Epic disaster or blockbuster? ‘Spider-Man’ hangs on – Instantly I feel alarmed

On Broadway, bad press doesn’t necessarily spell failure, and the struggling “Spider-Man” musical is still luring tourists and theater goers into seats as it deals with persistent technical problems. The ambitious, high-tech $65 million musical the most expensive Broadway show ever has endured four delays in its opening and four injuries to its cast. And Broadway, perhaps more than any other entertainment genre, has a history of overcoming bad reviews and turning profits for tourist-friendly, big-budget shows. The production’s opening night, (previously set for January 11, 2011) is still set to Monday, February 7. Seth Gelblum, an entertainment lawyer who represents the show’s director and co-creator Julie Taymor, as well as three major financiers, said investors were not jittery and predicted the key audience, tourists, would not be turned off. Several shows have been canceled as a result. Among the new rules enacted are a requirement to have a second stagehand and stage manager to back up all of the show’s 38 stunts involving harnesses and ropes. Still, some industry watchers predict the demise of “Spider-Man,” including New York Post columnist Michael Riedel, who said that even when the acrobatics work, the show suffers from a lack of leadership, a confusing story and bad music.

This bullied science-geek suddenly endowed with incredible powers soon learns, however, that with great power comes great responsibility as villains put both his physical strength and strength of character to the test. “And it seems that … all of the different employees, all of the regulatory agencies are, and the theater itself, seem to be confident that all the necessary conditions have been met to make sure that today’s show goes forward safely.” State officials and producers agreed to a long list of safety improvements Wednesday in the wake of Monday night’s accident. Before the show could resume Thursday, producers had to give final confirmation to the state Department of Labor that they had enacted certain safety measures aimed at avoiding any further mishaps. In front of a horrified audience, lead aerialist Chris Tierney, 31, plummeted 30 feet during the show’s climax. “We’re sold out until Jan. 2,” a ticket seller told a steady stream of buyers.

Some folks had tickets already but wanted to check that the evening’s show would go on as planned, since both Wednesday’s matinee and evening performance had been canceled. “If they are not comfortable and haven’t got everything in place, we have agreed that they wouldn’t go, and so apparently that is the position that they are in right now.” As of now, “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” preview performances will proceed as planned on Thursday (December 23), and the official Broadway opening date has been pushed back from January 11 to February 7. “They gave us a number to call later, just to make sure,” said Mike Foux, of Allentown, Pa. An avid Spider-Man fan since childhood, he had come to New York to see the show with his wife, Patti, and 20-year-old daughter, Jessie, for his birthday. “I was thinking, with four accidents happening, there must be some truly amazing stunts,” Foux said. That’s what worried another ticketholder, Victoria Shaw-Locknar, who was attending Thursday’s show with her daughters Ruby, 11, and Ava, 9. I think the world press has focused on ‘Spider-Man’ because the show is on the brink of absolute catastrophe every night.” Riedel believes the show will be closed and even if not, he sees a hard road ahead to make money given its huge cost. While many Broadway shows expect to recoup their initial investment within the first 12 months, “Spider-Man” would take several years, making it a riskier proposition than most.