(OUTscene America RE-view): Broadway's Spider-Man, Better than you think!

by MK Scott

OUTscene Editor

Since I had to be in NY anyway, I had to see Spider-man: Turn off the Dark to find out what the fuss was about.

I attended the Sunday, August 21st Matinée performance. My date was supposed to be the legendary, Performance artist, Joey Arias, but Joey had a scheduling conflict. So as I sat there in my seat solo (Row K- Seat 8) and realized that this was only my 3rd Broadway show seen on Broadway. ('Cats' (sorry) in 1990 and 'Boy from Oz' in 2004). Most shows I see, actually come to Seattle or Portland and the experience is always different from roomy seats to bigger venue compared to the old small and cramped. That wasn't the case for the New Foxwoods theater (formerly the Ford Center) is a large theater and more modern than most houses.

For Spider-man that just opened in June after a series of mishaps. I was pleasantly surprised on how enjoyable it was from the overhead flying to the MJ and Peter Parker love story to the sultry ballads. I could still see many of Julie Taymor's trademark and is still billed co-creator. One trademark was the masks and the soldier dance, that appeared in Taymor's 'Tempest' and 'Across the universe'.

The show starts with Peter Parker declaring that "People hate spiders!"—so true—though Arachne (Think Chita in 'Kiss of the Spiderwoman') then descends for a hypnotic number, her maidens flying on chiffon strips, which form a trellis as Arachne sings about wonder while sprouting legs. From there, the evening veers between high school angst—Peter is bullied, but finds "it gets better"—to high camp scenes in the newsroom, where photojournalist Peter is trying to keep a dinosaur newspaper alive, much like all the critics who've feasted off Spider-Man for the last year.

Bono and the Edge songs were good, the ballads were so much better. 

Reeve Carney does a great Job in the Role.

I did like the jangling, mid-tempo "A Freak Like Me" number for the Green Goblin (Patrick Page), and one song for Spidey, "Rise Above," sounded good enough to be a U2 cut.

I would like to have heard a little of Nickelback's 'Hero', since the story was Spider-man ONE and TWO combined.

From the Gay perspective, you will love the Dancing Chorus boys in Spider-man spandex (see above) and the gorgeous, Reeve Carney when he takes the mask off and and is flying over you.

But the sets are cleverly cartoony (a Chrysler Building effect is breathtaking), there are some very striking pictures, and the show ends with 15 outstanding minutes or so of swooping into the audience, Spidey landing in the aisle and the whit web(streamers) fall over the audience.