I scored one of the last few tickets to the second preview performance of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. Like so many people, I have been curious about the delayed Broadway show with a ballooning budget of $65 million. By doing their previews in open view on Broadway (mainly because its the only theater that could house the production), the producers are giving the public a glimpse into the process of fine-tuning a show of this magnitude.
With stunning acrobatics and unprecedented aerial choreography, Turn Off the Dark is a jaw-dropping spectacle. But the show isn't all spectacle. The story, which is sure to be refined further, is served by nuanced and textured performances of the lead actors.
Reeve Carney (Peter Parker) has a soulful voice that handles the heavier rock pieces as well as the ballads. Reeve demonstrates impressive athleticism when Peter first discovers his spider-like abilities and bounces off the walls and ceilings of his bedroom. And he is just Jennifer Damiano plays the MJ that Kirsten Dundst aimed for and missed in Spider-Man 3. I expect the easy chemistry between the two is only going to solidify further ahead of opening night. I found myself rooting for the couple despite their "issues".
A mythical layer was added from Ovid's Metamorphoses, with the introduction of Arachne, the first human to have been turned into a spider. Natalie Mendoza makes 8 legs extremely sexy - and even dons high heels on each of them for one number. The fact that she was performing with a concussion adds makes her performance all the more impressive. She should get a Tony just for her sheer toughness as a performer.
At one point in the middle of a dizzyingly complex scene involving multiple flying Spideys, each doing their own technical work, Randall aka, "The Voice of God" aka, the dude in charge of all the moving pieces called out, "Hold". One of the swinging Spidey's was off his mark and left dangling a few feet from a platform. After a beat, Randall said, "And we were doing so well!"
The audience burst out in applause and laughter. Amazingly, that was the only technical hold of the night. There were plenty of rough spots - some more noticable than others, but when this show hits its stride, its going to absolutely blow away even the most skeptical and jaded crowds.
Bono and The Edge's score was appropriately epic. The band is placed stage left, with the lead guitarist - and Reeve Carney's brother - Zane Carney's silhouette visible throughout the performance. The heavy guitar was at times relentless for me and I found myself savoring the slower ballads.
The scene, "Pull the Trigger" in which Dr. Osborn, who has lost his staff, is visited by military generals and soldiers is like a mash up between Lady Gaga's Alejandro and Dr. Strangelove - has stuck with me for its energy.
The sets and visual imagery of the show are second to none. Multiple verticle video panels - reminiscent of the "Marvel" multi-panel opening of their - are synchronized with artfully rendered 2D/3D sequences that make it feel like you are inside an animated comic book.
A "chorus" of "comic book geeks" enter the performance as a sort of meta-commentary on the story - half homage and half seemingly critique of the extremes of comic book fan culture. Later in the performance, when a villain sends them rushing from the stage declaring, "We are in charge of the story now." I have to admit, I breathed a little sigh of relief.
My biggest disappointment with the show is that I can't take my four-year-old Spider-Man super fan son to it. With a mock suicide, MJ's abusive father, Uncle Ben's death, Arachne's spider fetishism, and the overall dark and heavy rock aesthetic associated with many scenes, its definitely not for the "entire" family the way Lion King is. I think the producers should stage a monthly or weekly "kid-friendly" Turn Off the Dark: Light - a shorter version of the show that really just hits on awesome stunts and let's them see Spidey brought to life in the setting of a simpler, less intense, story arc. I know lots of parents that would pay to see that. For a more complete dad view, I did a separate post and made an additional heartfelt plea to the producers to consider this version.
One final word of advice to potential ticket buyers: try to avoid the last ten rows or so of the orchestra. The obstructed from above (which wouldn't matter for pretty much any other show) means that you miss a small portion of some of the coolest wire work. Then again, if you're nervous about Spideys flying directly above your head, then that might just be the perfect place to sit!
All in all, Turn off the Dark is an incredible must-see show that I suspect will be ready for prime time well ahead of opening night. I, for one, am looking forward to watching it again. I'm sure we're going to hear reports of various growing pains throughout the preview season, but none of them should keep you from seeing what I think is one of the most amazing shows to hit Broadway.
