Spider-Man Musical Looks Spectacular And Dangerous

A little over a year ago, I heard a rumor about the development of a Broadway musical based on the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man.  A few months later, I saw an ad in Entertainment Weekly not only confirmed this rumor, but also revealed that the show was being directed by Julie Taymor (who also directed the hit stage version of "The Lion King"), with music composed by Bono and The Edge from the band U2.

I suspect my reaction was similar to that of most people: WHAAAT? SERIOUSLY?

Then, more recently, 60 Minutes aired a story on the show, which is officially titled "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark."  I finally got around to watching it, and was able to post it here for your viewing pleasure.  Enjoy.

Pretty cool, right?

Lately, though, the production has been the center of controversy in the threatre community.  The preview performances have been riddled with technical problems, with performers being injured as a result.  The most recent injury occured just days before Christmas, when a stunt performer's flight harness malfunctioned and he fell 30 feet into the orchestra pit, landing him in the hospital.  This incident has caused one cast member to leave the show, according to an article on Variety.com.

Though the opening of the show has been delayed twice due to all the bugs that need to be worked out,  I still can't help but be intrigued with the whole concept of a Spider-Man musical, especially when it seems to be pulling out all the stops.  If someone offered me a ticket, I would definitely go.  Would you? Let me know what you think in the comments below!