Entertainment

‘Spider-Man’ safety scare

‘Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark” is the most expensive and technically complex show ever produced on a Broadway stage.

It may also turn out to be the most dangerous — to both the actors and the audience.

The $65 million extravaganza had its first casualty last week, production sources say, when actor Kevin Aubin slammed into the stage and broke both his wrists.

The blood-curdling accident occurred in front of a small audience of powerful ticket brokers and group sales agents. They were on hand for a presentation, conducted by director Julie Taymor, of the spectacular flying stunts in the show.

But the first stunt went horribly awry.

Aubin, one of several actors in Spider-Man costumes who catapult throughout the theater, was crouching at the back of the stage. Suddenly, he shot up into the air and came crashing down at the lip of the stage with such force, some audience members heard his wrists snap.

“It was a thrilling effect, but you knew something was wrong because he hit the stage so hard,” says a source. “He maintained his Spider-Man pose, but you could see he was wincing.”

The presentation was halted while stagehands rushed to his aid.

“He was still in his harness, and they just flew him off stage,” says another witness.

Aubin was taken to the hospital. He returned to rehearsals this week.

Producer Michael Cohl said in an e-mail: “With a show as complex as this, safety is the top priority for everyone at ‘Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark.’ ”

Taymor seemed a little shaken by the accident, but plowed ahead with the rest of the presentation. The next stunt went off without a hitch and was, by all accounts, spectacular.

An actor shot from the back of the theater over the heads of the ticket agents and landed on the stage.

“They are not just flying people around — they’re catapulting them!” says a source. “It’s like they’re being shot out of rubber bands. I have no idea if the show is any good, but the special effects are unbelievable. There are going to be Spider-Men flying all over the theater — right over your head — during the show.”

My source adds: “If they want to kill you, Riedel, at the first preview, all they have to do is drop a Spider-Man on your head.”

A production source laughs and says: “Row J, on the aisle — splat!”

Snicker all you want, but producers not involved in the show say such intense, sustained flying could, in fact, be dangerous for the audience.

“What they’re doing over there has never been done before,” says a veteran producer. “Mary Poppins flies out over the audience, but she goes out slowly and only once, at the end. It’s perfectly safe. But at ‘Spider-Man,’ they’re going to be flying over the audience for 2½ hours at fast speeds. That first preview is going to be scary.”

(EMTs from St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital better be standing by.)

At the presentation, Taymor said she would encourage kids to stand in their seats so they can see what’s happening all over the theater.

“That is madness,” says a producer. “You can’t have kids standing on their seats, especially when you’ve got people flying over their heads.”

Production sources say “Spider-Man” officials have met with New York State regulators who monitor special effects in stage productions.

“None of the stunts will be done unless they are safe and are approved by the regulators,” a source says.

Maybe so.

But at that first preview, I’m wearing a hard hat.

michael.riedel@nypost.com