Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Lacks Identity but Still Has Potential

Still in its preview stage "Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark" is still suffering from growing pains, like some hyper-active child with attention-deficit-disorder, caused - perhaps - from having too many creative cooks boiling their cumulative talents into a large, expensive and rather tasteless broth. Unable - at least at the time of writing - to come up with a completely cohesive whole.

'With that having been said' - as people say who are preparing to completely contradict themselves.

The 1st Act worked a lot better than the 2nd. In part I expect because you are being introduced to the characters, and whether you're familiar with 'Spider-Man' from comics or movies or not, it sets the story up fairly logically - Much like the 1st movie in fact. It also has the only...and I mean the ONLY song of any merit, at least the only song that I could remember any part off immediately after leaving the theatre. 'Rise Above' is the name of the song. A slow romantic and exhilarating song that gave me hope for the rest of the Act. Unfortunately though the rest of the tracks come across as lack luster rock and roll accompaniment to the truly amazing visuals, both from the well choreographed wired acrobatics that allow for all parts of the Theatre to get a great view of the action and the equally impressive set scenes and staging which make the best of depth-perception.

Now of course there's also the attraction presented by the inherent danger that comes along with such physical shenanigans - so well publicized in the press - and as happened on my viewing the very slight acrobatic dysfunction that left the Green Goblin hanging above us '" wiggling his little green legs amusingly to the crowd below. The aerial breakdowns seem to serve as a delight to the audience, than an interference to the storyline. The 1st Act lasts approximately 1.5 hours, leaving a 15 minute break.

Unfortunately, by this time "Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark" the musical has pretty much played its hand. All the characters have been revealed in full. The story arc has nowhere '" very far - to go from here, other than to drag to a rather tedious and un-exhilarating climax. There is a part in the 2nd Act where 6 'Baddies' are introduced, and unfortunately they seemed forced and pointless to propelling the musical to any kind of sensible ending. It reminded me of dodgy British Panto from my childhood. It's hard to see the 'Green Goblin' as the baddie when you are suddenly introduced to an amalgam of extras '" who pull down his devilishness rather than enhancing it. Then there is the odd change in tone of the piece. One moment a serious love story, then a campy cartoonish play up of the cartoon/comics. It hasn't quite figured out what it wants to be yet? '" when and if it ever grows up.

It is a dysfunctional teenage musical with some growing to do.

The music has no 'completeness' to it. That is to say you wouldn't be able to identify that any one song/number is identified to this musical - other than for the mention of particular spidery individuals. Whereas classic Musicals like 'Les Mis' or even newer classics like 'Rent' have a definitive '˜feel' to all their songs. A cohesiveness of tone and texture. A quality of style and substance that is unmistakably of a well-defined whole. Not all rock artists are destined to succeed on the Broadway stage and I'm afraid '˜Bono' & '˜Edge' fit into this category. I can see why 'Bono' hitched his particular light to this vehicle too. There's much in the lyrics about love, caring, even global warming and he isn't backwards in venting his ethical sensibilities into the songs.

Now for the good stuff. For all its problems there is much to say in favor of this musical, whose grasp seems to far exceed what it's clutching hands have been able to grab. The cast were excellent in their entirety. This performance's '˜Peter Parker'/'˜Spider-Man' was played by understudy 'Matthew James Thomas', whose exuberance and physicality were amazing to behold. His voice was strong and distinctive. Perfect for the main role, as was the Green Goblin played by 'Patrick Page' whose perfectly perverted deep booming take on the Goblin's psychosis was a joy to behold. The music succeeds merely as background noise, and as long as you can get past the fact that there's no real songs here of any real merit, then the rock and roll-ishness (is that a word) served the action well.

So - Is it worth seeing. Well, I have heard that it is still in the growing stage, and I hope they can work out the kinks, but overall I did enjoy the experience. It is a spectacle. It is brave - in a brash, crash, campy sort of way. You will remember the experience for its visual eye-candy, and perhaps the wire-flying fluffs here and there, and '˜with that having been said'....ugh!!! - I'd say see it.