Critical silence ends: NY Times pans expensive, unlucky 'Spider-Man' musical
Also in the no-big-surprise department, Ben Brantley dismissed this ill-fated show as "not only the most expensive musical ever to hit Broadway," but one that "may also rank among the worst."
I can already hear Glenn Beck, an ardent champion of the production, sharpening his claws for use against the elite press. But, really, was it ever possible that a $65 million musical could turn out to be fabulous when it couldn't open remotely on time, when it kept being plagued by accidents, and when the only real buzz it generated was about those two attributes?
Hey, maybe Brantley
is way off base. Maybe other critics will swear that this is a great, noble, hugely entertaining effort. But I've always suspected that "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" was destined to take its place of dishonor on the walls of Joe Allen Restaurant on W. 46th St., where failed Broadway shows are immortalized. I guess my skepticism comes from reading about too many other things that were just too grand for their own good -- unsinkable ships, banks too big to fail.
I also think our obsession with techno gadgetry has gone way overboard. A musical that needs so much visual stuff crammed into it is bound to prove hollow on the inside. As Brantley points out, even the flying stuff isn't so special in "Spider-Man" -- "Aren't they doing that just across the street in 'Mary Poppins'?"
It will be interesting to see what happens next with this unlucky production.
Comments
Chris Jones at the Chicago Tribune blogged his review here, harsh in its own way separate from Ben Brantley's NYT review.
Posted by: Geo. | February 8, 2011 5:55 PM
Re: 'could it turn out to be fabulous' - yes, very much so. The movie Titanic had two years of negative press - 'they can't get the ship to sink', 'it's been dubbed the new Waterworld', 'will have to get the biggest gross ever, just to turn a profit' - and lo and behold, it did. Spider-Man's still enjoying buoyant ticket sales, even despite the bad press, which goes to show there's no such thing as bad publicity. Besides, the producers know very well that the money's going to roll in from touring, not from the Broadway run.
Posted by: Martha | February 9, 2011 6:28 PM
I’ve read Spider-man off and on and for the past few years everytime I hear about Spider-man, i get depressed. Anyone whose read it knows what I’m talking about. I was shocked about the horrible stuff they put in the books, which can’t be undone. I was depressed at the quickie movie reboot that will be a disaster. Now, I’m depressed about this horrible thing. I want the old Spider-man b ack in the books. Not Heroic Age Brand New One More Day magic amnesica idiot boy!
Posted by: Atlanta Roofing | February 10, 2011 2:06 AM