During the show, there were a number of unplanned stops and some members of the 1,800 strong audience even walked out. The entire show lasted for three hours and 40 minutes and although many praised it's fantastic arial sequences, it was during those that things began to unravel, quite literally. Collider have collected some reviews from fans and critics alike, and what follows are some of their (mostly negative) reactions:
"I hated it. The fashion show was horrible. All of the villians looked horrible. That whole love thing with Arachne made no sense whatsoever. They also had 4 kids in Act 1 basically talking about what was happening and then somehow in Act 2 they end up really being in the story. The book is a total cluster[frick]. A U2 song made it into the show as well. Arachne also sings a song about her shoes. Awful. Just awful."
"Ok, I have no idea what I just witnessed. It was a total incoherent mess. Taymor seems to have gotten so caught up in the symbolism and fx that she forgot to include a story. innovative at times, but soulless always. I’ll write more later but now i need a drink to clear my head."
"The show was stopped 5-6 times. During one of those times in the second act, a woman in the audience screamed out (at least what I think was:) “I don’t know about anybody else, but I feel like a guinea pig and I want my money back! We should all get refunds!” The audience booed her. Another time the show was stopped right at the Act I Finale “stunt” and the Spider-Man performer was above the audience. Trapped. Stagehands walked on stage and he swayed and they reached over the orchestra to try and grab him. Took 3 attempts. Audience laughed."
"The set, costumes, lighting, and sound will all be nominated for Tonys. Set and costumes is a front-winner to win. The flying sequences are amazing, but even after they get all the bugs out, I feel that they ultimately will stop the story and the show dies. We’ll see."
"Oh. Plot. Right. That thing that supposedly was there but only Julie Taymor could understand because she wrote it in her alien language on her alien planet. ACT I was understandable. ACT II was bizarre. It was completely lost. The show is meant to be meaningful, I guess?"
The New York Post's Michael Riedel described spectators ducking for cover from falling equipment, stage wires dropped on the audience and scenery missing pieces.
"Not even Spider-Man can avert this disaster," he said. Seems like he's right becauase Spider-Man himself, played by Reeve Carney, was stuck in mid-air after rescuing Mary Jane in comical fashion from a Chrysler building that was missing a section.
While some errors are to be expected at a preview showing, that doesnt excuse the fact that the majority thought the story and tone were awful. Regardless of how "stunning" they might be, I think it's clear from the costume designs alone that Taymor has made that age old mistake of deciding to interpret Spider-Man in
her own way and in the process will alienate many fans and judging from the above reactions, everyone else as well! Here's hoping that
Batman: Live is better!
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