Five years in the making, over 75 million dollars spent, five onstage injuries including one major accident and one accident that is now being discovered, on top of a record-setting preview period, an ousted director, and a score by Bono and the Edge… The musical “Spider-Man Turn off the dark” can now be recognized for one more thing — being snubbed at the Tony Awards.
A lot of people were speculating what would be the fate of this high-flying spectacle smash hit when it came time for the Tony Awards for the season of 2011 – 2012. The musical had already missed the eligibility mark for the 2010 – 2011 season last year so many wondered what would come of this year. Fast-forward one year later (365 performances later) and we find this unbelievable record-smash hit musical only taking two Tony nominations. These nominees did not include best score or best actor/actress/supporting… nothing.
This musical was only given nods for their 14 million dollar grand set and their just as expensive spectacular costumes which were designed by late costume designer Eiko Ishioka. This super-musical opened to glass breaking reviews but has since risen above this with consistent record-setting grosses and continuous sold out houses. Many may wonder why this over-the top comic book rock opera was left in the lurch when it came to the largest and most important theater awards.
Rewind to the part of this story where we figure out who the ruthless tony nominators consist of. Tony Nominators consist of 24 members each year, these then breaks down into 10 from the American Theatre Wing, 10 from The Broadway League and then one from: Actor’s Equity Association, United Scenic Artists and the Society of Dancers and Choreographers. Now that these facts have been established we can now make some predictions of what these people have against the human spider musical. One may question if this has to do with the members being angered by the firing of Julie Taymor or if it was because the show was not your typical 30 preview show.
Additionally, this musical was not lacking in any talent. The musical was lead by Broadway-newcomer Reeve Carney. I have had the privilege of seeing this show on 3 different occasions. With that fact out of the way now I can proudly tell you that Reeve Carney has one of the best voices and stage presences of any actor I have ever seen on Broadway. Also, Reeve Carney’s level of stamina is not even explainable, always giving his all even on a tiring 8th performance of the week. In addition to Mr. Carney, this musical also deserved a nod for Broadway’s veteran Patrick Page who plays the green goblin. In addition to Mr. Page, recently departed actress Jennifer Damiano deserved a nomination for her truthful role as Mary Jane Watson. Finally, this musical boasts some of the best score any has heard, this music is written by super-writers, Bono and the Edge.
So what can we get out of this article? Spider-Man wins in the long run and no Tony nominator can shut down this over-the top exceptional rock-musical phenomenon. Spider-Man will undoubtedly “rise above” this small blow and will continue selling out every performance for years to come!
Spider-Man Turn off the Dark currently plays at the recently renovated Foxwoods’s Theatre on 42nd Street, 8 times a week! Support this high-flying, technically unbelievable show by buying tickets today!
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