Did you think the web of problems surrounding the Broadway musical SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK couldn’t get any more complicated? Well, guess again.
Lead actress Natalie Mendoza, who plays the role of nemesis spider “Arachne”, quit the musical last week after concerns of safety were just too much for her to bear.
During rehearsals, two stunt doubles were injured while performing aerial sequences over the audience. One actor was left hanging and suspended several feet above the audience when his track jammed. And aerial stuntman Christopher Tierney fell 30 feet at a recent preview performance, prompting producers to abruptly stop the show and call for an ambulance.
Even the actress herself was injured onstage during the production. Mendoza suffered a concussion during the first night of preview performances after being hit in the head by a piece of stage equipment. She last performed on December 20th, which was the night Tierney fell into the orchestra pit. For Mendoza, her own concussion and the serious injury of her fellow actors, was enough for her to place safety over a Broadway paycheck.
At a record cost of $65. million to produce, SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK is the most expensive show in Broadway history, particularly because of its dangerous aerial acrobatics and because the music was penned by Bono. The musical was briefly shut down last week, as the Labor Department and the Actor’s Union worked with producer’s to tone down some of the tricks and create a safer work environment.
The show was originally slated to open in December. But despite several delays, producer’s say they still intend to stick to their new opening date of February 7th.
