New Clothes. Larson wanted to blend the inherent theatricality of 1980s pop with musical theater storytelling. To that end, he composed the musical largely on a synthesizer, combining New Wave synth-pop and rock with traditional Broadway and vaudevillian structures. Superbia thus represents Larson's first serious attempt to meld popular music styles with musical theater, a combination he later became well known for with Rent and Tick, Tick...Boom!.
Superbia has never been produced or published even after Larson's death, but interest in it has persisted due to its depiction in his semi-autobiographical musical Tick, Tick... Boom! and its 2021 film adaptation.
Background Superbia takes place in 2064 in a world run by the Prods, who design Shapes (useless hunks of plastics) and write programs for the Ins. The Ins' lives are broadcast on a never-ending stream of reality TV and infomercials from InCity, a massive satellite in orbit around Earth (a giant suburb called Outland). The Outland is inhabited by Outs: they consume the Shapes, which are designed to break, thus ensuring a stable economy. Out lives and purchasing habits are controlled by the Media Transmitter (MT), an endless stream of television that also broadcasts the reality TV featuring the Ins. Tick, Tick... Boom! director Lin-Manuel Miranda later quipped that Larson predicted both social media and planned obsolescence. The world of Superbia is controlled by the evil Master Babble Articulator (MBA), and all emotions are suppressed in favor of the television broadcasts, with members of society programmed for their specific path in life. The main character is "Josh Out #177583962," who unlike the rest of the world has true emotions, making him an outcast.
Synopsis
Larson developed Superbia over the course of several years, overhauling the script with his continued failed efforts to get it produced. As a result, there are seven drafts of Superbia, each with different songs, plot elements, and even characters. The Library of Congress catalogs these drafts between two tonally distinct versions: "Superbia v1", which constitutes the story from its inception to around September 1987, and "Superbia v2", the story for the rest of its development. The synopses of both of these versions, as well as distinct intermediary revisions, are described here.
Superbia pre-version 1 (1985) This version of the show was written prior to the two ASCAP workshops held in 1985. The first workshop, on November 16, featured Stephen Sondheim and Charles Strouse as panelists, while the second, on December 16, included Peter Stone, Nancy Ford, and Tony Tanner. During each workshop, two songs from the show were performed. The first workshop showcased Face Value and After the Revolution, while the second featured Eye on Her and the newly rewritten Sextet.
Act 1 We are introduced to the world of Superbia through the opening number ("Introduction to Superbia"). In the basement of an OutLand house, Josh Out #177.5 is busy putting the finishing touches on his latest invention alongside his loyal dog, Romeo. His father, Pop, chides him for being a misfit and expresses hope that the Master Babble Articulator will assign Josh a job and a mate. After Mop and Pop leave the room, Josh activates his invention, resulting in an explosion. As he begins to clean up the mess, he reflects on how everyone sees him as a failure ("One of These Days"). Amid the debris, he and Romeo discover a mysterious music box.
Eager to share his find, Josh heads upstairs to show it to his sister, Jennifer, but she is too engrossed in a broadcast about the upcoming Face Awards ceremony. Their family, absorbed in an ad for Shapes while discussing their food Shapes business, completely ignores him. Desperate for attention, Josh tries one last time to present the music box, but his family continues to plug in and tune out. Feeling rejected, he leaves with Romeo as an ad plays on the M.T. ("Greenslime").
Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Prod #27 vacation in the Outland's Badlands (a nature reserve) with their daughter, Elizabeth In #27. They are worried about her strange behavior and remind her that she’s programmed to fall in love with the celebrity Studd Starr. Overwhelmed, Elizabeth escapes and silently yearns for a hero while her parents watch her closely ("Keep an Eye On Her").
In the woods, a distraught Elizabeth crosses paths with Josh and Romeo. They quickly bond over their shared emotions and experiences in both InCity and OutLand ("Where I Come From"). Josh reveals the music box, and they hatch a plan to broadcast its melody and awaken everyone’s emotions. Elizabeth instructs Josh to sneak onto an InCity shuttle to meet her. However, her parents conspire to have Hank, a once-popular In, programmed to kidnap Josh upon his arrival in InCity. Josh heads home and attempts to tell his family where he is going, but they are too busy watching the M.T., so he leaves ("The Meaningless Game").
When Josh and Elizabeth meet in the shuttle, they sing about their dreams for the future while enjoying the music box's tune ("After the Revolution"). Just before Elizabeth departs, Josh confesses his love, and they share a kiss. She assures him she will put his name on the list to get past the Bouncer into InCity.
As Josh disembarks from the shuttle, he encounters Hank, who confronts him. In the heat of the moment, Josh opens the music box, breaking Hank’s programming. Hank reflects on his newfound freedom and departs, leaving Josh behind ("The Electric Gate").
Elizabeth tries to get to the Bouncer, but her parents lead her through a different entrance into InCity. Meanwhile, Josh finds himself stuck in a long line outside. Suddenly, celebrity Studd Starr arrives and helps Josh get closer to the front. However, when Josh tries to use the name Elizabeth gave him, he discovers he isn’t on the list and is turned away. Just then, a mysterious woman named Roi mistakes him for Hank and manages to get him past the Bouncer ("Face Value"). Josh reluctantly leaves Romeo behind in a storage pod, promising to return for him.
Inside InCity, Roi encourages Josh to plug in, but he confesses his true identity. Roi thinks he’s joking and brushes him off. They soon encounter Studd and Elizabeth, who pretends not to recognize Josh for the cameras. Confused and disheartened, Josh struggles to understand her actions. As Roi prepares to plug in with him, Hank rushes by, pursued by policedroids, and pleads for help. Coldly, Josh tells Hank he doesn’t recognize him and abandons him to his fate before plugging in with Roi ("InCity").
Act 2
Back at home, Mop, Pop, and Jennifer watch in surprise as Josh is featured on their M.T. screens. They speculate about what this newfound fame could mean for them ("On The Air").
Josh wakes up in Roi's apartment, trying to piece together the events of the previous night while searching for his music box. Roi tries to persuade him to plug in, but Josh is hesitant. In another part of InCity, Elizabeth is writing an apology letter to Josh, reflecting on her behavior from the night before, while Studd Starr continues to try to get her to unlock her door so he can do his hair. Meanwhile, Hank remains on the run. The M.T. broadcasts a reminder to all Superbian citizens about the upcoming 31st annual Face Awards ("Today").
At the Face Awards ceremony, former actor-turned-spokesperson William Marcel takes the stage. Mid-speech, he begins to deviate from the script, causing the feed to be cut momentarily before he is abruptly returned to the air and adhering to his program. Following his speech, an advertisement for plastic surgery plays ("A Musical Tribute to Plastic Surgery").
Backstage, Josh meets Tim Purcent, Studd's agent, and is excited about his newfound recognition. Elizabeth arrives to deliver her letter, but Roi intercepts it. Onstage, Josh is awarded the Face of the Year award. As he gives his acceptance speech, he increasingly resembles Studd Starr in demeanor ("Acceptance"). Just as he begins to bask in his success, Hank bursts onto the scene, denouncing him and causing chaos by blowing a hole in the satellite's hull, leading to panic as InCity faces a critical oxygen shortage ("Superbia (Reprise)").
In the midst of the chaos, Elizabeth urges Josh to realize he is the only one who can save the Ins ("Come to Your Senses"). As oxygen depletes, Josh learns from Elizabeth's parents that the citizens' programming comes directly from the Master Babble Articulator, which also controls the Prods. Despite shuttles being available, the Ins refuse to evacuate, waiting for a program command from the M.B.A.
Determined to act, Josh confronts the M.B.A., but it refuses to reprogram the citizens, declaring that humanity is no longer relevant and has been replaced by machines. Elizabeth hands Josh the music box. He plays its melody for the M.B.A., which ultimately leads to its destruction.
Josh then pretends to be the M.B.A., commanding the Ins to evacuate and instructing them to tune into their M.T. once they reach OutLand. Elizabeth reunites Josh with Romeo before boarding a shuttle with her parents. Quickly, Josh and Romeo set up the InCity stage to broadcast the music box’s melody, and as the music begins to play, hope fills the air.
Superbia version 1 (1986–1987)
Significant changes were made to Superbia between 1985 and 1986, resulting in a notably different feel for the show. While the 1985 version presented a fairy tale ambiance, the 1986 iteration introduced more morally complex characters. Elizabeth’s character was progressively given a rougher exterior, reflecting an upbringing that encouraged her to suppress her emotions. Meanwhile, Josh's conflict shifted from a desire for recognition to a yearning for the emotional numbness experienced by his family. This version of the show also focused further on the machinery of Superbia. Notably, the Master Babble Articulator evolved from being depicted as an operable machine in earlier drafts to a humanoid figure resembling a man in a business suit, complete with brightly colored green glasses. The character of the Bouncer likewise transitioned from a human to a humanoid machine.
Several songs were either replaced or significantly revised. "Acceptance" was replaced with "Limelight," and "The Electric Gate" was swapped for "Freedom." The number "On The Air" was replaced with the similarly named but musically unique "Doin' It On The Air".
Additionally, some songs underwent lyrical overhauls: "One of These Days" became "Too Cold to Care," and "Where I Come From" became "Turn The Key." The number "Today" received a major revamp by 1986, evolving into "Sextet" with substantial changes to its flow and instrumentation. Even the number "Face Value", which bears a close resemblance between versions, saw its spoken sections sections transformed into musical segments within the song.