Spider-Man Takes A Fall On Broadway

It’s not every day you catch a Broadway show and end up in the middle of one of the day’s biggest entertainment news stories but that seems to be what happened to us tonight.

As an early Christmas present to the boyfriend, who also happens to be a huge U2 fan, we went to see Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark (music and score by Bono and The Edge) earlier this evening.

The show, so far, has been plagued with problems, ranging from financial to medical but we were optimistic, figuring that it had to be decent after all the time, and money, that they’ve soaked into it.

The musical started out fine and we actually had a fantastic seat in the balcony, right next to one of Spidey’s perches where he would land after flying above the audience on wires, safely secured by a harness.

But, shortly after the second half of the musical got underway, things went very wrong. Spider-Man, who was perched on top of a ramp extending toward the audience (made to look like a NYC skyscraper) came sliding down to save MJ, who was hanging from the edge of the ramp/building, but instead of catching her, they both went tumbling over the ledge into the pit.

The music stopped, an announcement was made that show was going to “pause” and you could hear people beneath the stage in a panic. “Is He Alive?”, one man shouted, while another screamed, “Call 911”. You could also hear a woman screaming in terror. It was scary (especially considering this was the first time to a Broadway show for much of the young audience).

A few moments later, another announcement was made that the show was over for the night. As everyone funneled out to the street, two ambulances were already on the scene. A few moments later, Spidey came out on a stretcher, awake and talking, which was good news.

It was hard to say whether or not the injured Spider-Man was actually the play’s lead, Reeve Carney, or a stunt double, but either way it seems this will mean more trouble for Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. The show has already been postponed twice, but a potentially serious injury could mean the show is shut down for good.

FYI: It was confirmed that it was not Reeve Carney who was injured.

19 COMMENTS

  1. that’s awful and i really feel for those injured and hope they’re ok, but does it make me a bad person to wish that this had instead happened when i went to the show last wednesday (if it had to happen)?
    side note, i thought the play was awful.

  2. Firstly, it is HORRIBLE when you finally make it to B’way as a performer only to meet unsafe conditions that threaten life. It seems to me that this show has a central problem which is not being addressed: art comes first, not safety. And, this is wrong. The “experience” MS. Taymore parades doesn’t seem to include genuine wonder which is what REAL magicians provide, not poseurs. I say scrap the show, it is a no win situation.

  3. dpresasNYC
    Dear Christine, need yr help. I am producer with TV Globo-Brazil here in our NYC bureau. Can we talk? It’s about Spiderman. Pls. rsvp DM. Or anyone out there that saw last’s night fall that talk on camera – one soundbite is all I need. Thks ////

  4. Was just looking at Yahoo!news at the exclusive pic your photog John Matthews got of actor Christopher Tierney as he was being placed in the ambulance. Poor guy—that show is freakin’ cursed.

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