Spiderman Preview Thread!- Page 51
Spiderman Preview Thread!
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1250
Posted: 12/31/10 at 1:29pmAfter reading what's on this board and talking extensively to people who saw the first few previews in person, it would appear little has changed in relation to the book or score since the first preview. I'm sure that there have been technical aspects that have been adjusted and refined, but no songs or significant dialogue has so far been cut or added. (As far as I know) But with U2 coming in finally now and the tech getting put in place, I am positive they will be coming soon enough.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1251
Posted: 12/31/10 at 2:33pmWhat is the opening to the show?
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1252
Posted: 12/31/10 at 2:33pm
The fact that the 3-syllable word "bullying" is assigned one beat makes the song "Bullying by Numbers" incomprehensible. Then again, what does "bullying by numbers" mean? It means nothing.
You really don't know what this means? Have you heard the expression "painting by numbers?" What is painting by numbers? It's following a template rather than your own inspiration. What, then, might Bullying by Numbers mean?
This is not one of my favorite songs. It's really not very significant in the play, but I don't have a problem with pinching a syllable or two. Ever heard "Something's Coming" from West Side Story? How about "Your the One That I Want" from Grease? How many freaking syllables do they cram into that outburst? 
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1253
Posted: 12/31/10 at 2:34pmIn an interview on playbill Jennifer d steed they are workinG on the book and not the score. What a mistake. I am a comic book collector and I found the story enjoyable. However the music is all horrible. I wonder if egos have anything to do with not changing the music. Maybe they would have to pay more for Bono if he writes new music. If the producers would listen to the audience they would see that the major problem is the music. It's just boring.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1254
Posted: 12/31/10 at 2:52pmI would doubt they would pay him more to write more music. He'd just be fixing what he wrote in the first place. I feel like his ego would be hurt more if he DIDN'T fix the score.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1255
Posted: 12/31/10 at 2:56pm
Bono wishes he was this cool...
Spiderman by the Ramones
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1256
Posted: 12/31/10 at 3:16pm
The opening to the show is a 'flash forward' to the scene where MJ is hanging from the bridge and Spidey slo-mo (it isn't pretty and people were laughing at it) runs up to save her while screaming, "MJ!!!" Then we get the line and riff, "And the boy falls from the sky..."
Then we go to the Geek Chorus who ramble for a bit while I'm presuming there is a scene change- whenever they come on the curtain sort of closes and we get this kind of boring background with drawings of Spider-man. Then Miss Arrow introduces the myth of Arachne and we go to the beautiful onstage human weaving and then Arachne in human form appears on a platform over the audience weaving and we get her story before she transforms into the human spider with the song "Behold and Wonder" going throughout.
It's sort of like two prologues and then we actually get to Peter Parker's story with him then presenting a class presentation on Arachne and going into "Bullying By Numbers."
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1257
Posted: 12/31/10 at 4:01pmThank you! Is Arachne always in that giant spider costume or does she have another costume too?
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1258
Posted: 12/31/10 at 4:08pm
I'm remembering three costumes that she has: She has this Greek toga sort of thing when she first shows up and is weaving above the audience, she has the spider costume which she is in for the majority of the show, and in then in the second act when she is making her 'illusions,' she goes to visit Jonah at the Bugle office and at that point she's somehow transformed herself into a human where she is wearing this tight black dress and large black hat.
It really is only that one Bugle scene where she gets to walk around though. There is a huge lack of mobility in the role.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1259
Posted: 12/31/10 at 6:43pm
Two questions:
1. How long is the running time of the show, hoping that there are no stops?
2. What is the schedule for the alternate Peter Parker/Spiderman? Will Reeve or Matthew James Thomas be on this Sunday matinee?
Thanks
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1260
Posted: 12/31/10 at 6:47pm
1. The show is still running about 3 hours with no major stops.
2. Last I read, Reeve is scheduled to be on a normal performance schedule until previews are finished. He has missed at least one show so far though, so it wouldn't be unexpected if he skipped a few more.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1261
Posted: 12/31/10 at 7:14pmWill TV still understudy Mary Jane while playing Arachne?
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1262
Posted: 12/31/10 at 7:21pmI've listened to the music from the show and I am actually surprised. I personally don't think it's that bad at all. The orchestrations are great. Yes the story does need some work, but it's nothing that can't be fixed with some rewrites.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1263
Posted: 12/31/10 at 7:43pmDid they change Arachne's name? TV's bio on the website says she plays 'Miss Arrow'.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1264
Posted: 12/31/10 at 7:44pm
Exactly- there's nothing irredeemably wrong or condemning about the score. Yeah, maybe it's a letdown considering it's from U2, but their last album was so sucky, even this is an improvement. People have been referencing Wicked as another big budget show that did extrodinarily well despite poor reviews saying Spider-man could do the same. And I think the music in Spider-man is about on the same level as Wicked's score is. Not a compliment for sure, but an assurance at least.
The difference I think is that Wicked's book is actually quite clever, and leaves people going, "huh, that was interesting," at the end, whereas Spider-man's book leaves people going, "huh... well, I understood the first act at least..."
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1265
Posted: 12/31/10 at 7:51pmThey definitely got the visuals right from the few clips and photos I've seen, if they could just fix the story problems the shoe could be good. It would seem that the visuals would be the hardest part to get right with a show like this, but surprisingly its the book. They probably spent more time on the visuals too though. I think this shoe can be good and like Katurian2 said, it will sell.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1266
Posted: 12/31/10 at 8:03pmTheatreFan, last night on the website it had her listed as playing Arachne and had her picture placed right up there with Reeve and Jen, but now it's just Miss Arrow and where it was. I think Miss Arrow is another Marvel character if I'm not mistaken.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1267
Posted: 12/31/10 at 8:03pm
Theatrefan- The website reverted back after BWW's article. Arachne will always be Arachne, since that's the name from the ancient myth. Miss Arrow is the character Carpio usually/used to play. She's the female Asian comic book nerd.
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Good observation... people think that comic books and comic book movies are so easy to write and simplistic in their concepts! But I think we are seeing here how truly complex or messy they can be.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1268
Posted: 12/31/10 at 8:40pmSo according to the Spidey website there is no Arachne and TV is no longer listed as Arachne. Alice Lee is not on the site either. Weird.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1269
Posted: 12/31/10 at 9:46pm^^ No, just sloppy web management.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1270
Posted: 12/31/10 at 9:53pm^ That's what I think. They are probably in the process of changing it.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1271
Posted: 12/31/10 at 9:56pm
haha- yeah, how many times can you backtrack and change that sort of thing in one day? I'd be happy to see TV Carpio take over Arachne. It's really amazing someone with a voice like hers just got pushed to a non-singing role like that. Especially since she's been with the show since the workshop, it'd be great to see her get rewarded for that.
With the high drop out rate in this production, I'm glad that Reeve and TV, who have loyally been with it since the beginnings of workshopping and casting are getting their chances to shine and are getting appreciated for their contributions.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1272
Posted: 12/31/10 at 10:13pm
Katurian2, Reeve Carney hasn't been with the show throughout the entire developmental process.
Jim Sturgess (of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE) was Taymor's first choice for Peter Parker, and he participated in the very first reading of the material two years ago. She lobbied aggressively to try and convince him to continue on with the project, and it wasn't until he ultimately turned it down to concentrate on his film career that Carney came into the picture.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1273
Posted: 12/31/10 at 10:18pmooo- totally forgot that Sturgess was originally with it. Thanks for the reminder! How long has Carney been with it then? He was with it at least by the time Alan Cumming and Evan Rachel Wood departed though, right?
Spiderman Preview Thread!#1274
Posted: 12/31/10 at 10:28pmbtws, Bono, Edge and Reeve were all just on NBC's New Year's Eve. Not really much said worth repeating, other than Reeve being in a really cute scarf and just acting generally adorable. Bono did use an interesting description for the show though, calling it a "pop art opera." Some new promo footage as well.
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