The New Broadway Season - this can't be good News!

[edjames]

While it's not slated until February of 2010 to open, production has been halted on the new multi-million dollar budget musical "Spider Man."

 

Sources say the money has dried up and director Julie Taymor's financial demands were astronomical.

 

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/131805-Production_on_New_Spider-Man_Musical_Temporarily_Halted

 

NY Post Broadway columnist Michael Reidel also reported the show's troubles in his latest column. Apparently Ms. Taymor has ripped apart the Hilton Theater to the tune of $10 million to install lavish sets.

 

It will be interesting to see how this plays out given that almost $40 million was raised to produce this show in the first place.

 

On a brighter note, one show that came close to not opening because it could not get producers was the revival of "Hair." It's just been reported that it was paid back it's initial investment!

 

I saw "Burn the Floor' last week. I admit I'm a big dance fan and have a soft spot for "Dancing With the Stars." This show comes about as close to a glitsy Vegas-style review than a Broadway show. The dancers are excellent (note that there is not one dancer of color in the cast!) but the show fails to provide more than just an appetizer of the ballroom styles. As soon as you get interested in one number they're off the stage and onto something else. Also annoying were the two vocalists who didn't really need all that stage time and just interrupted a lot of the numbers. Still, given the handsome, sweaty, shirtless, waxed and buff male dancers, it was a pleasant diversion for the summer doldrums!

 

ED

[Rick Munroe]

Still, given the handsome, sweaty, shirtless, waxed and buff male dancers

 

Waxed dancers...was this at Madame Tussaud's?