Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark First Preview Marred By Malfunctions And Mishaps

The much anticipated, much-delayed Broadway mega-musical Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark, had its first preview performance Sunday night, and, um, things did not go as planned, the rumoured $65 million production suffering series of miscues and mishaps. The show stopped five times, mostly to fix technical difficulties, Act I ended abruptly with Spider-Man stuck 10 feet above audience members, a cable malfunctioning, and the New York Times reports that Act II “was married by a nasty catcall during one of the midperformance pauses.” The Times continues. reporting that “The intermission began at 8:19 p.m.; it was still under way 34 minutes later when some in the audience began to clap in unison, as they passed their two-hour mark inside the theater. Mr. White, the production stage manager, then said over the microphone, “I know, guys, I know, I beg your patience,” and the clapping stopped. Act II began shortly after 9 p.m. and unfolded fairly smoothly until about 50 minutes later, when Mr. White called for a pause. After a few minutes, as some audience members were stretching, a woman in the audience suddenly shouted, “I don’t know how everyone else feels, but I feel like a guinea pig today — I feel like it’s a dress rehearsal.” She was met with a chorus of boos. The performance resumed a moment later; the show ended at 10:09 p.m.”