ACHTUNG SPIDEY! - FORGETTABLE FARE

REVIEW – SPIDERMAN: TURN OFF THE DARK

Oh dear.

As one of the few people reviewing Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark not to have seen the original version of the $75m musical, I thought I might be in a position to go a bit lighter on it than most critics.

Most reviews, which have compared the Julie Taymor version with the reworked Phillip McKinley one, say things have improved, albeit not by enough.

So I thought, by being able to focus strictly on the new version, I could be fairer to the much-maligned show.

In other words, I went to Foxwoods Theatre on Thursday night with an open mind, and actually in a mood to be generous.

And by the end of a beautifully-worked opening scene, my heart was lifted.

“Behold and Wonder” sung with haunting vocals from TV Carpio as the mythological spider-god Arachne, and sumptuous staging where cast members swinging from hanging drapes weave a dramatic pattern that covers the stage, was a joy.

But unfortunately, the insult to intelligence that unfolded over the next hour or so, meant that by the interval, it was almost forgotten.

Where to start?

The weak script? The all-too-obvious plot development? The one-and-a-half dimensional characters?

An early number, “Bullying by Numbers”, where Peter Parker’s geek credentials are established - is one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard on a Broadway stage.

The scene where Peter Parker gets bitten by the venomous spider – one you would think is so crucial to the plot that it would demand special attention – is completely lame and over in the blink of an eye.

Likewise, in what should be an exciting moment as Peter begins to discover his new powers – a nicely imagined staging is let down by a sub-par song “Bouncing off the Walls”.

And the less said about the scene where Peter takes part in a boxing match against an inflatable muscle-man the better.

The only saving grace for Act 1 is that it contains the standout song from the entire show.

“Rise Above” is a soaring ballad sung with gusto by Reeve Carney in the title role, and TV Carpio as Arachne, and is the only number from Spiderman that you could imagine making the cut on a proper U2 album.

After 45 minutes, when the first of the much-vaunted flying sequences takes place, it’s actually not as exciting as it could be, had any momentum or tension been built up through earlier scenes.

Act 2 is actually much better – but it’s hard to tell whether or not that’s the result of expectations dropping so low by that point.

There are still huge problems.

Some of the villains Spiderman is forced to take-on look remarkably cheap for a production that has spent $75m.

One brings to mind the Mexican Bumble Bee character from the Simpsons.

Another is a ringer for the toy dinosaur in Toy Story.

But at least Act 2 proceeds at pace, and the more regular flying sequences distract from the continuing weaknesses of the plot.

There are two beautiful moments – first Mary Jane’s love song “If the World Should End”, sung with tenderness by Jennifer Damiano, a talented actress who could do so much more given the right material.

And another fantastic Arachne (TV Carpio) song, “Turn off the Dark”, which includes a flying sequence, that is gentler and more effective than most of Spidey’s jaunts across the theatre.

When the final confrontation takes place between Spiderman and the Green Goblin, it is staged thrillingly, with a fantastic replica of the Chrysler Building on stage, and high-paced acrobatics above the audience’s head.

So at least the whole enterprise ends on a high note.

But it’s not enough to erase the memory of all that went before.

For the most part, the cast emerge relatively unscathed from the mess, and it’s to their credit.

Reeve Carney, as Peter Parker/Spiderman, is handsome and winning, with a very good voice, Jennifer Damiano as Mary Jane sings beautifully, and Peter Page hams it up as the Green Goblin to crowd-pleasing effect.

But they are all struggling with music and lyrics by Bono and the Edge that are not only forgettable, but seriously below standard in places.

Whatever revisions have been made to the script and plot have either been too little or too much – because it’s just a colour-by-numbers telling of the familiar Spiderman story.

And intriguingly, the best performance of all comes from TV Carpio as Arachne, whose every scene is far more interesting than what came before or after.

The character was a central part of Julie Taymor’s vision, but has been significantly reduced in the new more 

mainstream version, which is a real pity, because I would have liked to see more of her.

The set design is deliberately cartoonish, reminding audiences at every opportunity that the source material is a comic book.

Sometimes it works well, at others it doesn’t.

The costumes are similarly purposefully garish.

The flying sequences are certainly enjoyable, but the harnesses and wires are so visible, they contain little magic.

And Spiderman flies, for the most part, wearing his mask, which makes it difficult for the audience to connect with him for those scenes.

For all the talk of the new version being more fun than the original, I can only recall one scene (involving the Green Goblin making a phone call) where I actually laughed out loud.

Bizarrely, music from U2’s back catalogue appears briefly on a number of occasions, serving no obvious purpose, other than to remind you of Bono and the Edge’s involvement.

If I was them, it’s not something I’d be shouting about.

** (2 out of 5 stars)

- Vincent Murphy

Thumbs Up from Clinton, Thumbs down from Critics as Spidey 2.0 opens

Former US president Bill Clinton has given U2’s Spiderman musical on Broadway the thumbs up after attending its star-studded gala opening on Tuesday night. But Bono and the Edge, who wrote the music and lyrics for Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, woke up on Wednesday to find once again that newspaper theatre critics were left decidedly unimpressed.

President Clinton and his daughter Chelsea sat alongside Bono at the Foxwoods Theatre off Times Square for the show’s official premiere. Behind them sat the Edge with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. They were joined in the audience by a who’s-who of Bono’s celebrity friends, including rocker Lou Reed, rapper Jay Z, actors Robert De Niro, Matt Damon, Liam Neeson and Steve Martin, supermodels Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen, tennis legend John McEnroe, TV stars Barbara Walters and Jimmy Fallon, and New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.

“What an amazing and historic night on Broadway. New York has never seen anything like Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark,”said Bill Clinton. “And I am very proud of them for not giving up, it was fabulous.” However, most of the critics, who were reviewing the reworked version of the show for the first time since director Julie Taymor was replaced in March, did not agree.

While the reviews have not been as savage as those of the original version published in February, they were still damning in whatever faint praise they gave. Most felt that while the revisions had improved the show, it was now basically a very expensive piece of children’s entertainment.

America’s most influential theatre critic Ben Brantley of the New York Times said the show had gone from “jaw-dropping badness to mere mediocrity.” “This singing comic book is no longer the ungodly, indecipherable mess it was in February. It’s just a bore,” he wrote, adding that he would only recommend it if he knew a “less-than-precocious child of 10 or so, and had several hundred dollars to throw away.”

Peter Mark, writing in the Washington Post, said the show was “a definite upgrade” but “still situated a wide canyon’s distance from good.” Entertainment Weekly’s Thom Geier gave it a C+ rating, saying “It may be an admirable work of revision, but it’s an unsatisfying meal, like one of Mom’s end-of-the-week casseroles made of leftovers she couldn’t bear to toss away.”

The kindest review came from Elysa Gardner writing in USA Today, who said producers had clearly heeded critics and fans, and the new version was “more of an overt crowd pleaser”. It certainly pleased the invited guests at Tuesday night’s opening, where the audience leapt to their feet to give the cast and crew a standing ovation at curtain call. Producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J Harris came out on stage, followed by Bono and the Edge. The new director, Phillip William McKinley then introduced the woman he replaced Julie Taymor.

There was loud applause from the audience and cheers from the cast and crew as Taymor walked on the stage to embrace Bono and the Edge, and the other producers who ousted her just two months ago. Bono took the microphone and paid tribute to her creativity, adding “By the way, you’re looking hot, Julie.” Taymor was gracious despite an ongoing dispute with producers over the payment of royalties, and thanked the cast and crew that she had spent years working with on the show.

Bono, who recently admitted that he would never have become involved in the musical if he knew how much time it would take to get it up and running, said he was proud of the work. “It’s quite a moment for us to finally be able to stand behind this, stand proudly behind it. It is a wonderful, wild ride of a night out,” he said. “We knew that that show had the makings of something great,” added the Edge, “so we felt that if we just pushed very hard and persuaded our producers to go again, we could get there. We feel we have.”

WHAT THE CRITICS HAVE SAID ABOUT SPIDEY 2.O:

The New York Times – Ben Brantley

“(The show) has become a straightforward children’s entertainment with a mildly suspenseful story, two-dimensional characters, unapologetically bad jokes and the kind of melodious rock tunes that those under 12 might be familiar with from listening to their parents’ salad-day favorites of the 1980s and ’90s. The puppet figures and mask-dominated costumes worn by the supporting villains still seem to have wandered in from a theme park.”

The Hollywood Reporter – David Rooney

"When a show is as misconceived as Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark, it’s more realistic to expect cosmetic improvements than miracles. That’s exactly what the new creative team has accomplished in this significantly overhauled but still terminally clunky reworking of the troubled mega-musical, now officially open after a record 183 previews."

USA Today – Elisa Gardner

"Essential elements of (Taymor’s) production remain, along with the flying feats and other high-tech visuals. But the new "Spider-Man" is cuter and more cautious than its predecessor ...  Clearly, producers heeded the critics and fans who hoped to see the title character represented more as he'd been in comic books and movies,"

New York Post – Elizabeth Vincentelli

“Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark”…tries very hard to be fun and accessible. After many upheavals and accidents, firings and rewrites, the show is closer than ever to the bull’s eye, but that’s not saying much: The target has been both broadened and lowered. The point of reference is Joel Schumacher’s family-ready “Batman,” not Christopher Nolan’s dark, arty one.”

Wall Street Journal – Terry Teachout

“If beauty were really only skin deep, then "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" would be the perfect musical. Every cent of the $70 million budget is visible…It's the best-looking mediocre musical ever to open on Broadway.

“The score, by U2's Bono and The Edge, sounds like a double album of B-sides ("Don't think about tomorrow / We've only got today"). Not only are the songs forgettable, but they never succeed in generating any dramatic momentum—all they do is get louder.”

Washington Post – Peter Marks

“What swings from the rafters, springs from the wings and bursts from the stage floor of the Foxwoods Theatre is a definite upgrade from the flailing behemoth on view in February...this effects-driven musical is still situated a wide canyon’s distance from good.”

Entertainment Weekly – Thom Geier

“Bono and The Edge's score is a mostly lackluster collection of forgettable tunes that play like U2 B-side…  It may be an admirable work of revision, but it's an unsatisfying meal, like one of mom's end-of-the-week casseroles made of leftovers she couldn't bear to toss…

"A lot of talent and money have gone into Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. But with great promise (and an even greater budget) comes the great responsibility of delivering. Though it's undeniably cool to see costumed heroes zip overhead, this Spidey just can't get off the ground.”

Spiderman 2.0 hitting the right notes

A new air of positivity surrounds the Spiderman musical on Broadway, after preview performances resumed on Thursday night with no glitches and a more crowd-pleasing storyline. The $75m production, with a score written by Bono and the Edge, had taken a three week break to allow a new creative team to drastically rework the much-maligned musical.

New director Phil McKinley has put an increased emphasis on the love story between Peter Parker and Mary Jane, and on the battle with the villainous Green Goblin. The comic book’s most famous line – “With great power, comes great responsibility” has been included for the first time – its omission from the original version of Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark had shocked fans.  “I’m very glad it’s in there. It’s got to be,” Reeve Carney, who plays Peter Parker/Spiderman, told me after Thursday night’s first preview of what’s being dubbed Spiderman 2.0. He said, after an “intense” few weeks of rehearsals, it was a relief to be back on stage in front of an audience. “I venture to say it was the most positive reaction we’ve had out of all 146 shows,” he said, basing his judgment on the volume of the response, and the laughter from the audience.

The new show adopts a much lighter touch, with many more jokes, some even at its own expense. At one stage the Green Goblin refers to himself as “a $65m circus tragedy” and quickly adds “make that $75m”. Spiderman is the most expensive musical ever staged on Broadway, and has been in previews for longer than any other show.

Patrick Page, the actor who plays the Green Goblin, says the creators of the show have listened to what fans and critics have said, and taken their suggestions on board. “It’s kind of the first Twitter Broadway show,” he said, “where people started saying: well this is what I think, and the creators and producers said okay, well let’s include their opinions.” Page said it had been the “thrill of a lifetime” to work in studio with Bono and the Edge over the past few weeks as they put together a new song “Freak Like Me”, which opens the second act of the show.

TV Carpio, who stars as Arachne, a character that has been transformed from a villain in the original production to a guardian angel for Spiderman in the new version, also paid tribute to the U2 guys. “They’ve been so supportive. It’s a dream come true. They’ve been great mentors and it’s been amazing to watch them work,” she said. Carpio says she’s happy that she continues to have “some of the most beautiful songs” in the show, despite her role being scaled back significantly. “I’m not going to lie and say it doesn’t affect me a little bit,” she conceded, “But it’s a bigger picture, this thing is bigger than my part. If my part has to be sacrificed for this story to be told and people wanting to hear it, I’m for it. I’m a team player.”

Actress Jennifer Damiano who plays Mary Jane, celebrated her 20^th birthday on Thursday, and is confident that they now have a “really solid show”. She was keen to give credit to ousted director Julie Taymor, whose “vision is still at the heart of the show”. Taymor retains a billing as “original director” on literature for the show, with new director McKinley billed as “creative consultant”.

One of the biggest cheers of the night was for stuntman Chris Tierney, who made his return to the Broadway show after suffering horrific injuries in a fall during a performance in December. Tierney, who suffered a fractured skull, fractured shoulder blades, four broken ribs and three broken vertebrae when he fell 20 ft into a pit at the front of the stage, said he felt “stronger now than when I fell”. The new version includes four extra flying sequences, and Tierney says, despite still suffering some soreness and a lack of flexibility in places, he’s got no concerns about taking to the air.  “We are the most safe show on Broadway, I’ll tell you that much. We’ve gone through about 60 new Department of Labor precautions. I’ve got about four people looking after me every time they clip in anything. I think it’s a little too much now, but I guess it’s the best way to go.”

Audience members emerging from Thursday night’s preview seemed to have enjoyed the show, with most saying it had been a lot of fun. “I really liked it,” said Brian Hartlet from Stamford, Connecticut, who had seen the original version three times. “The overall story in this one is much clearer, it flows so much better than the last one. But there are some elements of the first one that I miss.” Critics have been invited back to review the show in early June, and their verdicts are expected to be published to coincide with the musical’s long-awaited official opening on June 14^th. 

AUDIO: Revamp for troubled Spiderman

Here's a piece I did with RTE's Morning Ireland on the curtain coming down on the original version of Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark on Broadway.

It includes clips of lead cast members talking about how the feel about changes to their roles.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0419/morningireland.html

U2 stars defend Spider-man director as she is replaced by Circus master

Bono and the Edge have leapt to the defense of Julie Taymor, the talented Broadway director who has stepped aside from her role in Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark.

“Julie is a truly gifted and imaginative director,” the U2 pair said in a statement, after Taymor  was replaced on the show, which was due to open next week, but has now been delayed for a remarkable sixth time.

Taymor was the creative genius behind the smash-hit The Lion King but reports say she clashed with producers who were looking for wholesale changes to the Spiderman musical after it was thrashed by critics.

Bono and the Edge are to remain involved in the $65m production, which critics are branding Broadway’s biggest ever flop. The duo have written several new songs which they hope to insert into the production, which is now being driven by a totally new creative team.

“This is an epic ride,” they said, “and the standing ovations we have seen from the preview audiences have confirmed our absolute faith in the project. We are listening and learning and, as a result, we have a couple of new songs we are very very excited about putting into the mix.

“All of us on the creative team are committed to taking Spiderman to the next level. We are confident it will reach its full potential and when it does, it will open.”

Spiderman has now been in previews longer than any other show in history, and will continue to undergo changes until the summer.

Producers have appointed Phillip McKinley as the new director, and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa to help rewrite the book.

McKinley’s only previous Broadway experience was a 2003 musical called The Boy from Oz which starred Hugh Jackman.

Some have questioned his credentials, but perhaps aptly, he is a former circus director with Barnum and Bailey, and Ringling Bros.

Aguirre-Sacasa is an acclaimed playwright, and a well known writer of Spiderman comic books.

The expanded creative team also includes musical consultant Paul Bogaev  and sound designer Peter Hylenski. 

Producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J Harris paid tribute to Taymor, saying her vision had been at the heart of the production and would continue to do so.

“We cannot exaggerate how technically difficult it is to make such changes to a show of this complexity,” they said.

The new summer opening date means Spiderman is no longer eligible for consideration for the industry’s Tony Awards this year. Spiderman remains among Broadway’s highest grossing productions, despite the nightmarish production problems and scathing reviews.

CURSE OF SPIDERMAN STRIKES AGAIN

A still image taken from an audience member's cellphone footage of the fall

They used to call Macbeth the “cursed” play - but now it seem like the Shakespearian classic has a rival in U2’s new Spiderman musical on Broadway.

The $65m production, which has been bedevilled by delays and injuries, suffered another major setback with a serious accident at Monday night’s preview performance in New York. Audience members watched in horror as a stuntman playing Spiderman fell up to 30 feet into the orchestra pit at the front of the stage, after a safety harness failed with seven minutes left to go in the show. The actor, Christopher Tierney, who is the lead double for Spiderman actor Reeve Carney,  was stretchered out of the theatre and taken to hospital by ambulance for treatment on minor injuries.

Questions are once again being asked about whether the show is safe to work on. New York’s Department of Labour was due to visit the set today, and actors union Equity said it was monitoring the situation.

The accident happened during a scene where Spiderman comes to the rescue of girlfriend Mary Jane, who is dangling from a bridge. The safety harness  which was meant to hold Spiderman in place as the lights went out, instead flicked off his back leaving the actor to fall the equivalent of two storeys, according to audience members. There was a cry of “Call 911” from fellow actors, and producers told the audience they were halting the show and asked them  to leave.

[New York Times has a video taken by an audience member of the fall, view it here]

Tierney is the fourth actor to be injured on the show. At the first preview in November, actress Natalie Mendoza who plays new villain Arachne, suffered concussion. She only returned to performances last week after two weeks of rest. Last night she tweeted, “Please pray for Chris, my superhero who quietly inspires me every day with his spirit. A light in my heart went dim tonight”. Two other actors were injured during rehearsals, one breaking a toe, the other breaking both his wrists during the complicated stunts in the show.

Just last week, producers confirmed they were pushing back opening night for the show yet again. It is now due to open on February 7th instead of January 11th. The creators are still tweaking the production - reports suggest they were considering a completely new finale for the show after a lukewarm response during previews. Lead Producer Michael Cohl said it had “become clear that we need to give the team more time to execute their vision” and that he had “no intention of cutting a single corner in getting to the finish line”.

Bono and the Edge, who have been touring Australia and New Zealand with U2, are expected to return to the Foxwoods Theatre off Times Square to renew work on it after Christmas. The show is the most expensive production ever to be staged on Broadway. There were no scheduled shows for Tuesday night, but two performances were due to take place on Wednesday.