Venue Takes a Closer Look at Polarizing ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark’ Musical

It's more bad news for the beleaguered Spider-Man musical. Like all the arts, it's sometimes unfortunate to think about, but Broadway shows are as much a business as anything else. So when a troubled, ginormously-budgeted musical based on one of the world's most popular superheroes starts to struggle, a venue has to closely examine its bottom line. That's exactly what the people at the Foxwoods Theater in New York City are doing in light of the polarizing previews of Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark.

Erich Jungwirth, the recently installed General Manager of the Foxwoods Theater, has reached out to several major Broadway producers with projects nearing completion according to The New York Time's Arts Beat blog.

Although Jungwirth, and the theater's owner Live Nation, suggest a new general manager reaching out to potential partners is standard protocol, the timing is suspect. In order for Turn Off the Dark to turn a profit and pay off its $65 million dollar (and rising) debt, the musical will need to be positioned at Foxwoods Theater for at least five years, not one. And that's assuming in those five years that most shows are sellouts at the maximum price point for tickets.

After an initial delay, comment from Jungwirth was e-mailed from Live Nation to the Arts Blog to explain his activities and reaffirm the theater's support of the potentially doomed musical:

I can confirm that I have met with people in the industry to introduce myself as the new G.M. of the Foxwoods Theater. It is the custom in our industry for a new GM to both introduce themselves in the community and to see if there are any shows coming up that may be able to play in our venue; this is what keeps the lines of communication open and allows both operators and producers to know what inventory and product are available. As for 'Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark,' we are incredibly positive about the prospects and are optimistic that the show is going to have a fantastic run at the Foxwoods Theater for many years to come," he said. "We are thrilled about the opening of this historical show in our theater and are very proud of our staff in their tireless efforts to assist making this extraordinary event happen.

The debate will rage on until the musical opens to general audiences in January, but Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark continues to seem rife with the ol' Parker luck.

[VIA NYT Arts Blog]