Uploaded June 2018 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Theme from Superman
by John Williams
arr. Carson Rothrock

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s...a DPops conductor who writes program notes and can’t resist bad jokes. Live from the planet Krypton, we bring you the original film’s John Williams-composed title theme. This 1978 box office hit grossed nearly $250 million dollars, but was plagued by some little-known early casting issues. Over 200 actors auditioned for the role of Superman, and many famous figures were considered including Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Bruce Jenner, and Christopher Walken. Christopher Reeve was begrudgingly chosen as the lead after none of the talent worked out, despite the director’s initial qualms that he was too young and too skinny. This piece dates back to the early days of DPops physical paper music library, and some parts that were lost to the depths of the Davenport College basement had to be reconstructed by the arranging team.

Program Notes by Harry Kane