While I personally prefer screen over stage when it comes to entertainment, I 
come from a long line of theater aficionados.
Seeing a show on Broadway isn’t a regular activity, but something I try to do every one or two years.
With that in mind, I was excited to see “Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark” recently in New York.
With mega-names like Julie Taymor, Bono and The Edge behind the creative direction, and a $65 million production price tag, it had quite a buzz. And that was before the wrath of rewrites, injuries and delays.
It had been quite a while since a Broadway show dominated headlines.
So…what did I think of it? (Keep in mind, I’m no critic, or stage junkie)
Writing – The plot was familiar to Spider-Man fans, as it covered his origin story. But it added some new wrinkles so even die-hards would find something new. Some of the dialogue seemed forced and not all of the characters had a lot to work with.
Acting – For our show, we had the understudy for Peter Parker. All of the acting was appropriate for a comic-inspired musical. It ranged from light to over-the-top. Most everyone was serviceable, except for Patrick Page, who stole the entire show after his Norman Osborne turned into the Green Goblin.
Music – It’s U2. It’s fantastic.
Production – The best way to describe it is by saying that they used every inch of space in the entire theater to tell the story. The sets were more 3D than a Pixar feature. Lighting, sound, set design, costumes – A+ all around.
Conclusion – What an enjoyable show! It was not the greatest show of all time, but I don’t think it was trying to be. The plot was a bit rushed, the singing good (not great), but all in all, it was quite a spectacle. I’m not in the business of giving ratings so let’s just call it a recommendation, but not the HIGHEST recommendation.
(Mar…
