‘Spider-Man’: Turn Back the Critics

By Erica Orden

“Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” is set to welcome theatergoers back to the production Thursday evening. But there’s one category of viewer producers would rather not see in the Foxwood Theatre’s seats: Critics.

Following a weeks-long hiatus, the $70 million musical is raising its curtain—again—for a month of preview performances. But the overhauled Broadway show won’t be in its final, critic-ready form until its official opening, which, after six rounds of delays, is set for June 14.

As public fascination with the production remains high, however, “Spider-Man” producers are bracing for a second round of premature reviews by theater critics, many of whom broke with traditional protocol by reviewing the production while it was still in previews in February. (The Wall Street Journal has not yet reviewed the show.)

“I was thinking of finding out what seats they’re in and removing the seats,” lead producer Michael Cohl said in an April interview with The Journal. “But Jere told me I shouldn’t do that,” he said, referring to producer Jeremiah Harris.

“I did that to the rock reviewers,” Cohl added, referencing his former job as Chairman of concert promoter Live Nation Inc.

“We’ll have a special electronic surveillance,” joked Harris.

Perhaps in an effort to dissuade early-bird critics, the show’s press agents provided on Wednesday the clearest signal yet that “Spider-Man” will, in fact, open June 14: They sent out the save-the-date notices for critics’ performances. Sending out such notices is not uncommon among Broadway shows, but “Spider-Man” has not done so until now.

Those performances, on June 9, 10 and 11, are designed to allow critics to review the show in its final form.

“My office has been fielding a lot of calls from anxiety-ridden critics desperate to know if they are on our list,” spokesman Rick Miramontez said in a statement, when asked whether the announcement was intended to fend off early reviews. “The save-the-dates are simply meant to reassure everyone that they will indeed have a chance to see SPIDER-MAN.”

Cohl, in the earlier interview, said: “Hopefully they will respect that we are making an honest, legitimate–to their terms–effort, and will come on June the 14.”

He added: “Hopefully they’ll stick to it. My guess: probably not. Shame on them.”