Why does this show need to be bashed ?
It has some work it needs to be done, sure? Is it ever going to be great theatre? Maybe not - is Mama Mia? Is Rock of Ages? Is WIcked? Is Ave Q? Is Rain? There are always places for varying forms of entertainment on Broadway?
Regarding the injuries . . . 4 injuries, yes, are bad . . . but . . . for some of us that have worked on large, complicated projects, let's raise our hands if we have had four or more injuries on a production?
They are employing a lot of people . . . I send them nothing but positive vibes, and hope the figure it out, and i hope it runs for YEARS!
Well, I might agree with the generally level-headed Mr. Shiner, except for the two following reasons:
(major reason) : 4 injuries in previews? That's a lot. And it is typical of this director. My "sauces" in general management tell me that "Lion King" has the highest rate of injuries of any show. Ever. And that includes "Starlight Express". Why is this? Because this director does not appear to really care about actors. They are nothing but puppets to her.
(minor reason) : As someone who is a fan of comic books, at least casually familiar with the Marvel universe, and trained as a director/dramaturg, there is nothing I have heard about this show that appears dramaturgically sound. Many of us felt that this thing was plagued by bad decisions from the start: really the wrong choice of director and composer. (Honestly, a composer who is only occasionally available to attend rehearsals and previews? Seriously, that is not how you build a new musical And a female puppet master from a privileged background in Massachusetts to stage the story of a poor Queens boy going through extraordinary puberty? Is that really the best choice?). And the thing I can't get over -- and exactly the sort of thing that justifies initial apprehension of "Spiderman" fans: introducing a major character into this mythos that has no relation to the resonance of the material. Seriously Ms. Taymor -- a giant female spider as a major villain? Because you "dreamt" about it? WTF? If Stan Lee didn't dream it, I'm not interested. What's next: a musical about Batman wherein Bruce Wayne battles a giant bat? A musical about Superman wherein Clark Kent battles a giant super-nova?
No, not every musical has to be a great theatre. But a musical should at least be true to the appropriate level of pop-art art.