As much a fan as I am of Spider-Man, I have not been a fan of the musical, even conceptually. Even more so I have not been a fan of the ridiculous spectacle that the show has created on Broadway, performing previews to sold-out houses of individuals not looking to enjoy an evening of theatre but rather to perhaps be a spectator to a calamity or injury. It's a bit like NASCAR set to music, frankly, and I have been disgusted both by the train wreck and the people who have flocked to it - cash in hand - to be witness to the cataclysm.
Still, the news today that Bono has fired director Julie Taymor from the production in the hopes of making salvaging revisions has sparked in me some empathy. In my experience in theatre I have been both the terminator and the terminatee in unsalvageable artistic partnerships. (I've never been fired by anyone with just one name, though. That sucks.) It's unfortunate when it happens, and it isn't necessarily an indicator that someone is doing something wrong. (The injuries and fines, however, are the indicators of Ms. Taymor's culpability in this case.)
If Bono thinks he can turn things around, well, I appreciate his devotion to the project, even if I don't much appreciate the project itself. Good luck to you, Mr. Bono. I won't say "break a leg" because, one, I'm not superstitious, and, two, given the production's injury-filled history, it's not really appropriate.
As for Julie Taymor, I hope that she does not fall victim to the axiom that "you're only as marketable as your last gig," and, to that end, I would like to offer evidence of her considerable talent.
1 comment:
Gawd, Lion King is so f***ing gorgeous...
So Bono fired Taymor?? I didn't hear that. :sigh: :bigger sigh: as I hear the production really sucks in book and music first, calamities second. I'm not faithful it can be salvaged, with or without Taymor.
Talk about a debacle...
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