Spiderman Preview Thread!
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#750
Posted: 12/3/10 at 8:43pm
Wikipedia entry for Greek Chorus has been updated:
"In the musical Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark, a "Geek Chorus" consists of teenagers who meet to ritualistically retell the greatest Spider-Man stories."
Pretty fast!
Greek Chorus
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#751
Posted: 12/3/10 at 9:52pm
Two great tweets from a spider-man attendee last night:
hooray4boobies
"I don't say this lightly: I'd rather have a rpund of chemo than watch Spiderman again."
"Like a bad relationship, you wanna leave but u feel like u invested this much already so u stay just to be disappointed. SPIDERMAN"
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#752
Posted: 12/3/10 at 9:53pmDid I really just read a review for Spider-Man Turn off the Dark from someone who only listened to an audio recording? Really? LOL
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#753
Posted: 12/3/10 at 10:03pmFor the record, I read several positive tweets during the intermission.
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#755
Posted: 12/3/10 at 10:04pmIt's amazing how none of the positive tweets get posted
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#756
Posted: 12/3/10 at 10:06pmI have also heard the music from the first preview. I don't think the music is as bad as everyone is making it out to be. I really like Boy Falls From The Sky and Bullying By Numbers and Think Again and If The World Should End.
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#757
Posted: 12/3/10 at 10:09pmI agree with you, steven22 - those are my favorite songs I've heard.
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#758
Posted: 12/3/10 at 10:12pmHaving only heard very small sound clips, I don't think it sounds too awful. But I have yet to hear the whole show, so maybe my opinion would totally change after hearing it all.
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#759
Posted: 12/3/10 at 11:02pmHow are you guys getting all these tweets?
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#760
Posted: 12/3/10 at 11:12pm
"Lets be honest 90 percent of the people on this thread want the show to fail."
Nonsense.
90%, you say?
Utter nonsense.
The technological aspects of this show have created so many problems and have unfortunately yielded so few benefits to the show itself, which, in the end, with or without stoppages, is fairly dismal.
I'd say it's the emphasis on the technology that has proven to be the show's undoing. Maybe one's priorities for the theatre should be rethought. Great musicals of the past like "South Pacific" and "My Fair Lady" needed no flying; they just had great books and scores. I think we should return to those basics, and leave the flying for the birds.
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#761
Posted: 12/3/10 at 11:20pmWell since the basics of the story of Spiderman involve 'flying' around **hence why he is a Superhero and not merely human** I think the complaints about this show involve things that have nothing to do with story canon that even the average person who has only seen the Sam Raimi films can catch. Arachne has been a popular target and so has the Geek Chorus while Uncle Ben and some majors characters were either not featured in the show or not written in depth. When you take a popular character story and take those kinds of liberties there is going to be some hostile blowback by just the mere description of those changes.
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#762
Posted: 12/3/10 at 11:30pmDoes anyone know who is singing the clip of Think Again in the 60 minutes clip?
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#763
Posted: 12/3/10 at 11:37pmThe thing I can't get over is that I always thought this site was basically for people who love and support theatre. I'm so sad that so many seem to drool with happiness with any tiny report that there is a problem and who honestly HOPE the show will fail. Seems to me true theatre lovers would be hoping for the best -- not licking their chops when a show is in trouble. How sad.
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#764
Posted: 12/3/10 at 11:38pm
I would love it if Spider-man proved the cynics wrong and became a big fat juicy hit. I was hoping for just such a story with the first preview. So, I would like to be included in whatever arbitrary percentage of people are wanting this show to succeed.
Unfortunately, the first preview was a PR disaster and the subsequent reports haven't helped matters.
The injuries have been newsworthy, but they don't (yet) outnumber other Broadway shows, and we apparently can't express any concern about them until they do lest we be labeled drama queens.
We still have several weeks of previews to go before the show is "frozen", so I hope they can fix the noted problems with the book and score, but I worry that the technical demands of the show may limit the amount of reworking they can do. I worry that the show was "frozen" before the cast ever entered the theater. (If that makes me a contemptible drama queen I guess I will just try carry on somehow...)
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#765
Posted: 12/4/10 at 12:03am
I think it's fair to label people as drama queens when we get statements like "this show should be shut down for the safety of the actors."
I would like this show to succeed, as I do most every show. I don't think that it should not be analyzed, but so much of what we hear seems to be about the budget and Julie's "massive ego." There have been some very good posts on this thread, if you can wade through the vitriol that some others seem to relish spewing. And some do seem to be scouring for every negative thing posted elsewhere so that they can bring it here. Would Twitter posts from hooray4boobies about any other show really be taken seriously?
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/5/04
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#766
Posted: 12/4/10 at 12:20am
You mean these?
"hooray4boobies
"I don't say this lightly: I'd rather have a rpund of chemo than watch Spiderman again."
"Like a bad relationship, you wanna leave but u feel like u invested this much already so u stay just to be disappointed. SPIDERMAN" "
"I'd rather have a round of chemo"????? Someone is taking those tweets seriously?
Featured Actor Joined: 9/9/06
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#767
Posted: 12/4/10 at 12:25am
As theater lovers we should hope that the VERY LIMITED Broadway real-estate is well used.
A bad show shouldn't be supported. It should be kicked out so that something else can take it's place. I support good theater. Not theater in general. There's a lot of bad theater in the world. It looks like Spiderman fits that bill.
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#768
Posted: 12/4/10 at 12:47am
A bad show shouldn't be supported. It should be kicked out so that something else can take it's place. I support good theater. Not theater in general. There's a lot of bad theater in the world. It looks like Spiderman fits that bill.
A) Have you seen it?
and
B) Then you're opening up a whole can of worms with the discussion of what constitutes "good". I think saying you won't support it simply for the sake of it not being worthy, so to say, without further explanation is a little bit foolish especially if you haven't even seen it.
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#769
Posted: 12/4/10 at 12:51am
For me, this is the problem:
The ONLY thing interesting thing about Spider-Man is its outsized problems. The 3 1/2 hour running time. The injuries. The fact that it is the most expensive show in Broadway history.
Eventually, these problems will be solved. The show will be under 3 hours, and will run smoothly and safely. And what will we have? A big mediocre show. Better than Tarzan, not as good as Mary Poppins. Once this show stops having problems, it's not going to be very interesting.
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#770
Posted: 12/4/10 at 12:53amI personally am not "drooling" with happiness over reports of a musical failing...I simply think that so far, the show is not going well. Could it change? Yes...do I want it to change? Yes...but so far from what I have HEARD (I have yet to see it myself but I'm basing this off a friends experience, twitter, reports, and audios) I dont like it. Does this make me a drama queen obsessed with a show failing? Hell no, I live 5 hours away from NYC so the only way I can know what is going on is by second hand reports...and so far these reports are not good.
Featured Actor Joined: 9/9/06
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#771
Posted: 12/4/10 at 12:59am
In response to have I seen it. Not yet.
In response to...
"B) Then you're opening up a whole can of worms with the discussion of what constitutes "good". I think saying you won't support it simply for the sake of it not being worthy, so to say, without further explanation is a little bit foolish especially if you haven't even seen it."
That's ridiculous. Saying a supporter of theater and/or Broadway should support every show, give every show is the worst ideal ever presented. There aren't enough theaters for that mind-set! SOME SHOWS ARE BAD. Yes, what is "good" and what is "bad" is debatable, but as a fan of theater, I shouldn't have to give Spiderman a shot if I don't want to.
That's like saying a fan of cinema has to like every movie EVER produced.
Get real. Stop sticking up for a show that is an embarrassment to the American musical.
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#772
Posted: 12/4/10 at 1:32amEven though I do support you in the "not having to support it" debate...to say its an embarrasement to musical theater is a bit much at this point. It's still in previews, therefore could improve. As others have said, there is some hope in there...its just up to the creative team (or just Taymor) to find it
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#773
Posted: 12/4/10 at 1:43amI didn't say (or even come close to saying) that you have to support it. My point was that you should at least have some knowledge of what it is you're choosing not to support...because it's not as if you're unaware of the project and therefore are unintentionally missing it, or missing it out of apathy. You're going out of your way to say that you won't support it without having seen it or even possessing knowledge of it that doesn't come mainly from speculation. THAT was my point.
Spiderman Preview T/hread!#774
Posted: 12/4/10 at 2:34am
(I have a ticket to see the show....so I am playing Devil's Advocate.)
I can chose to NOT support the show without seeing it for many reasons and still be right in my choices.
1. I hate the idea of Spider-man or any superhero on B'way.
2. I don't like spectacle over substance.
3. I think its obnoxious to spend 65 MILLION bucks on a b'way show.
4. I don't like Julie Taymor's previous work.
5. I don't like mindless entertainment.
I could continue, but you get the idea. MIGHT I have appreciated/liked if and been pleasantly suprised? MAYBE. But it's my perogative to take that risk.
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