alexadamson Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 Now, we've all had bad opening nights, but I dont think I've ever had one as bad as the one reported below !! American Report - With Trailer BBC News Report ENJOY !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GridGirl Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 Except that it wasn't opening night, it was the first preview! Slightly different and a little more excusable, although with the millions and millions of dollars spent and several delays to get to this point, you would have hoped they'd be closer to getting it right.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbird Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 My favourite quote about the show is the one on the BBC where apparently: Director Julie Taymor ... has said the cost of the show ... is due to the complexities of more than 20 flying sequences. Yes, apparently having some performer flying - albeit quite impressive flying - adds $50m to your show (according to this article the next most expensive broadway show is $15m!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erroneousblack Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 You have to expect problems at previews, but if it's true that wires hit audience members, I'd be very worried about law suits! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 You have to expect problems at previews, but if it's true that wires hit audience members, I'd be very worried about law suits!I haven't seen anything about wires hitting audience... But agree that these teething problems must be expected early into a run. Many shows with complex items have had difficulties before - Joseph, War of the Worlds, even Mary Poppins, as I recall. the more fancy tech stuff you put in, the higher the risk of a failure. And you can get everything working perfectly during rehearsals, but as soon as Joe Public sets one foot through the doorway, all bets are off!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightsource Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 I have to ask, how do you spend $65 Million on a single show? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackerr Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 I have to ask, how do you spend $65 Million on a single show?Drag the load in out for over a year? Rebuild the theater interior? Install multiple never before used computerized flying rigs for ariel fights between multiple characters? Find out after months of testing that they still crash people into walls? Get U2 and Julie Taymor involved? On top of all the preproduction problems the show has a $1,000,000/wk nut. There is essentially no way the show can make money. I have not heard anything about audience members being hit with anything, only that Spidey got hung up about 10' above the audience for 45min during the first act. Mac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathanhill Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 You have to expect problems at previews, but if it's true that wires hit audience members, I'd be very worried about law suits!I haven't seen anything about wires hitting audience...From the New York Post website:At various points, overhead stage wires dropped on the audience, scenery appeared on stage missing pieces -- and the show's star was even left swaying helplessly over them midair during what was supposed to be the climatic end to the first act. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhatt...J#ixzz16wx2TXOzMy favourite part of the article:Last night's opening pre view of Broadway's most expensive production ever, "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," was an epic flop as the $65 million show's high-tech gadgetry went completely awry amid a dull score and baffling script, theatergoers griped.Oops U2... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 If anything, I would have expected the majority of Blue Roomers to be commiserating with the Tech Problems. It's productions like this that take the risks on new and unproven technology that ultimately pay the way to make it available to the rest of us. What is new, high tech, and currently a bit unreliable is going to metamorphose via a few design revisions into equipment that will, in 5 or 10 years time or so, most likely be affordable and available to Am Drams with budgets and lower end Theatre. Not just the big-boys (and girls). As with all such ventures (Chitty, Mary Poppins, etc) the first few nights are always a pain, and with a preview, if it can go wrong, it generally will. The overwhelming tone I sense in this thread is one of some glee that things have gone wrong. Surely we should be commiserating with our brothers in arms across the pond on a bad preview and hoping that they can get things sorted, and that the show doesn't close and they get to keep their jobs. Maybe eventually, it will transfer to the West End, then embark on a World Tour that will potentially give some of the Blue Roomers some work... Just a thought... Cheers Smiffy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 All good points, Smiffy. And, beyond those, Blue Roomers should also remember how much the big shows can evolve and improve during their long preview period. Quite a few productions that went on to become hits started off with similar problems and similar sneering comments in the press (all of which loves a good failure). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryson Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 For reference: Preview != Opening Night. The tech stuff, is, ultimately, fixable, I'm sure. (Hell, for $65 Million, it had better be...!) The "Dull Score", however, is likely to be the larger problem at the end of the day. Edit: or worse: the title. "Turn Off The Dark"? What the hell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_s Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 Agreed there needs to be people investing in the future and pushing the boundaries in the theatre, technically, emotionally, artistically. However, I still have a bit of a problem with them putting on an unfinished, unready piece of work and expecting people to pay for it (albeit at a slightly reduced rate) Previews should be for fine-tuning, not fundamental problem solving. Having said that, perhaps the show appeared to be in good shape, and went wrong on the night. We all know this happens, even in shows that have been open and running for a while. In these circumstances is money refunded or alternative tickets offered???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 For reference: Preview != Opening Night. The "Dull Score", however, is likely to be the larger problem at the end of the day. Edit: or worse: the title. "Turn Off The Dark"? What the hell? For Broadway shows, it's not uncommon for the score at the end of previews to be very different from the one they start with. Indeed, it's not unknown for the previews to be held out of town then transferred to Broadway--though with a show as technical as this one, that's obviously not possible this time. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 Let's be honest here - surely the whole point of previewing a show is to guage a multitude of different things... Does the technical stuff work?Does it look as good as the designers want it to?Does the show flow properly with all elements finally coming together with bums on seats?etc etc etc And most importantly how do those preview audiences feel about the show? As for the music, yes, I recall a couple of major shows from big players that haven't done so well - in their initial run, let alone previews - due to the musical scores. Chess, I think was one, and Martin Guerre another - both were re-scored were they not? (I could be wrong there - it's been a while...) I'd be more interested to see how Spidey does on his first official opening night... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiLL Posted December 3, 2010 Share Posted December 3, 2010 I'd say they have a few issues to resolve, but what new show doesn't? I have to say though that I can't see it running for long with that kind of expense. My biggest critiscism would be with the producers who lack the imagination to find a script which is not based on a film which was based on a comic. I mean, Spiderman the musical? When I first read the title I thought it was a joke. As for 'Turn off the dark', well there's a subtitle which needs a bit more thought, because it's naff. Hopefully they can resolve the tech issues (which to be honest if they leave it up to the technicians of course it'll be solved) and let the show grow into something worth going to see, because they sure need a hell of a lot of people to see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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