U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration slaps musical with three citations.
By Shawn Adler
"Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark"
Photo: Don Emmert/ AFP
He's been hunted by the Green Goblin, The Lizard, and Venom, but the webbed avenger just got challenged by what might be his most powerful foe yet: The U.S. government.
Already plagued by problems ranging from delays, to rewrites to actor injuries, the Julie Taymor directed musical "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" and its production company, 8 Legged Productions LLC, have been issued three citations for violations of workplace safety standards by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), according to a report in The New York Times.
The beleaguered musical, which has reportedly cost upwards of $65 million to finance, faces a proposed fine of $12,600.
The citations were issued in response to injuries to four separate actors, sustained during performances beginning in September 2010. Most notable among these injuries was a November 28 incident in which cast member Natalie Mendozaand suffered a concussion and a December 20 incident in which Christopher Tierney, the actor portraying Spider-Man himself, fell into the orchestra pit and suffered a fractured skull and our broken ribs among other injuries.
"'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'" remains in compliance with all government agencies and continues to adhere to all safety protocols," Rick Miramontez, a spokesman for the production said in a statement.
The citations, which come on the heels of two violations issued by The New York State Department of Labor, are the latest in a long line of troubles for the musical, the sum total of which prompted Taymor to recently describe the production as a "trial by fire."
"I am in the crucible right now. It is my trial by fire. It's my company's trial by fire. We have survived because our theme song is 'Rise Above,'" Taymor said during the TED2011 conference in Long Beach, California. "Anyone who creates knows when it's not quite there. Where it hasn't quite become the phoenix or the burnt char. And I am right there."
The production company has 15 business days to contest the violations.
Barring any more problems, "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," with music by Bono and The Edge, is set to premier March 15.
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