Drama Critics' Circle Fails to Reach Consensus on SPIDER-MAN Reviews

Adam Feldman, head of the New York Drama Critics' Circle, an organization comprised of many, but not all New York critics has just blogged about the result of their meeting tonight. On the agenda was whether they'd be able to reach a consensus about whether to wait for SPIDER-MAN's opening night to review the show. The end result? No consensus.

Feldman writes:

"On the question of Spider-Man, however, no such agreement was in evidence. Meetings are confidential, so I can only say that the discussion was spirited but that we did not resolve to stick to any specific course of action as a group on the question of when to review the show, whose preview period has been extended multiple times. We remain, in the end, a loose affiliation of highly opinionated individuals-some of whom have already staked out public positions on the issues in question-with strongly held personal beliefs as well as differing editorial pressures beyond our control. As appealing as the notion might have been that we could somehow band together under a common philosophy, we remain fundamentally resistant to collective action.Although certain general guidelines about our respective coverage of Spider-Man were floated at the meeting, it is hard to say if any really landed-or, if they did, what such a landing might even mean on a ground that shifts so quickly."

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 recently 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).