Chicago Tribune Reviews SPIDER-MAN 'tangled web'

BroadwayWorld.com reported earlier that multiple critics from major newspapers have indeed purchased tickets in recent days to SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off the Dark, and amongst those expected to publish reviews in tomorrow's newspapers will be The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and The New York Post. 

Here's what Chris Jones had to say for the Chicago Tribune:"After the $65 million spent, the endless delays, the injuries, the cast changes, the incessant spinning of stories on the Web, Julie Taymor's "Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark" now has to be willing to stand in the light. Deck chairs can be rearranged forever.

This show has delayed its opening so many times that it has become the butt of jokes on talk shows and magazine covers. This review, based on the Jan. 30 performance, appears one day after a previously scheduled opening, and after the last delay that felt even remotely reasonable, given that full-price "previews" have been taking place since Nov. 28. Furthermore, in practical terms, the show has already made what major changes it will be possible to make before the official March opening. Both ticket buyers and the generally curious deserve a review now.

The much-told woes of "Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark" boil down to a problem that has similarly ensnared far humbler new musicals: an incoherent story."

Click Here for the Full Review

The Drama Critics' Circle (which contains many, but not all of the NY critics - lacking the NY Times amongst others) failed to reach a consensus on the issue at their January 31 meeting on the subject leaving critics and their editors to make their own decisions on the subject. 

Reviews have been trickling out, most recently in the UK Telegraph over the weekend and recently in the Toronto Star and the NJ Star-Ledger and of course Michael Riedel has been covering the show extensively for the New York Post. 

After the show's last delay, BroadwayWorld.com reached out to multiple major critics after the announcement that the opening was being delayed (again) who have told us that they were talking to their editors and expect that given that the show will now have been seen by potentially 200,000 audience members before its opening night, that they will NOT wait until opening night to review the show and were instead looking at seeing the show near to the February 7th previously scheduled opening night.

 Rick Miramontez, Spokesman for SPIDER-MAN Turn Off the Dark told us that "The official position of the Spider-Man team is that critics should not review the production until invited by the production. We deem critics to be theater lovers, and to review the show before it is frozen is not, in any way, in the spirit of Broadway and all it represents."

Lead producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris announced that SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark has delayed its opening night (previously set for February 7, 2011) to Tuesday, March 15th to allow for more time to fine-tune aspects of the show, including the new ending. Directed by Julie Taymor and featuring a book by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger, and new music and lyrics by U2's Bono and The Edge, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark is now in previews at Broadway's Foxwoods Theatre (213 West 42nd Street).