The NPR podcast Planet Money is moving from the world of comic books to the final frontier of musical theater.

After reviving the 1940s superhero Micro-Face (originally created by Allen Ulmer) for an upcoming comic book, Planet Money (hosted by Kenny Malone and Robert Smith) has decided to charge ahead with a superhero podcast musical surrounding the same character, whose claim to fame is a variety of audio super powers.

The short musical is written by composer, lyricist, and librettist Kit Goldstein Grant and will be presented in a livestream special podcast, tentatively scheduled for Spring 2022 following the comic book’s release. Grant's other works include The Giant Hoax, The Wrong Box, and The Nose.

This musical project originated with a series of Planet Money episodes, in which the hosts investigate the world of licensing and public domain, and set out to create a new "superhero empire" out of forgotten characters. Their comic book, centering around a new version of Micro-Face, features a story by Alex Segura, cover art by Jerry Ordway, interior art by Jamal Igle, lettering by Taylor Esposito, and coloring by Ellie Wright.

If you're someone whose musical theater interests overlap with the heroic world of comic books, take a listen to this Micro-Face musical demo. If he turns out to be the next Elphaba, you'll be able to join the folks at Planet Money in saying that you got in on the ground floor.