Broadway Pulse: First Newsday, Now Bloomberg 'Reviews' SPIDER-MAN

[macbeth]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 10:47pm

Yikes... When was the last time that press started going in before they were invited? MERLIN?
Click Here to Read Broadway Pulse: First Newsday, Now Bloomberg 'Reviews' SPIDER-MAN

[Disneyland Magic Man]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 10:58pm

SO good! Keep 'em coming in, fellas!

[PopAria]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 10:58pm

they better hire a good writer quick... Is anyone at Disney/Pixar available!?

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:01pm

Well, let's face it: in many respects SPIDEY brought this onto itself, through its absurd budget, the repetitive visits from the safety board, the relentless PR events... what did they expect? This isnt your standard Broadway fare; this is James Cameron Makes a Musical.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:02pm

How did I know before even clicking on this thread that Disneyland Magic Man would have already responded?

You would think Riedel is paying him...

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:27pm

Im sorry but no matter what your stance on the show this is out of line. As a critic myself here in the UK and Producer/Director i can't believe that someone would go ahead and do that no matter how much attention the show has on it or what the budget is. Yes the preview period is longer but it's opened cold with no out of town and major tech issues involved.
This idiotic critic has done this for attention plain and simple and opens gateways for other critics to do the same in the future.

Forget what show it is, but as theatre fans you surely can not see this as a good thing. The poor cast and crew are getting beat on before its even opened, at this rate a lot of people will be out of jobs because of the press and their actions during this preview period.

Im shocked.

[Disneyland Magic Man]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:31pm

Don't be shocked, it's not the first time it's happened.

Someone mentioned Merlin. It also happened with Beatlemainia... I'm sure there are others.

The point is they are charging full price seats for a preview period that they're marketing much like they're already opened. They're tricking the public into thinking the show's "in performances", but getting pissy if any bad press gets out.

The show is trying to make a buck. And consumers have a right to know if their money is going to be well spent. THAT's what reviews are for, whether people on this board take them to heart or not. They guide people on how to spend their money. If Spider-Man is charging full price and is not ready, the public needs to know.

[Famebroadway2]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:36pm

GOOD! If you are going to charge full price during previews then you deserve to be reviewed. I miss the old days where you could see a show in previews for 1/2 the price.

[Scott Briefer]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:38pm

I really dislike your post, DMM. You are beyond annoying, predictable and just plain obnoxious and rude. As I am not in a position to demand you go away, I fear I will because you're just too annoying to endure any longer.

Get a life, DMM. Seriously, you need help.

[sundaymorning6am]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:44pm

I think this is bullsh*t. If journalists are allowed to buy themselves tickets to shows and review them in preview periods, then WTF is the point of having a review period? These so-called journalists should quit their paying jobs since they lack journalistic integrity and just start blogs so they can write whatever the hell they want, whenever the hell they want.

But... that's just my humble opinion. And what the hell do I know?

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:46pm

"Don't be shocked, it's not the first time it's happened.

Someone mentioned Merlin. It also happened with Beatlemainia... I'm sure there are others."

Im fully aware its happened before thank you and it was wrong then as well.

"The point is they are charging full price seats for a preview period that they're marketing much like they're already opened. They're tricking the public into thinking the show's "in performances", but getting pissy if any bad press gets out."

Most shows charge full price or close to full price during previews (Spiderman has had many discounts for previews as well) so it makes no difference that Spiderman is doing the same. It's also not trying to fool the public that it's opened, the show is very clear in press releases that it's in previews. The openeing date change has also meant that the world press have written that it's in previews so i have no idea what you are talking about.

"The show is trying to make a buck. And consumers have a right to know if their money is going to be well spent. THAT's what reviews are for, whether people on this board take them to heart or not. They guide people on how to spend their money. If Spider-Man is charging full price and is not ready, the public needs to know


The show is in Previews and has admitted it has work to do, if the public chose to go and see it during previews then that is their doing. This show if you like it or not is a huge tech leap forward for Broadway and has admitted it has work to do (hence pushing the opening night), im glad that the team know the problems and is working to fix them and as with all shows should be allowed to do so during its previews without reviews. This show is hardly getting a preview period as it is because every paper is printing every detail of each preview (just look at Broadway World) that has not happened with any other show in recent memory except Taboo.
You can scream all you want how its wanted press attention but i have to disagree. The team wanted attention the show was coming like any show would but the press that has haunted this show is not anything they asked for or should have got.
The bottom line is that a show in previews has just had a review printed and that is 100 percent wrong and if this would have happened during Next to Normal, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson or the Scotsboro Boys etc then people on here would have been up in arms.

Disneyland Magic Man i know you hate the show (the extent you hate it just puzzles me) but i would love to know how old you are as you seem to get things very wrong and your opinions are that of a child.

Updated On: 12/26/10 at 11:46 PM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:51pm

But Spiderman is hardly the first show to charge full price for previews. In fact, just about every show does.

And this guy was an idiot for spending $292 on any musical, let alone this one.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:52pm

I agree that any reviews during a preview period are out of line. I ALSO agree that it is outrageous for a show to charge full price during previews, as long as the ticketbuyer is unaware of the difference.

Frankly, they can charge whatever the hell they want during previews and I don't care...AS LONG AS it is made clear what the difference is between a preview performance and a frozen post-Opening Night performance.

**NO** Broadway show does this. The general public does NOT know the difference between a Preview and a frozen Performance. And ALL shows are guilty of not providing this information, not just SPIDER-MAN.

Don't get angry at ticket prices. Get angry that the people paying those prices don't know what they are buying -- and it's the producer's fault!

[Disneyland Magic Man]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:52pm

You think you're so right, don't you? They're not acting like the show is open?

Here's the OFFICIAL site. Go to the first page:

http://spidermanonbroadway.marvel.com/

"NOW PLAYING ON BROADWAY" is pretty much saying "We're open! Come see the show!"

When an invited audience comes to a screening for a movie (the Hollywood equivalent to a Broadway Preview), the movie is NOT marketed as "NOW PLAYING IN THEATERS".

Spider-Man (and any other show that does it) can't have they're cake and eat it too. By marketing it as "NOW PLAYING ON BROADWAY", the ignorant public thinks the show is open, and they buy tickets. But don't play the "but we're in previews" card after the fact if people don't like it. Don't get upset if the press comes in either.

Broadway Producers need to re-evaluate how they handle this preview nonsense. Charge less for these performances, actually attempt to make necessary changes during this period, and save the ad campaign for the show's ACTUAL OPENING. Updated On: 12/26/10 at 11:52 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:55pm

Dude, you are worse than Kyle4.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:55pm

It is playing on Broadway, all shows say the same thing on their site from the moment it plays a performance. This is what i mean, you seem to be a child who knows very little about shows. Ive had many a show in previews that our websites have said 'Now playing at.....', all it's saying is that if you want to book a ticket then you can see the show.

What is wrong with you?

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:56pm

"NOW PLAYING ON BROADWAY" does not imply that they are real performances, nor does it inform the general public that the performances are previews. But I think they have a commercial that says "The reviews are in..." which implies it is an open show that has been reviewed, which is wrong. For a show that is clearly seeking a more touristy audience, they seem to be misleading their public. But I don't believe that the critics should be jumping the gun this way.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:57pm

Know what this is DMM? One note. Just like you.

[Disneyland Magic Man]

Posted: 12/26/10 at 11:59pm

All it takes is "NOW IN PREVIEWS" to be printed on all marketing until opening night.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 12:00am

I bet Disneyland Magic Man is a 40-year old stock room manager at K-Mart, living in Jersey with three cats.

How oddly specific my imagination is...perhaps I should develop that image into a show and produce it on Broadway! I can charge full price for previews but because my budget was only $4 million and I didn't have to delay my Opening Night (due to the fact that there were no real technical issues when designing the scene where Disneyland Magic Man flies over the audience dressed in Spider-Man pajamas), DMM won't wish my show to close!

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 12:00am

DMM Ghost the Musical which openes here in Manchester prior to the West End says nothing about previews etc on their site either and here in the UK we don't have Out of Toen try outs normally here so even less people know about previews etc, should they be shut down for fooling the audience as well?

http://www.ghostthemusical.com/tickets/manchester/

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 12:02am

"All it takes is "NOW IN PREVIEWS" to be printed on all marketing until opening night."

Well so can all the other shows that do exactly the same so why should Spiderman be any differnt?

You seem to have a problem listening to people who know better (that would be everyone on Broadway World)

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 12:04am

T.V. Carpio is now playing Ari-achne?
Wat up with dat?
Two cents: I am against actual reviews before opening night.

[Disneyland Magic Man]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 12:05am

I want Spider-Man shut down because it's hurting people and is a bad show.

Ghost should definitely designate what previews are and not. Just like any show. If they're not going public that the show is in a non-complete state, it deserves to be reviewed.

If producers want to change things and ignore what previews were created for, and all aspects of that, fine, but then shows should open cold and be ready for the press to come in and judge them..

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 12:05am

Oh, he's WAAAAAAAAAAAY over 40 Cap. His reference for another show that "deceived" audiences by having performances but no press opening? "Beatlemania"!