Spiderman Preview Thread!- Page 30

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 12:09pm

"Wow all this drama from the usual suspects."

I hope you're including yourself in that statement.

[steven22]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 12:19pm

So how was her understudy last night?

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 12:41pm

For a supposed U2 fan, The Heckler couldn't even name Bono's alter ego from the Zooropa tour? His "Mephistopheles" was actually named "Mr. Macphisto," for what it's worth (which is not a lot).

She does have one good point, and here I'm only basing my knowledge on the available clips, but that is that Reeve Carney seems totally out of his league trying to sell Bono's songs. The rehearsal footage showing Bono taking over the music from another actress was a great illustration of this. A very pedestrian song suddenly came to life when he sang it. He can get away with lyrics that sound poetic (but are ultimately a little hollow) because he has the charisma to sell them. From what I've seen, the actors in this show don't. This show either needs a lyricist who can write something coherent or a star of such magnitude that you stop caring.

Frankly, and I say this is a dedicated U2 of 25 years or so, Bono does not know how to write a narrative or character song. If they were just going for the ambience of U2 music in the background, they should have pre-recorded U2 performing the music and done a Cirque show.

I have to say, I really believed in the potential of this project. I am devastated by the what I've heard and seen of the final product.

[mybigsplash]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 12:43pm

Actors speak out behind Foxwoods Theater

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 12:53pm

""Wow all this drama from the usual suspects."

I hope you're including yourself in that statement."

Nope

[FosseBoi]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 12:55pm

Update!
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/SPIDERMAN_Injury_Update_Mendoza_Concussion_Was_Received_During_First_Preview_20101203

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 12:57pm

So, are we up to two injuries now? Is that a precedent?

[SNAFU]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 12:57pm

Three, but who's counting?


eta: Somewhere Macbeth is sighing with relief saying "Finally!"

Updated On: 12/3/10 at 12:57 PM

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 1:07pm

"So, are we up to two injuries now? Is that a precedent?"

No, that's why all this drama is such a joke. When i was in Fame we had about 8, Saturday Night Fever (London) had about 5, Starlight Express had many many during its original London run etc etc

[tazber]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 1:09pm

Oh please songanddanceman, you're incessant defense of a show that you haven't even seen is as much a part of the "preview thread drama" that goes on around here are as anything else.

If not more.

Go back and read wonderwaiter's brilliant encapsulation of preview threads (I think you'll find it in the Spider Man preview #2 thread). You're there. So am I. So are we all.

More importantly though, I hope no one else gets hurt trying to stroke Julie's ego.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 1:12pm

I sort of had the feeling this wasn't the first show to have multiple injuries during its rehearsals/previews. People just seem to be taking the Fox News approach to anything having to do with this show.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 1:19pm

Don't forget James Carpinello breaking his ankle(?) during previews of Xanadu. I can't believe that nobody tried to step in and shut down that show! Those roller skates were just designed to kill actors!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 1:21pm

And Christina Applegate in Sweet Charity.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 1:25pm

"Oh please songanddanceman, you're incessant defense of a show that you haven't even seen is as much a part of the "preview thread drama" that goes on around here are as anything else."

I have not defended the show, ive defended a show in previews, i can't say i have a huge burning desire to see this, i just think everyones constant snipping at it is silly. The fact it's Spiderman has little to do with why this whole 'drama' about this show makes me laugh. Lets be honest 90 percent of the people on this thread want the show to fail. We only have to go back to threads about this show before it opened and look for the people who were kicking the s**t out of then.

"Don't forget James Carpinello breaking his ankle(?) during previews of Xanadu. I can't believe that nobody tried to step in and shut down that show! Those roller skates were just designed to kill actors!"

Lol that made me giggle

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 1:34pm

And don't forget Idina falling through a trap door and having to miss her final performances in Wicked. I hope they cut that actor-eating trap door from the show.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 1:36pm

"Don't forget James Carpinello breaking his ankle(?) during previews of Xanadu. I can't believe that nobody tried to step in and shut down that show! Those roller skates were just designed to kill actors!"

The workman's comp for Xanadu was pretty significant.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 1:49pm

All theatre should be stopped, it's clearly too dangerous

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 2:06pm

Haven't countless Billy Elliots been injured and stopped performing for months? This is hardly the first show to have multiple injuries. Also, that man from The Little Mermaid fell several stories and broke his wrists.

This show can't catch a break on these boards. No one on this thread actually knows what is happening behind the scenes. It sounds to me like the people involved are genuinely excited about the production. Let them work out their kinks and do their job. Incessantly maligned for only three previews of the heaviest tech show ever produced on Broadway. Apparently they only stopped briefly once last night. And an actress who had never played one of the leading roles before, a role that has a great deal of flying, went on and succeeded. I'm not necessarily defending the show itself, but let these people do their job. They must all be exhausted and working their butts off.

[leefowler]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 2:33pm

Could someone explain to me how posting your opinion here is keeping people from "doing their job"? Unless people are actually going down to the Foxwoods Theatre and interfering physically with the rehearsals.

In general, when I'm working on something high profile, I stay a million miles away from here, because you're already dealing with your friend's opinions, without dealing with people here. My guess is that everyone over at Spider-Man has a lot more important things to do than read these posts, so I don't think expressing your opinion here is interfering with anyone's process.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 2:37pm

You all are making Julie cry you know!

Oh wait crying denotes emotion. Never mind.

Updated On: 12/3/10 at 02:37 PM

[tazber]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 2:49pm

I guess I just don't see the same "sniping" that everyone else does.

If you read through the thread almost all the reviews from people who have seen it have been honest and balanced.

All the rest is really just filler as far as I'm concerned. This seems to be a pretty good place to get a decent idea of where the show succeeds and where it needs work.

Granted, you have to wade through a lot of tangents, but the substance of the actual reviews has been very enlightening.

And for what it's worth, yes actors have been injured during other shows. But to compare them to Spidey is really not apples to apples.
I don't think anyone can deny that the risk factor in this highly acrobatic and mechanical show is way higher than Xanadu.

Safety should be the PRIMARY concern and Taymor doesn't seem to be taking it seriously. That bothers me.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 2:55pm

I have read through this and other threads. You cannot deny the "shut it down" attitude that many have on these boards. And who's to say Julie is not concerned with the safety of her actors? What if these were all freak accidents, the one time the mechanism failed? Maybe I'm just one who always looks at the bright side of things, gives people the benefit of the doubt before making an educated opinion about something.

Anyway, go along with the discussion. Enough of my threadjack. I hope to God no one else gets injured and that the rest of the preview process goes well for them. I can't wait to see it for myself next month.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 6:50pm

They need to close this show and do it NOW, before someone dies out there.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 7:23pm

"They need to close this show and do it NOW, before someone dies out there."

Like somebody dying has ever stopped the entertainment industry. If so we wouldn't have a complete version of the movie The Crow.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 7:42pm

So, since my internet was out yesterday, I listened to the first Spiderman preview (I'm not elaborating on the how, and please do not pm me). I am prepared now to give my thoughts on the show's book.

The first thing that dawned on me is that the girl in the "Geek Chorus" IS JULIE TAYMOR! It seems the every time the character spoke it was to justify or introduce one of the changes Taymor came up with ("Let's focus on greek mythology", "I just made up a villain so she's the best").

The retelling of the mythos is bizarre and really removes any connection the supporting characters have to Spiderman. Most notably;
-the complete overhaul of Norman Osborn, including the removal of Peter's best friend Harry Osborn
-Uncle Ben's only scene with Peter involves Ben yelling at him... he is then killed in a random hit and run as opposed to being shot by a burglar Peter let go. (ya know the REASON Peter decides to become a hero in the first place)

As the show stands the second act makes absolutely no sense, and the first wastes opportunities. From the sounds of it the Green Goblin meets his demise by falling out a window with a PIANO?! Perhaps if they cut Arachne completely, and oh I don't know read a comic, watched one of the many cartoons, and the movies, they *might* be able to make this not be a trainwreck.