NY Labor Department Inspectors to Visit SPIDEY Rehearsal

As BroadwayWorld reported last week, two SPIDER-MAN performers came forward to report injuries as a result of the show's complicated stunts.  One anonymous performer claims to have broken both feet during the same catapult stunt from which a second performer, Kevin Aubin broke both wrists.

Today, the New York Times reports that inspectors from The New York Department of Labor will pay a visit to the Foxwoods Theatre to take a look at the flying devices and methods being used. 

According to the New York Times, "Under state law, shows like "Spider-Man" are not legally allowed to hold public performances until state inspectors review and approve special effects such as flying, said Leo Rosales, a department spokesman, on Tuesday. The inspectors usually issue findings a few days after their visit; they can seek or demand changes to promote safety, which producers usually accept rather than risk a delay in performances, Mr. Rosales said."

According to the report, the investigation has been in the works for some time as a routine measure, unconnected to the recent injuries.

To read the full report in the New York Times, click here.

Kevin Aubin, one of several performs said to be appearing in a SPIDER-MAN outfit had broken both of his wrists during a small presentation for ticket brokers and group sales agents last week. BroadwayWorld.com has confirmed that he is healing quickly and is going to be back with the show next week. 

The rest of the presentation is said to have gone as planned, and producer Michael Cohl told the post that "With a show as complex as this, safety is the top priority for everyone at 'Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark"

SPIDER-MAN stars Reeve Carney, Jennifer Damiano, Patrick Page,Natalie Mendoza, Michael Mulheren, Ken Marks, Isabel Keating, Jeb Brown, T.V. Carpio, Mat Devine, Gideon Glick, Jonathan Schwartz, Matthew James Thomas, Laura Beth Wells, Matt Caplan,DWayne Clark, Luther Creek, Gerald Avery, Collin Baja, Marcus Bellamy, Emmanuel Brown, Erin Elliott, Dana Marie Ingraham, Ayo Janeen Jackson, Heather Lang, Ari Loeb, Natalie Lomonte, Kevin Loomis, Kristin Martin, Jodi McFadden, Kristen Oei, America Olivo, Jennifer Perry, Kyle Post,Brandon Rubendall, Sean Samuels, Dollar Tan, and Christopher Tierney.

Drawing from more than 40 years of Marvel comic books for inspiration, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark spins a new take on the mythic tale of Peter Parker, a teenager whose unremarkable life in Queens is turned upside-down-literally-when he's bitten by a genetically-altered spider and wakes up the next morning clinging to the ceiling. Bullied by his classmates and tortured by an unrelenting crush on next-door-neighbor Mary Jane Watson, this science geek discovers he has suddenly been endowed with astonishing powers. He soon learns, however, that "with great power comes great responsibility." Maligned by the media, buffeted by financial woes, and stretched thin by the expectations of the world-at-large, Peter now must struggle to navigate the perilous and peculiar demands of being a web-slinging superhero. With the characters in SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark ranging from old familiar favorites to supervillains never-before imagined, Spider-Man's battles will hurtle the audience through a story both recognizable and unexpected, culminating in an eye-popping, ultimate test for this iconic figure.

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark features music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy® Award-winners Bono and The Edge of U2 with direction by Tony® Award-winner Julie Taymor (The Tempest, Across The Universe, The Lion King) and a book by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger (Underneath The Lintel).

The creative team includes Daniel Ezralow (Choreography), George Tsypin (Scenic Design), Academy Award®-winner Eiko Ishioka (Costume Design), Tony® Award-winner Donald Holder(Lighting Design), Jonathan Deans (Sound Design), Kyle Cooper (Projection Design), Julie Taymor(Mask Design), Campbell Young Associates (Hair Design), Judy Chin (Makeup Design), Scott Rogers (Aerial Design), Jaque Paquin (Aerial Rigging Design), David Campbell (Orchestrations & Arrangements), Teese Gohl (Musical Supervision), and Kimberly Grigsby (Music Director). Casting is by Telsey + Co.

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark is produced by Michael Cohl, Jeremiah J. Harris, Land Line Productions, HELLO Entertainment/David Garfinkle, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Billy and Fernando Rovzar Diez Barroso, Jeffrey B. Hecktman, Omneity Entertainment/Richard G. Weinberg,Nederlander Organization/James L. Nederlander, Terry Allen Kramer, S2BN Entertainment, JAM Theatricals, the Mayerson/Gould/Hauser/Tysoe Group, and Patricia Lambrecht, by association withMarvel Entertainment.

American Express Cardmembers may now purchase tickets during an exclusive pre-sale offer via Ticketmaster.com / (800) 745-3000. Any ticket buyers who previously purchased tickets to SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark and were fully refunded have been contacted by Ticketmaster and given priority access to purchase again. Tickets will be available to the general public in September, also via Ticketmaster.com / (800) 745-3000. Tickets are priced from $67.50 - $135 for weekday performances and $67.50 - $140 for weekend performances.

For more information, visit http://spidermanonbroadway.marvel.com/.