SPIDERMAN'S FATE

[DCS]

Posted: 11/5/09 at 5:57pm

Looks like we will have word sometime tomorrow according to the NY Times....
SpiderMan's Fate

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/5/09 at 5:58pm

*YAWN*

I'm already sick of this show.

[dshnookie]

Posted: 11/5/09 at 6:26pm

I think everyone should just wait until they announce something official. All this speculation is exhausting to read.

This is just like Shrek, and every week on the grosses thread people would speculate "how is this show still open?" "OMG look at the grosses!" "When will this close?"..and then..the announcement came.

Just wait!

EDIT: "Running costs of close to $1 million a week" .. the producers might as well take their money and run.
Updated On: 11/5/09 at 06:26 PM

[MusicSnob1]

Posted: 11/5/09 at 6:39pm

Agreed. I'm so sick of this!

[bway1261]

Posted: 11/5/09 at 6:51pm

I really hope this happens, but I doubt it will.

[James885]

Posted: 11/5/09 at 7:18pm

Yeah I was curious for a while, but I'm really just tired of all the speculation and rumors.

[binau]

Posted: 11/5/09 at 7:29pm

At least Spiderman can be considered the biggest Broadway disaster of all time.

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 11/5/09 at 7:48pm

"At least Spiderman can be considered the biggest Broadway disaster of all time."

Huh .... I must have missed the reviews.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 11/5/09 at 8:11pm

You know that with all this publicity Spiderman will have to be absolutely spectacular and fawless. If it falls short even a little, the knives will be out!
I am betting the announcement will be that it is being tabled for awhile. Sure work is being done on a very small scale at the theatre but that would have to be done one way or the other. They have to get the space into some form of shape for a show... any show.

[binau]

Posted: 11/5/09 at 8:32pm

"Huh .... I must have missed the reviews."

I don't think there needs to be. Running costs 'close to 1 million' and 50 million startup costs I don't think they'll gain $1 of the investment back. (I wasn't referring to disaster in terms of 'artistic merit').

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 11/5/09 at 8:35pm

This show is giving me some unneeded stress.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 11/5/09 at 9:30pm

For God's sake, why don't the producers realize they've made a BIG mistake and cut their losses as much as they can. It's like the fate of the Titanic (the ship, not the show) -- at some point, the captain, designer and crew realized that there was NO WAY the ship could be saved and the order was Abandon Ship -- there is NO WAY this is EVER going to recoup its operating costs, let alone show a profit -- and that's assuming that the crtics even like it (debatable, at this point). Especially in these trouble economic times, it's criminal the amount of money that has been spent so far. Just how do you think it stands with some displaced employee who's had to give up his/her home, lifestyle, plans for their children's education, etc., etc. (not to mention sense of self worth) and read that some stupid show is worrying about raising another zillion dollars so that a cartoon-based show can open (and most likely, go down the drain)? Disgusting, IMO.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 11/5/09 at 9:51pm

Can I get an Amen?

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 11:47am

I agree with Ed completely.

[wonkit]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 11:50am

Amen indeed, Ed.

[tazber]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 11:59am

Hey, if they want to throw their money away that's their issue.

Think of all the entertaining threads we'll get out if it!

(pre)thanks for all the laughs SPIDERMAN team.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 3:01pm

"so that a cartoon-based show can open "

That would be COMIC BOOK-based show.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 3:33pm

"Especially in these trouble economic times, it's criminal the amount of money that has been spent so far. Just how do you think it stands with some displaced employee who's had to give up his/her home, lifestyle, plans for their children's education, etc., etc. (not to mention sense of self worth) and read that some stupid show is worrying about raising another zillion dollars so that a cartoon-based show can open (and most likely, go down the drain)? Disgusting, IMO."

I would argue:

1) That's awfully small potatoes compared to the money handed to banks for no apparent reason that has helped the general public and

2) any displaced employee with so much going has much more to worry about than the capitalization of a Broadway musical.

Posted: 11/6/09 at 3:55pm

Yeah disgusting is a bit strong of a word- especially if it's not your money.

My thoughts are that they dumped $45 Million already (Is that number right?). If they can get the show open they might generate SOME money and if not turn a profit at least recover some of that investment. It's like a poker hand- you've sunk so much already you might as well try to ride it out to the end. If you fold now, you're SURE you're sunk.

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 11/7/09 at 9:03am

The money argument doesn't make any sense. It's not as if those millions are being dumped into the Hudson River - that $$$ is paying for services and supplies, so it is actually pumping money into the economy. It may be for a lost cause, but craftsmen, designers, etc are EMPLOYED because of this production. Productions don't "lose" money - producers do. That money has simply been spread around.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/7/09 at 10:43am

"Money is like manure. It's not worth a thing unless it's spread about, encouraging young things to grow." -- Hello, Dolly

[BrianS]

Posted: 11/7/09 at 2:32pm

"there is NO WAY this is EVER going to recoup its operating costs, let alone show a profit"

How can you say that? If this show pulls Wicked's grosses over the same amount of time, even with a $1 million a week nut, it will recoup. So, there is a show on Broadway today that has already done that kind of business. Yes, Spiderman is a very risky venture, but lying about it's ability to recoup is dishonest.

And thank you TimesSquareRegular for pointing out how many people will be employed because someone is putting their money up for this. This show happening is a good thing for our industry.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/7/09 at 2:39pm

I'm not sure I get the general tone of Taymor hate as so many Roxy-types and others pile on and add their 2 cents to the Reidel venom. No matter what, she is an artist and always makes an effort to create stunning visuals.

Is this some sort of anti-blockbuster sentiment surfacing? I'm hardly one to defend them, but I don't really see why this one is causing people like Roxy to echo gossip posted by others as if he's rubbed two brain cells together and come up with his predicted-failure analysis all on his own.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 11/7/09 at 3:29pm

Suppose this does make it big and is equally as successful as Wicked, pulling $1.5m a week, $1 goes out in operating costs, still the the show makes $0.5m profit a week, so if the initial start up cost is $45m, then this show could make a profit after 90 weeks, nearly 2 years.

Doing the math is simple as I id above, but I am sure in reality it works out nothing like that.

The writing is on the wall for this show already!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/7/09 at 3:44pm

The hope is, of course, that this show will be for boys what Wicked is for girls. Something they go to again and again. I would never, ever have predicted Wicked would run at 100% for years and years and years when I heard it was being turned into a musical. And I REALLY wouldn't have predicted it after I saw that show opening weekend.

You never know what kind of audience theatre professionals and super-deep marketing pockets can create.