Most Broadway performances with a lackluster story and mediocre music wouldn’t stand a chance of achieving any type of longevity on the world’s grandest stage, but Julie Taymor’s “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,†with its amazing set design and wild web-slinging action, has enough charisma to satisfy the average theater-goer.
Hardcore fans and regular theater buffs may find themselves scoffing at some of the ludicrous elements in the story, but will marvel at the fact that Spidey is bouncing around the stage, all over the crowd and even above them. That alone is enough to sell the world’s biggest comic book fan and enough to keep them glued to their chairs, regardless of some of the negative aspects of the show.
While the overall casting is solid with Reeve Carney and Jennifer Damiano doing good jobs as Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, many of the other roles are either changed more than they should have been or are too plain campy to be taken serious by anyone.
T.V. Carpio is sexy and sultry as the baddie Arachne, but her character, a younger, more attractive version of Madame Web and loosely based on the character from Greek mythology, misses the mark due to horrendous writing. The same thing goes for Patrick Page’s portrayal of Green Goblin/Norman Osborn. With a resume like his, it’s obvious he’s a good actor, but the way his character is portrayed, like a southern mad scientist, is so off the mark that his performance will induce long exhale’s from real Spidey Fans.
Even smaller characters have been flubbed. Matt Caplan, who played Parker’s schoolyard bully Flash Thompson is far from intimidating and not nearly as tall as he should be. The small roles given to the Uncle Ben and Aunt May characters as well are far from fitting for a Spidey tale and don’t do the characters roles in Parker’s life justice.
Most of these problems begin from the very start of the show.
The start of the play has four teenagers creating their own Spider-Man tale, and ironically, in the end, that’s what the story ultimately feels like- a misshapen tale told by a group of people who don’t know nearly as much about the character as they thought they did.
The score has its fair share of problems as well. Written by Bono and the Edge from U2, it feels like the score was written for Bono especially. Luckily, Caplan has a Bono/Howie Day-esque voice and works well with the material. The guitar work has handiwork of The Edge all over it as well and saves some of the tunes from floundering miserably. Overall, while only one tune in particular stood out as horrible [the one that has Arachne singing about shoes], none of them steal the show.
These problems aren’t enough to ruin the fun though. Every time Spidey webslings through the crowd, it’s impossible to wipe the smile off your face. One scene towards the end of the first act, which pits Spidey versus the Green Goblin, is easily one of the most entertaining in the show and one of the most ambitious in Broadway history. The amazing comic book-inspired set design is so beautiful that often times, you’ll find yourself looking at all the detail than listening to some of the boorish dialogue.
As stated before, it’s rare that set design and action make up for nearly every ailing aspect of a show, but “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark†is saved from theatrical oblivion by scenery and action that will bring out the kid in everyone. While it’s ultimately not nearly up to par with anything seen in films over the past decade, it’s something small children will love and adults will get a kick out of.
Note- The show that was reviewed in this article was a preview version of a show that has yet to open. Changes can still be made to the product before it opens.
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