Lead Actress Natalie Mendoza Departs SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off the Dark?

[macbeth]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 9:08am

Not a shocker...


Click Here to Read Lead Actress Natalie Mendoza Departs SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off the Dark Updated On: 12/28/10 at 09:08 AM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 9:12am

For anyone having problems opening the article, here is the NYT link:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/a-lead-actress-departs-spider-man-turn-off-the-dark/

Interesting. This show just keeps finding itself deeper and deeper in the muck. I, for one, hope the NYT DOES review it early and put the nail in the proverbial coffin.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 9:45am

I have to wonder if she's the first of several actors that might leave the show? I wonder if anyone else wishes they could leave this trainwreck?

Posted: 12/28/10 at 9:48am

Does anyone else smell preparations for a major 'lawsuit'? right around the corner by a number of these actors?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 9:48am

Will America Olivo be the next Sutton Foster? Will she be the next Andrea McArdle?

Updated On: 12/28/10 at 09:48 AM

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 9:59am

"Will America Olivo be the next Sutton Foster? Will she be the next Andrea McArdle?"

At least THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE and ANNIE yielded excellent roles for Foster and McArdle. The role of Arachne is such crap...and frankly, the entire part should be severely reduced or scrapped.

I hope the beginning of the NYT review reads "Congratulations, Ms. Mendoza."
Updated On: 12/28/10 at 09:59 AM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 10:07am

Now if only Jen Damiano can find a way to get out of this mess.

Is it really a coincidence that the morning after there's a thread on BWW wondering what happened to her, there's suddenly news articles about it? This is not the first time this has happened, either.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 10:08am

Why is there a question mark in the title when there's no question?

Why is lawsuit in quotes? Is it a euphemism?

[wickedfan11]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 10:17am

"Now if only Jen Damiano can find a way to get out of this mess."

I hope she can. She's far too good to be stuck in a show like Spidey.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 10:19am

I sure hope it's TV Carpio. I saw America and she was dreadful. Don't know if it was just the part or her but she was very uncomfortable to watch and sounded very strange.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 10:30am

As I said in the thread I started last night, the fact that T.V. Carpio has been on in the role without even understudying it makes me think it's her they're bumping up to replace Mendoza, not America Olivo.

Didn't they just bring in a new "swing" who's been on in Carpio's role while she's been on as Arachne? That timing for doing that seems a little too coincidental.

[Kalimba]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 10:35am

Someone needs to do Broadway a favor and shut this crap show down and run Julie Taymor (all style, no substance skank) out of town.

[tazber]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 10:41am

I can't even imagine the lawsuit that this will spawn.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 11:25am

My hope is that all who wish ill on Spiderman and its cast be one day in a musical that is 'in trouble' and the target of brickbats trying to hit their show when it is down.

We can all say that so-and-so deserves a better show (and this might be true), but right now this is the show they have and it is their job in an industry that jobs are not all that easy to come by even for the most talented.

The estimated capitalization of Spiderman is 65 million which is the estimated amount of money that the NY Post, employer of Mr. Reidel, the biggest no-talent in New York, loses its shareholders in a year.

I would hope the Post folds a lot sooner than Spiderman.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 11:40am

Well said WOSQ

[Smaxie]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 11:41am

I guess it's fair to question her artistry, given all that has been said at this point about Spider-Man, but is it necessary to call Julie Taymor a skank?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 12:18pm

How did they convince Equity to let them bring over an Australian, anyway? Not discounting Mendoza's talent, but it's just something I've wondered for months.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 12:59pm

Olivo was just fine. She did the most she could with a pretty awful role.

[perfectliar]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 1:17pm

Something is really fishy with the whole Mendoza situation.

First she performs in a show after seeing her doctor, who told her not to go on. Then she's out for a week, recovering in Malibu. Now, I'm no expert... but if a concussion is bad enough that one can't perform, is it wise to fly across the country for a week to recover?

And now she is on mandatory vocal rest a week after getting a week of rest?

It doesn't add up to me.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 1:23pm

perfectliar, the "vocal rest" excuse has been a cover used to buy the producers time while they work out the specifics of how Mendoza's exit is being explained publicly.

She's not leaving the show because of her injury, though that may very well be how they plan on spinning it in the press. She's leaving because of safety concerns that were only exacerbated when Chris Tierney (one of her best friends) was hurt even worse than she was. There's a reason she hasn't performed since his fall last week.

We'll see just how much more is revealed in the coming days.

Updated On: 12/28/10 at 01:23 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 1:27pm

I have been wondering why she went on after she got hit in the head with the rope. Can the production's doctor/specialist stop an actor from going on or does it have to come from her primary doctor. They say she insisted on performing and I wonder if she said something to indicate her doctor said it was ok. I have also thought that after she performed again, she experienced more problems with her head. I just keep thinking that getting her out of the show has something to do with this. Those are just thoughts that ran through my mind.

[xxdrewboy85xx]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 1:57pm

I'm sure Mendoza as well as other cast members could be experiencing some sort of PTSD after Tierney's serious injury. After Mendoza suffered a concussion her good friend was almost killed from that "human error" 30ft fall. That very well could have been the last straw for her.

I also can see how it could have been a huge liability to the production if Mendoza did in fact let the production believe she was able to go on against her doctors orders. That could definitely have something to do with her departure.

Whatever it may be, I'm DYING to know what really is going on.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 2:25pm

I hate the "vocal rest" excuse. It does nothing but make the actor look bad by implying poor technique.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 2:37pm

This isn't gonna end well, is it.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 2:42pm

I predict dehydration.