The Official Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Online Store

JANUARY 6, 2014 Variety.com

‘Spider-Man’ Musical Still a Tangled, Messy Web to the End

Nobody was injured at the Broadway show's last performance, except for this reviewer

By Ramin Setoodeh

I’ll never forget the first time I saw “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.” It was on Saturday night. Bad reviews and buzz had kept me away from Broadway’s most disaster-prone production, but I had always wanted to witness the spectacle. I had that chance over the weekend, at the show’s final performance before it closed in New York.

My seat, which cost $160, was in the front row, which turned out to be a huge mistake. Other productions at the Foxwoods Theatre have used that aisle for cheap rush tickets, since the space is so narrow you need to prop your legs up against the stage.

But “Spider-Man,” the most expensive musical ever (with a budget of $75 million and losses estimated at $60 million), clearly needed every last cent it could grab, which explained the influx of mugs, tote bags, pins, shirts, posters, caps and blankets at the gift shop.

all the merchandise came from the concession stand. One fan celebrated the closing by arriving to the theater in Spider-Man’s tights. Although the musical never won over critics, it still has its diehard loyalists. A few of them said they had seen the performance more than 100 times.

Gale Vitale estimated 130 to 140 trips to the theater with her friends over the last three years. “I had split feelings about seeing this, because I’m not really into Spider-Man,” said the 29-year-old veterinary technician from Paramus, N.J. “But once I saw it, I fell in love.”

She rolled up her sleeve to show a Spider-Man tattoo on her left arm with the words “Rise Above,” the name of one of the better songs.

“Everyone makes fun of me for liking the show, because most musical theater people don’t like the show,” said Sarah Biddle, 22, back for the fifth time. But she didn’t care; she was giddy when she spotted Reeve Carney, who originated the Spider-Man role in November 2010 and attended the last performance, in the lobby.

“It’s crazy,” Reeve later told me of the groupies who kept coming back. “I guess they connected to the story.”

That still wasn’t enough to keep the web-slinger afloat. The producers, Jeremiah Harris and Michael Cohl, who notified the staff of the show’s ending via mass email, said the costs of operating such an elaborate production in New York was too high to make the show profitable.

“It’s exhilarating and at the same time disappointing,” Harris said. “There’s a time and place for everything, and this was time to close here in New York and move on.” He added, “We’re talking to someone about building a theater in Germany for us,” and they are also considering a Las Vegas run for 2015.

“Turn off the Dark,” in case you missed it, covers some of the origin story from the 2002 movie starring Tobey Maguire. But the plot took a back seat to spectacular behind-the-scenes turmoil and creative bickering.

From the start, the show suffered from technical glitches that turned the production into a national punch line. At least six actors were badly injured, which resulted in lawsuits. The producers kept extending the previews, which stretched over seven months as they launched major overhauls, and its director Julie Taymor was fired. The music written by U2’s Bono was also panned (although some the songs, especially in the second act, aren’t so bad).

AUGUST 15, 2016 by George Johnston / hollywoodreporter.com/

Playwright Behind 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' Explains Why the Musical Failed

efore it floundered, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark was predicted to be asmash hit worthy of a superhero.

After all, U2's Bono and The Edge were helping turn one of the most popular superheroes in the world into a musical. But production issues, huge costs and negative reception by critics saw Turn Off the Dark close in infamy three years after opening.

Glen Berger, who co-wrote the book for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark with Julie Taymor, gave an interview with the A.V. Club, telling all about the disaster even Spider-Man could not save.

“Our biggest blunder was that we only had one workshop, and then we went into rehearsals for the Broadway run of the show,” said Berger.

The play cost $75 million to produce and though it was a big earner in the beginning, by the end it was not generating enough money to cover production. Several actors were injured on set, and Taymor was dismissed from the play and later sued its producers.

Berger went on to say he had started having real seeds of doubt about Spider-Man when actors began getting hurt during the play’s production. He also said Taymor was unwilling to change anything in Turn Off the Dark during rehearsals.

“From our first preview to the day Julie left the show seven months later, not a single song was cut, which is kind of indicative of the rigidity that was setting in for one camp of the creators who felt like, 'No, we came up with the perfect show. We just need to find a way to render it competently,'" said Berger.

When Taymor left Turn Off the Dark, a new director, choreographer and co-writer were hired for the play. Berger felt rejuvenated and excited to save Spider-Man. Unfortunately, everybody’s favorite webslinger couldn’t shake the bad cloud surrounding his play. Turn Off The Dark concluded its run on Jan. 4, 2014.

Before and after reviews for Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark (Foxwoods Theatre)

A TALE OF TWO SPIDEYS

With an estimated production budget of $65-$75 million, the rock musical Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark is Broadway's most expensive show of all time ... and certainly one of its most troubled. As originally constructed by Julie Taymor (best known for her successful theatrical adaptation of The Lion King) and Glen Berger, the effects-filled production was plagued by technical problems (which, more than once, sent cast members to the infirmary), and the opening night was delayed so frequently that Spider-Man became a national punch line. Many theater critics reached a point where they were uncertain that the show would ever open, and -- going against convention -- reviewed one of the preview performances in February, almost universally panning the incoherent story and the unmemorable music (written by U2's Bono and The Edge).

A record 183 preview performances -- and a three-week hiatus -- later, Spider-Man finally, officially, opened yesterday at the Foxwoods Theatre after a re-tooling by new writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and new director Philip William McKinley. A new song was added, 20 minutes have been lopped off the running time, and the musical's plot has been significantly restructured.

Do critics like the upgraded production any better than the original version? The short answer is yes, though most reviewers still don't recommend the show. Below, we sample the before and after reviews from critics who wrote about both versions.

Spider-Man and Goblin Tee

Spider-Man Tote

Spider-Man 2013-2014 Calendar

Spider-Man Blanket

Spider-Man Tumbler

Spider-Man Mousepad

Spider-Man Key Art Magnet

Spider-Man Lapel Pin

Spider-Man Book (Photo Cover)

Spider-Man Mug

Spider-Man Postcard Set

Green Goblin & Sinister Six Poster