Goodbye, SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 2:42pm

Tonight, Spider-Man will fling his last web on a Broadway stage. SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK will close with a loss of over $65 million of its investors' and bank loans' and private loans' money.

The theatre community (and everyone who pays attention to the 11 o'clock news) is aware of what "went wrong" during the production's history. If the creative team and producers and Marvel could go back in time, I'm sure they would have improved many facets of the production, including artistic concept, writing, scheduling, communication, money-raising, and safety.

I think that the saddest thing about today is that the final chapter is closing on a STORY whose telling on Broadway could have and should have been told better. You're doing SPIDER-MAN...on BROADWAY. The source material comes with a built-in audience. And they messed it up. Out of all the shows that were being written during the years that TURN OFF THE DARK was also being created, I would have bet on this show to have the longest run and the largest success.

It's done now. The show is now a joke. It's now history.

I do want to applaud everyone involved, however, in trying to make it work. I have never, NEVER witnessed that much effort and dedication on a creative project. Stubbornness, opposite opinion, bad luck, and inexperience got in the way of greatness. It's a shame.

To better projects!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 2:55pm

I think Broadway should brighten its marquees in remembrance.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 3:09pm

Were you involved with the property at some point, Capn?

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 3:24pm

Saw 2.0 a third and final time last week. The book was weak, but it was still a thrilling and exciting show to watch and Will miss it.

[Side Show Barb]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 3:43pm

I saw it when I was last in NYC having avoided it on previous trips and have to say visually it was stunning. The opening weaving scene was just beautiful.

[AKarp2013]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 3:56pm

I'm sad to see the show go. I secretly believed it would defy the odds and actually become a financial success. While I agree the book was weak, I thought the score was great (highly underrated) and visually it was stunning. I felt Julie Taymor was wrongly turned into the antagonist. I've always loved her work.

My one wish was that they would have released a "real" cast album to preserve the entirety of the score. I hope the show succeeds in the future. Hopefully Las Vegas will be a nice home for it.

Updated On: 1/4/14 at 03:56 PM

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 8:25pm

They tried to change everything about it except for the biggest problem. The score is just a bunch of noise and should have been thrown out like the garbage it is.

[AKarp2013]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 8:53pm

The score was the least of the show's problems.

[broadwayfever]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 9:49pm

I completely disagree...the score is the main reason I went to see the show. My kids and I still listen to songs from Spiderman on a daily basis.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 9:52pm

The score is what ruined the show for me. I think it's awful, and the songs make no sense. The only gem is "Rise Above" but everything else literally sounds like it was written over night.

On another note, I did really enjoy the show overall, especially Jason Gotay as Spidey and Christina DeCicco as Arachne. The effects were astounding, and the production was thrilling.

[NewSynchopation]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 12:13am

The show did not work. Not a single element of it aside from some of the sets and costumes.
The music was awful, but the real problem was the book, which was absolutely awful.

[broadwayfever]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 1:34am

The irony in all of this is that Spiderman was the 3rd most watched musical on Broadway in the past 2 years. In fact, in 2012 it almost dethroned Wicked as the most watched musical on Broadway. The obvious problem is that it costs too much to run the show.
This is the type of show that will be perfect for Las Vegas. Production costs will be a lot cheaper, lots of subject-matter experts when it comes to high-flying acts, better demo groups, and no worries about seasonal dry spells (winter, back to school, etc)

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 1:39am

Summer ain't exactly busy season in Vegas.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 1:40am

I liked version 1 when I saw it, even if it was borderline incomprehensible.

[broadwayfever]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 2:06am

I live in Vegas for e years...it's busy season every month except for the first 2 weeks of Jan

[broadwayfever]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 2:07am

^3 years

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 2:26am

[broadwayfever]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 2:30am

^Wow...that is one ugly lady

[jbroadway4]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 1:25pm

Did anyone here go to the final show?

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 1:37pm

It's almost as if broadwayfever was hired by the new Vegas production to begin putting some ridiculous positive spin on the fact that it closed as a major critical and multi-million financial failure.

You cannot rewrite history. It was a mess. Just accept it.

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 3:55pm

I was appalled that the extent of the numerous injuries did not close this show early on. Many people especially Broadway actors were up in arms over this. I did not see it. I was however happy that one of my friends who closed the show as the Green Lantern has nothing but praise for the cast through all of this. Hopefully people have learned a lesson about special effects vs. danger are never worth the risk.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 4:24pm

A bit OT, but does anyone know of any surviving, uh, material from 1.0? Updated On: 1/5/14 at 04:24 PM

[Pammylicious]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 4:30pm

GEEK CHORUS

[broadwayfever]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 9:07pm

Hey Liza, I could only wish I did work for them. I just like playing the devil's advocate. The fact remains though that Spiderman was the 2nd most watched show on Broadway last year and the 3rd most watched show on Broadway this year. But like I stated before, daily operating expenses were just way too high...and that's why I think Vegas will be the perfect fit for Spiderman.

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/5/14 at 9:29pm

I've read the script to 1.0, and it's fascinating but flawed- a weird mix of story theatre, musical theatre, stream of consciousness pseudo-rap/slam poetry, and both comic AND Greek mythology.

Considering how linear and somewhat simplistic most mega-musical storytelling is, it's obvious Taymor ran in the other direction. In one scene (which may or may not have survived into 2.0), a scene in Mary Jane's house with her abusive father plays out simultaneously with a scene in the Parker house, with certain keys words occurring together as the scenes overlap.

Yes, there is something like a video of 1.0, but it is useless for entertainment OR research because it is so poorly captured. Better almost to assume there is no video, and that the script is our only remaining document of the show that might have been.