Julie Taymor Steps Down

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 12:51pm

Quitter. She was in so far over her head she might as well have just gone down with the ship.

But I suppose not. Egos are massive in this business.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 12:55pm

Step down? Yeah right. More like forced out. The producers wanted changes and she didn't want to make them.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 12:56pm

Quitter? Do you honestly think this is her choice?

She may have been offered the chance to work with someone or continue consulting and decided to just leave altogether, but there's no way she'd voluntarily give up this show without a fight.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 12:57pm

I don't know why I'm starting to feel slightly sorry for her.

This entire thing is so ugly. It's taking so much away from all of the new shows opening this spring. It's a shame.

[Polka Dot2]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 12:57pm

The article did say that she was "extremely disappointed and deeply distressed about the current turn of events." Sounds like the decision wasn't up to her.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 12:59pm

"This entire thing is so ugly. It's taking so much away from all of the new shows opening this spring. It's a shame."

And that's what pisses me off more than anything else. It's become such a farce that nobody cares to talk about anything else.

[philcrosby]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 1:04pm

"Spider-Man" is the Charlie Sheen of the Broadway scene ... too much of train wreck for the media to ignore.

[D2]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 1:12pm

Don't kid yourselves - SPIDER-MAN isn't taking any media attention away from any other show this season. It may be stealing thunder from other shows on theater message boards, but outside of this insular little world no other B'way show would ever get that kind of media attention. If anything, it's showering attention on Broadway as a whole - for good and for bad.

[newintown]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 1:15pm

She's set for life from Lion King alone, and I have no doubt that she has a devoted circle of friends and family.

She may never direct on Broadway again, but then again, she may. Huge flops didn't stop Twyla Tharpe, Bob Merrill, Jule Styne, Martin Charnin, etc., etc., etc.

No need to pity her. Well, no more need than there is to pity Oedipus, who also caused his own downfall through carelessness and pride.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 1:24pm

Its hard to feel sorry for her. That amount of money in this economy in a tough industry...It didn't even have a tryout and cost that much. Art aint easy but we can't all be Charlie Sheens, the business would be bankrupt.

[wexy]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 1:30pm

Now Charlie Sheen can take over.

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 1:39pm

I'm actually more excited about the Spring season than I have in a couple of years and Spiderman has has absolutely nothing to do with it. It's been the proverbial gnat that you want to slap away...an annoyance but not a big enough one to ruin the rest of your good time.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 11:13pm

I would hope that some sane soul would decide that it just wasn't worth it and close the thing for good. Yes, it's a huge financial loss, but, hopefully, some people have learned a lesson through all of this muck and mire, And could we just return to the meat and potatoes of Broadway and forget this mess on the radar screen?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 11:16pm

Scottsboro closes prematurely & people still flock to see this trainwreck. Go figure.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 4:47am

What can win the Tony now this lock won't open in time????

[peachesr]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 4:58am

The producers finally seem to have manned up and done what they should have done months ago.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 6:48am

Spiderman was a LOCK? Bwhahahahaha. I doubt it would have even been nominated as best new musical in its current state, let alone win.

So every other show has just as much the chance it did before this was delayed....again.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 7:15am

For once I actually totally agree with Mr Roxy! There is so much GOOD theatre being slighted for this dreck!

[devonian.t]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 7:19am

I think it was clear I was being ironic!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 7:23am

And that's what pisses me off more than anything else. It's become such a farce that nobody cares to talk about anything else.

Then why not start a thread about another show?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 8:57am

Even though she did dig her own grave here, I do feel a bit sorry for her. I would not wish this type of failure on anyone. After spending years of time on a project and just seeing it fall apart cannot be easy. However, she did not do anything to fix this show these past few months when the problems were very evident.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 10:57am

Scottsboro closes prematurely & people still flock to see this trainwreck. Go figure.

Apples and oranges. People still flock to Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Mamma Mia, Billy Elliott, Mary Poppins and Jersey Boys. Mainstream entertainment sells. Just ask Sondheim. Razzle dazzle 'em. Nothing new or surprising about that.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 11:14am

Which article has her saying she is deeply distressed by the turn of events?

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 11:48am

Ungageg, to answer your question, it's mentioned in the article I link from the NY Times.

Julie Taymor replaced

Updated On: 3/10/11 at 11:48 AM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 4:07pm

I feel for her too. She got a huge ego boost and tremendous reputation from her success with The Lion King, and while that's a dream come true in many ways, it can be very difficult to balance your ego with that kind of seemingly "overnight" success in this business. I think when you gain a reputation for being a visionary who takes huge risks, it cane become hard to know when to trust your own vision or listen to others' advice with the type of pressure she had on her in this show. She's only human. She made some mistakes; she's paying the price.

Though hating Julie Taymor has become as fashionable as hating Wicked was a few years ago, I sincerely believe she's an unbelievably talented woman, and hope her career recovers from this. I think she's a stunning visual artist and has an amazing sense of stage composition...from movement, to mask work, to settings and effects. She may not be the greatest person to be the prime story-teller or director, but I think she has something unique and wonderful to offer the theater, and hope she continues to do so in the future.