@didyoucatchthis: Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark—Broadway’s Most Infamous Flop Not everything is meant to be a musical, and few productions prove this point as spectacularly as Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. Widely remembered as one of Broadway's biggest disasters, the 2011 show was plagued by injuries, delays, and insurmountable financial woes. From the start, the production seemed ambitious to a fault. Hiring U2’s Bono and The Edge to write the music—a bold move given the band’s lack of theater experience—raised eyebrows. Yet the real troubles began in execution. Before its official opening on June 14, 2011, the musical set a record for previews, slogging through an unprecedented 182 performances as technical issues and safety concerns mounted. The total cost ballooned to an eye-watering $75 million, with a weekly operating budget exceeding $1 million. Financially, the math was unforgiving: the show would have needed to sell out every seat for six consecutive years just to break even. On stage, calamity struck repeatedly. At least six performers suffered major injuries during the run, with one of the most shocking accidents involving stunt performer Christopher Tierney. In December 2010, Tierney fell 20–30 feet into the orchestra pit, sustaining a fractured skull, broken ribs, and internal injuries. Miraculously, he recovered and later returned to the show, embodying a level of resilience few could match. Despite some early audience curiosity, the troubled production couldn’t overcome its reputation or costs. In November 2013, it was announced that Spider-Man would officially close, with the final curtain falling in January 2014. While Broadway has seen its share of ambitious flops, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark stands out as a cautionary tale about the risks of stretching creative webs too far.

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Friday 10 January 2025 11:47:12 GMT