THERE was a twitching on my web this week, and when I crawled out to see what I’d caught, there — all tangled up and weary from the struggle — was Julie Taymor‘s “Spider-Man.”
The $45 million Broadway musical — otherwise known as “The Show Produced By People Who Have No Idea What They Are Doing” — is in deep, deep trouble.
Production crews at both the Hilton Theatre and the scene shop where the gargantuan sets are being constructed have been put on “hiatus” because the money has run out, several theater sources have confirmed.
At the beginning of the week, production staffers were convinced the whole thing was going to be scrapped.
But a “Spider-Man” spokesman insists: “The production is scheduled to begin previews on Feb. 25, 2010, as previously announced.”
If that happens, I’ll eat my young.
This show is in chaos, plagued not only by financial problems but also by a nasty internal power struggle.
Sony, which produced the “Spider-Man” movies, and Marvel, which controls the comic-book character, have lost faith in lead producer David Garfinkle, theater sources say.
The two corporations, with the backing of U2’s Bono and The Edge, who’ve written the score, are going to sideline him, sources say.
One source speaks diplomatically of “restructuring.”
Another is more blunt: “He’ll be out by the weekend.”
Garfinkle is a showbiz lawyer from Chicago who has virtually no producing experience. But he managed to get hold of the show when the original producer, Tony Adams, a seasoned veteran, died of a heart attack four years ago.
“David was Tony’s lawyer, and then Tony died and suddenly David was the producer of ‘Spider-Man,’ ” one person says.
Garfinkle has never been able to tame Taymor, whose talent for creating thrilling stage images (as she did in “The Lion King”) is matched only by her talent for blowing through budgets.
“You’ve got to be on top of her all the time,” says a person who worked with her on “The Lion King.”
“She’ll spend days and days on one minute of stage time. It will be a brilliant minute, but it’s expensive.”
At a presentation for group-sales ticket agents last spring, the dynamic Taymor introduced Garfinkle to the crowd. A young, sweet-looking little guy in a suit waddled nervously onstage.
You thought: Here comes her lunch! And by all accounts, she’s devoured him.
“So far, she has gotten pretty much everything she’s wanted,” says a source who thinks that, the way things are going, the budget for “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” could easily hit $50 million.
(Maybe if they lose the pretentious “Turn Off the Dark,” they’ll save a couple of million.)
The betting is that Sony and Marvel will put Alan Wasser, a respected general manager, in charge of the show, keeping a tight leash on Taymor.
(Watch it, Alan, or you’ll be her dinner.)
The “Spider-Man” spokesman insists: “There is no change in the production team.”
The show’s financial structure is odd. You can invest in the show ($45 million and counting) or in the redesign of the theater ($10 million).
Garfinkle has had trouble raising money for the theater redesign.
Industry insiders also wonder why “Spider-Man” hasn’t started a big advertising push yet.
“It’s a $45 million show — they need money, and they’re invisible,” one person says.
Production sources say there’ll be a “Spider-Man” ad blitz in the fall.
Meanwhile, once Garfinkle’s been sidelined, Sony will restart production.
That’s a relief.
For a minute, I was worried I wouldn’t have much to write about this summer.