The Big Flop
Spider-Man Hits All the Wrong Notes with Guy Branum & Jessica McKenna | 3
Sep 11, 2023
Comedians Guy Branum and Jessica McKenna join Misha to discuss the disastrous Spider-Man musical on Broadway. They explore the production process, including the involvement of U2, missed opportunities, and the impact of director Julie Taymor. They also delve into the financial challenges and mismanagement of the show, accidents and injuries on set, and the debate about whether it was a flop or just average.
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Quick takeaways
- Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark faced financial troubles, bad reviews, and a string of injuries, resulting in a historic $60 million loss and raising concerns about the safety of performers.
- Director Julie Taymor clashed with producers, leading to major script revisions and her ultimate departure from the show, highlighting the importance of experienced producers in managing large-scale productions.
Deep dives
The Expensive Flop: Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, the most expensive and technically advanced Broadway show ever, was plagued with disasters from the start. Despite raising $50 million, the show faced financial troubles, bad reviews, and a string of injuries. The preview shows were a mess, with set pieces missing, actors getting injured, and technical difficulties. Even after revisions and script changes, the show was unable to recover. It eventually closed in 2014, leaving a historic $60 million loss. However, it did set a record for the highest attendance in a single week for a Broadway show.
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