Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can. Spiders, of course, are unable to successfully run a Broadway musical and are notoriously lax about workplace health and safety. So, if the people behind Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark were hoping that the assorted spider powers would somehow bring success to the show, it was really putting faith in the wrong place.
Now, it would be reasonable to assume that the musical would be poor because it's a musical about Spider-Man. Not to discredit the superhero or his fans, but it seems like a decidedly unorthodox mix, like a Darth Vader home gym. Not to discredit either demographic, but I'm not sure there's any overlap between those who are fans of musicals and those who are more inclined to like comics.
Of course, I'm not a Broadway producer, so I clearly know nothing about this. Those who do have seen fit to spend $65 million on the show, and have brought in some big names to bring the story to life. The songs were written by Bono and The Edge, two men famous for having ridiculous names, and also being the main creative forces behind U2. The show is being directed by Julie Taymor, most famous for directing the successful Lion King stage show, along with several movies.
With that money and those names, one has a couple expectations about a show. Namely, that the effects work properly and actors aren't injured. This is asking too much of Spider-Man, because the show has seen several actors getting injured, the latest being Christopher Tierny, who fell a reported 20 feet into an orchestra pit, and is in serious condition. This is in addition to constant technical problems which had already delayed the official opening night two months, to February, 2011, and is simply the latest of many injuries to cast and crew on the production. Instead of going to see some Spider-Man based musical entertainment, the show is becoming a draw for more morbid reasons.
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is quickly turning from a metaphorical disaster into a literal one, and one has to wonder if there are greater problems at work than some bad luck. One accident is unfortunate, two accidents are suspicious, four accidents indicate a fairly serious problem in the production. There is simply no indication that safety was even considered, and as actors continue to get injured it becomes a question of how long before someone doesn't survive.
I am not a stunt coordinator, so I'm not going to be able to find a solution that makes everyone safe. With a show with heavy amounts of aerial stunt work, I'm not even sure it's possible to be completely safe. Still, there's a difference between risky and being a source of constant injury, and considering the sheer number of accidents before the show even opens officially, it's clear something needs to be done.
Even if Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is the greatest show in the history of theatre - I somehow doubt this is the case - it is not worth dying for, and it's not even worth being seriously injured for. Actors are not expendable, and I worry that there isn't enough realization of this fact during production. Nobody wants any more actors to fall to their doom.
