Turn Off The Blog

Spider-Man 60 Minutes segment hits the web

Webmaster — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:01:15 +0000

It. Is. Live.

Watch the 60 minutes feature online, with interviews and exclusive rehearsal footage. What do you think of the newly-released clips?

A Blog Falls From The Sky

Webmaster — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 22:07:08 +0000

Introducing Turn Off The Blog – your definitive source for news, reviews and gossip about Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. Please bear with us as we upload our backlog of articles, and stay tuned for up-to-the-minute coverage of the saga … Continue reading →

CONFIRMED: Refunds being issued for Monday’s disastrous performance

Webmaster — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 14:40:50 +0000

Turn Off The Blog has independently confirmed that the producers of Spider-Man are issuing refunds upon request for Monday’s fateful performance, in which “human error” resulted in aerialist Christopher Tierney plunging 30 feet and sustaining serious injuries. Simply call Ticketmaster or bring your tickets back to the point-of-purchase in order to request a refund.

Move over, Ms. Taymor. . . Senator Adams has entered the building

Webmaster — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 22:52:19 +0000

In what may be a theatrical first, Senator Eric Adams and Assemblymen Rory Lancman and Richard N. Gottfried held a press conference outside of The Foxwoods Theater calling for immediate changes to Spider-Man. Playbill reports on the notable requests, including:

Removing (!?) or re-staging the Act II finale ‘The Net’ to make it safer for the cast and crew.
Trimming the tether cable that holds Spidey in place during the infamous bridge scene.
Providing “flying seminars” to the understudies or risk having aerial scenes cut.

Do you think this is a worthwhile issue for elected officials to be speaking out for, or was this press conference n the vein of “Both Reached for the Gun”? Hit the comments and let us know what you think!

Assemblyman Rory Lancman To Spidey Producer: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Following Spider-Man Injuries, Senator Eric Adams Calls for Safety Task Force

BREAKING: Nobody injured at Thursday’s Performance

Webmaster — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 17:28:57 +0000

All eyes were on The Foxwoods Theater last night, as Spider-Man returned to the stage, accident-free. The New York Times was on-scene, and had these intersting tidbits to share:

Producer Michael Cohl announced that Christopher Tierny had undergone surgery on Wednesday and would begin rehabilitation next Monday .
Natalie Mendoza missed another performance last night, citing doctor-ordered vocal rest.
Prior to the Act II finale (frequently referred to as ‘The Net’), a stage-hand came on-stage to rig Reeve Carney for the big stunt.

The Times also continued the questionable act of including audience commentary about the show in their article, including critical comments from playwright Kenny Solms:

“There is a reason for having out-of-town tryouts for a major new musical before coming to Broadway, and while I know it’s expensive, ‘Spider-Man’ would have been helped a whole lot by one,” said Kenny Solms, a longtime comedy writer who helped create “The Carol Burnett Show” on television and whose play “It Must Be Him” ran in September at Off Broadway’s Playwrights Horizons. “And based on the seven minutes or so of flying in a three-hour show tonight, I have to say that if I’d wanted to see flying, it’s more magical and memorable in ‘Peter Pan.’ ”

Link Round-up:

The New York Tmes – ‘Spider-Man’ Musical Safely Swings Through Performance

Reuters (via NYTimes) – Spider – Man” Returns, Safely, to Broadway Stage

AP - Spiderman Broadway Return Accident-Free for Now

Perez Hilton reports on Christopher Tierny’s condition

Webmaster — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 19:46:53 +0000

PerezHilton.com detailed aerialist Christopher Tierny’s injuries sustained at the Dec. 20th performance of Turn Off The Dark:

Christopher is suffering from a broken elbow, broken ribs, and a cracked skull after plummeting 30 feet during a live performance earlier this week.

Read the full story here.

Reeve Carney talks about cast unity while wearing funny hat

Webmaster — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 00:05:18 +0000

Spidey himself spoke to the AP after Thursday night’s performance. See what he and cast-mate Jennifer Damiano have to say about being back on-stage and cast morale after Monday’s accident:

Nascar on Broadway?

Webmaster — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 01:35:52 +0000

Adam Sternbergh of New York Magazine analyzed the public’s obsession with Turn Off The Dark in a new piece on their website. Sternbergh writes:

…the whole Spider-Man saga has evolved into something new and fascinating: a hyperentertaining reality show about a Broadway fiasco, playing to a wide and rapt audience and unfolding, 24/7, in real time.

Read the full piece here, and hit the comments to let us know if you think Spider-Man really is “Nascar for Gleeks.”

[Illustration by Tomer Hanuka for NYMag.com]

Spidey Gets the Animated Treatment

Webmaster — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 18:42:02 +0000

News of the troubles at The Foxwoods Theater has made its way to Taiwan, where Next Media took the liberty of animating the ongoing drama. While replete with factual inaccuracies, the video does land some solid laughs (‘Bloody Bloody Sunday Andrew Jackson’ being a personal favorite). See for yourself here:

What Should We Call Spider-Man Fans?

Webmaster — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 19:00:08 +0000

From Rent-heads to Altarholics, theater fans have a tradition of coining titles for a show’s most devoted fans. What should we call Spider-Man fans? Post your suggestions in the comments below – we’ll pick a winner on Wednesday, December 29th!