The New York Times, Variety, New York Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg.com, The Hollywood Reporter, London's Telegraph and the Washington Post were among the publications to review Spider-Man in accordance with the previously scheduled Feb. 7 opening night.
Show spokesman Rick Miramontez released a statement to EW.com that read, "The PILE-ON by the critics was ridiculous and uncalled for. Their actions are unprecedented and UNCOOL." About the reviews, Spider producer Michael Cohl added, "Any of the people who review the show and say it has no redeeming value are just not legitimate reviewers, period...It’s hard to have people that don’t get pop culture reviewing a pop culture event, isn’t it?"
Spider-Man began Broadway previews Nov. 28, 2010, at the Foxwoods Theatre and was originally scheduled to open Dec. 21. Shortly after previews began producers announced that the opening would be delayed to Jan. 11. The date was later pushed back two more times.
Helmed by Tony Award winner Julie Taymor, with a score by U2's Bono and the Edge, Spider-Man representatives state that the production is not yet frozen. The creative team is currently at work fine tuning the musical and crafting a new ending for the technically complex production.
After cast replacements, several performance delays, and almost as many company injuries, Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark has become a household name. Every major national news media outlet has covered the progress of the musical since December, "Saturday Night Live" and Conan O'Brien have spoofed it, and conservative radio host Glenn Beck has even sung its praises on his radio show. What effect critical response has on the box office of Spider-Man remains to be seen. The musical has consistently surpassed $1 million at the box office and beat out Wicked as the highest-grossing Broadway musical for the second time for the Jan. 31-Feb. 6 week.
Producer Cohl said in a previous statement, "Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark is ten-times more complicated to tech than anything else, and the preview schedule allows for only very limited rehearsal time (twelve hours per week). We simply need more time to fully execute the creative team’s vision before freezing the show. I picked a date in March that allows me to ensure that this will be the final postponement."
Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark features a book by Taymor and Glen Berger, and new music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge. The musical had originally been announced to arrive during the 2009 season, but was postponed due to financing.
Producers also include Jeremiah J. Harris, Hello Entertainment/David Garfinkle, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Land Line Productions, by association with Marvel Entertainment.
The cast features Reeve Carney as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Next to Normal Tony nominee Jennifer Damiano as Mary Jane Watson and Broadway veteran Patrick Page as Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin.
Since it began rehearsals, four actors have been injured. T.V. Carpio also replaced Natalie Mendoza in the role of Arachne following the injury of Mendoza.
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