On the Scene at the SPIDER-MAN Cancellation Line Tonight

There were only small crowds tonight of the Foxwoods Theatre, with the majority of this evening's sold out crowd having received word earlier that tonight's show would be cancelled. 

“You come back and we’ll be better than ever,” Patrick Page assured a young boy named Steve who had arrived at the Foxwoods Theatre with his family tonight, excited to celebrate his birthday with a performance of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark.

Despite the cancellation of tonight’s performance, made public only a few hours before the scheduled 8pm curtain, the actor who stars as The Green Goblin was all encouraging smiles as he greeted ticket-holders and autographed Playbills.

“We’re working on stuff now that wouldn’t be in tonight, but it will be there when you come back.”

Reeve Carney, unmasked, but partially dressed in his Spider-Man costume, posed for photos with fans and passers-by, much to the consternation of the attention-seeking man near the curb who kept yelling, “I’m the real Spider-Man! You come up to Harlem and see! I’m the real Spider-Man!”

Though police presence kept pedestrian traffic moving and roped off an area for ticket-holders, there was never more than a handful of customers on line, waiting to exchange their tickets or get information on obtaining refunds. While theatre-goers expressed their disappointment, the mood of the crowd was understanding.

“My name is Ramon,” said a tourist who had come with his young children. “We came to see the show from Venezuela… Caracas. I called this morning and was told the show was still on, but now it’s canceled… It’s disappointing but we’ll find something else to do.”

Earlier tonight it was announced that "SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the New York State Department of Labor have agreed on the implementation of additional protocols which will be rehearsed today and this evening. As such, tonight's performance of SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark has been cancelled. Performances will resume tomorrow evening (Thursday)."

Photo: Reeve Carney, BroadwayWorld.com