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New York - The curtain will go up again on Thursday on Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark after the producers of the accident-plagued Broadway musical agreed to new safety precautions to prevent another fall like the one that left a stuntman seriously injured.
The state Labour Department said it is satisfied the producers of the $65m musical have made the necessary adjustments.
Wednesday’s performance was cancelled so that the cast and crew could rehearse the new precautions, which include a requirement that a second person ensure that the harnesses used by performers during the show's high-flying stunts have been put on properly.
Appropriate controls
The much-anticipated production, teaming Lion King creator Julie Taymor with songwriters Bono and The Edge of U2, has had a rocky route to Broadway. Already the most expensive show in Broadway history, it has been plagued by technical glitches, money woes and three other injuries, including a concussion and two broken wrists.
The show has been in previews for a month, and its official Broadway opening has twice been postponed. It is now set for early February.
"At this point we are satisfied they have put in place the appropriate controls," said Maureen Cox, director of safety and health for the New York State Department of Labour.
Be safe
Cox said the investigation is continuing into precisely what went wrong in Tierney's accident and who is to blame. Investigators said they are looking into whether it was caused by equipment failure or human error.
"We're also making sure that the actors and the stagehands know that if everything is not right, they can say, `We're not going to go,"' Cox said.
Outside the theatre on Wednesday, lead actors Reeve Carney and Patrick Page, who respectively portray Spider-Man and his nemesis Green Goblin, signed programmes and assured fans that the show would go on. Fans and passers-by shouted out "Be safe!"
The state Labour Department said it is satisfied the producers of the $65m musical have made the necessary adjustments.
Wednesday’s performance was cancelled so that the cast and crew could rehearse the new precautions, which include a requirement that a second person ensure that the harnesses used by performers during the show's high-flying stunts have been put on properly.
Appropriate controls
The much-anticipated production, teaming Lion King creator Julie Taymor with songwriters Bono and The Edge of U2, has had a rocky route to Broadway. Already the most expensive show in Broadway history, it has been plagued by technical glitches, money woes and three other injuries, including a concussion and two broken wrists.
The show has been in previews for a month, and its official Broadway opening has twice been postponed. It is now set for early February.
"At this point we are satisfied they have put in place the appropriate controls," said Maureen Cox, director of safety and health for the New York State Department of Labour.
Be safe
Cox said the investigation is continuing into precisely what went wrong in Tierney's accident and who is to blame. Investigators said they are looking into whether it was caused by equipment failure or human error.
"We're also making sure that the actors and the stagehands know that if everything is not right, they can say, `We're not going to go,"' Cox said.
Outside the theatre on Wednesday, lead actors Reeve Carney and Patrick Page, who respectively portray Spider-Man and his nemesis Green Goblin, signed programmes and assured fans that the show would go on. Fans and passers-by shouted out "Be safe!"
