'Spider-Man' to open in early summer

[March 10, 2011]  NEW YORK (AP) -- It's official: Spider-Man's landing on Broadway has been delayed. Again.

Producers on Wednesday confirmed that "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" would now open in early summer 2011 to revamp the show with a "newly expanded creative team" after it received a drubbing from theater critics last month and following a series of injuries to cast members.

The highly unusual move came as "Spider-Man" continues to defy the reviews and post impressive numbers at the box office. It was the second highest-grossing show on Broadway this week, after "Wicked," pulling in close to $1.3 million -- though it was slightly down from the week before.

But unlike "Wicked," tickets to "Spider-Man" are now available at the discount TKTS booth -- a possible reason that total grosses were down.

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THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE.
AP's earlier story is below.

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NEW YORK (AP) -- Theatergoers packed into a matinee of Broadway's "Spider-Man" musical on Wednesday, many of them unaware of reports that the troubled show would soon shut down for a few weeks, push back its opening for months and possibly even part ways with its director.

Officially, producers still said the $65 million show, the most expensive in Broadway history, was scheduled to open March 15. But all indications were that a hiatus was indeed planned to revamp the production following scathing reviews by most critics last month, and that the opening would be delayed a sixth time.

While the expected move was not a surprise, given the harsh reviews, it came as "Spider-Man" continues to post impressive numbers at the box office. It was the second highest-grossing show on Broadway this week, after "Wicked," pulling in close to $1.3 million.

Indeed, the scene at the Foxwoods Theatre Wednesday was in marked contrast to the turmoil in the headlines. The line to get into the matinee snaked well down a huge city block, and was filled with tourists, schoolchildren and others clearly excited to see the much talked-about flying scenes -- including an aerial battle between Spider-Man and his nemesis, the Green Goblin.

"We came all the way from Utah to see this -- got in on the redeye this morning," said Scott Clayson, a father of four from Brigham City. His wife and two daughters, ages 18 and 20, were with him. "A big part of the appeal is all the tricks they do," Clayson said. "We're really looking forward to it."

Nicholas Elkin, 11, was one of many young boys on line, and said he was excited. "My stepmother saw it and loved it," he said. Also on line: a chattering class of 28 kids from a Manhattan public school.

Of the many questions swirling around the production Wednesday was this: If a show is bringing in so much money, why would producers want to shut it down, even for a few weeks, and lose millions?

Such a decision, theater insiders said, was extraordinarily complex. Producers would have to compare the weekly grosses with the running costs -- which are surely enormous. And they'd need to consider how long the show can continue to earn what it's making now -- not every show is selling out, and the numbers were slightly down this week.

They'd also need to consider whether the show, without changes, has the necessary longevity to eventually break even and then start making money.

"I am sure they are sitting there with 5 million spreadsheets right now," said Julie Crosby, a former Broadway manager and now producing artistic director of the Women's Project theater company. "They want to get to the point where they can ensure the long-term life of the production. These are very difficult decisions."

Another reason to shut down briefly: Union rules mean there is very little rehearsal time available during a performance week, only four hours on single-performance days -- and that includes setup time. With so little time, how can a show be significantly revamped?

Among fans of the show, though he hasn't seen the current version: original "Spider-Man" comic creator Stan Lee.

"I've seen a rehearsal," said Lee, from Los Angeles. "I was in town in New York one day and I was invited to a rehearsal and what I saw was fantastic. I mean it was staggeringly wonderful." He said he' love to see the whole show if he gets to New York.

The latest postponement would make "Spider-Man" ineligible for theater's biggest prize, a Tony Award. Shows must open by April 28 this year to have Tony consideration.

The show has a cast of over 40. Maria Somma, a spokeswoman for Actors' Equity Association, said Wednesday that the union was in touch with the cast but declined to comment further on the fate of the show.

"Spider-Man" has already had the longest preview period in Broadway musical history. Many critics got fed up and reviewed it last month, largely panning the production.

The stunt-heavy show was co-written by Taymor, director of the hugely successful "Lion King," and Glen Berger, and has music by U2's Bono and The Edge.

Reports of a delay and possible cancellation of performances left group sales brokers in limbo. "And limbo is not my favorite place," said Caryl Goldsmith of Caryl Goldsmith Group Sales.

But she said cancellations would likely be limited to five or six group sales, each in the small 20-ticket range -- not a major disruption for her.

Last week, the show's production company was issued three violations of workplace safety standards by federal regulators for four separate incidents late last year that resulted in injuries to the cast. Two big accidents have shaken the show.

Actress Natalie Mendoza was injured during the first preview in November when she was hit in the head by a rope and suffered a concussion. The injury kept her sidelined for two weeks. She eventually left the show.

On Dec. 20, a stunt actor portraying Spider-Man plunged more than 30 feet in front of a shocked audience, suffering a fractured skull, a fractured shoulder blade, four broken ribs and three broken vertebrae. It was determined that his safety harness had been accidentally left unclipped.

[Associated Press]

Associated Press writer Matt Moore in Philadelphia, and Associated Press writer Deepti Hajela, AP Television writer Frazier Moore, and news researcher Julie Reed in New York contributed to this report.

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