Give Spiderman a chance

Broadway productions not only take years of preparation and hard work to bring a concept to reality, even if all goes well any show still need financial supports, and commitments, that alone is not easy to come by on these uncertain time. Many good concepts die along the way never made it to 42nd street.

That bring me to the most talk about show of the season so far, the eternally cursed “Spiderman” Which had been besieged with accidents, lead actor departures, mechanical failure on the set and surge of bad publicities. Even after three month of previews.

I can’t claim to be an action movie or show fan, nor am a comic book fan neither. In this case I make an exception, longing to see what the hype is all about, after a two months wait, I thought I was going to see the show after it is open, instead it is still in preview. Never the less, here is my take on the show.

To see a show like Spiderman, I suggested that you should at least tighten your belt for the next three months you did yourself disservice if you did not get seats on the first balcony. Unless you are willing to take a chance of getting a headache and neck injury not from falling objects, rather to follow the acrobatic of the show, you will be looking up into the air majority of the evening.

As for the upper balconies, I am not sure if they will see all the acrobatic movement of the show, since all the flying that is going on is below the seats.

The set designs were absolutely fantastic, at time I was so overwhelm by the size and movement of the sets, I was in awe. The lighting and the dances were elegant. For just these two reasons alone is worth every penny of your ticket.

To a New Yorker seeing the show, I identify the building and the location of the scene. A little sample for the detail that was put forth into the set design: Just showing the Manhattan bridge over the East River is not enough, there was a lighted subway train going across the stage, while everything else is going on below. You will experience many surprises sprinkle through out the show. If it was a movie production, a bird eye view of the city is not hard to shoot Try to achieve the same effect in a theatre environment. I gave them a lot of credit. I actually feeling like I am flying thru the city in 3-D, and this is not a video effect.

If you are looking for an unconventional story in Spiderman, you are kidding yourself. Just like you will not have a different story line in “Romeo and Juliet”. If you are looking for some big time Broadway tune like in “Jesus Christ Super star”. Bono’s music is not for you. I found all the rock tunes in the show is unimpressive; No identifiable rock jingle, no main focus on the musical score, even the love songs fail to evoke any of my inner romantic feelings. I was looking for that identifiable song. Nothing was there.

The first act although a little to at the beginning, but it does build a momentum eventually. I was satisfied when intermission came. The second act seems floundering a little, in my humble opinion.

If you go and expecting to see the old format in the same old formula of the many Broadway shows that is playing now, you will be utterly disappointed. If you are going to see the show with an open mind, the sheer set design, to experience Broadway the next generation; I guaranteed it is worth it. You will never see another one like this one any time soon, if this show goes down as a failure. That will be our lost.

In “the Phantom of the Opera” the chandelier on drop down from the ceiling once, in “Miss Saigon” the helicopter only rises up from the stage once. In Spiderman, I lost count of surprises.

I knew the critics were unkind and down right unfair, I saw the review on this morning’s newspaper, they label the show as a bust. You are a fool if you only listen to the critic, and I hope you don’t. Give the show a chance. You will not be disappointed. You can only find out if you go.

Chance Encounter NYC