Spider-Man Play Opening Delayed
Spider-Man won’t swing his way into Broadway theater until January 2011 due to the problems the character had soaring through the skies for real on the stage, according to the Daily Mail website.
Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, already the most expensive musical ever made, has had to pay medical bills when actors practicing elaborate stunts for the show have been injured. One newsman quipped that the play is already popular with orthopedic surgeons in the New York area. This is the Broadway debut for rock band U2.
“Extravagant flying numbers involving performers attached to harnesses swooping down from the far, high corners of the Foxwoods Theatre in New York have been somewhat problematic and lead to two broken wrists,” the site reported. “Actor Kevin Aubin suffered the injuries when he was sent hurtling across the stage in a daring slingshot-style stunt.
“The high-risk maneuver, thought up by director Julie Taymor, is just one of many in the show, which attempts to push the limits of theatrical boundaries, and evidently the health and safety guidelines too.”
Inspectors from the New York State Department of Labor have attended rehearsals this week. Apparently, producers have not yet received the required permits for some of the stunts out of the 24 aerial sections. The inspectors will therefore have to return to examine some scenes again before declaring the performance legally safe.
“The opening night is now set for January 11, but following a number of unlikely films that have been transformed into a musical, fears are rising that the production will be at the end of a long list of stage flops,” reported the Mail. “Before this latest creation which has been in the works for six years, Shrek The Musical was most expensive Broadway show at $25, and failed to make back its investment in a year. Previous to this was The Lord Of The Rings in 2006 in both Toronto and London, which across both countries cost $50million.”
Spidey’s biggest foe may be word of mouth instead of Doctor Octopus or the Green Goblin. The show has suffered many problems since its inception.
In related news, the character of Mary Jane Parker will not appear in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot film. As previously noted, Gwen Stacy will be featured. Also, actor Martin Sheen is in final negotiations to play Uncle Ben
by Wayne Hall
Source: scifipulse.net
