More on Our Friendly, Neighborhood Spiderman

A reader sent me a link to this article from the NY Times in 2002, when the original Spiderman movie came out:

So, Spider-Man! Brilliant Disguise!; The Real Mild-Mannered Parkers Are in a Superhero's Fictional Lair

In the comics, Peter Parker, the mild-mannered photojournalist who is Spider-Man's alter ego, grew up at 20 Ingram Street, a modest, two-story boarding house run by his Aunt May in the heart of Forest Hills Gardens. The address actually exists and is home to a family named Parker: Andrew and Suzanne Parker, who moved there in 1974, and their two daughters.

Their Fault, or Ours?

Here's a link to a great article about how the new Spiderman movie's promotional campaign completely ignores Queens, and especially Forest Hills, where Spiderman (Peter Parker) lived in the comic books. I, for one, didn't even realize that the house where he grew up in is a real address, as pointed out by the article: 20 Ingram St., right off of Ascan in the Gardens.

Now, I ask you, is it the producers' of the film's fault for ignoring us, or is it our fault for allowing them to? I also ask you, do you care one way or the other? Do you want any publicity for your 'hood from this movie?

By the way, the original Spiderman movie, with Tobey Maguire, did not ignore us at all - but shot a pivotal scene right here on Austin St. and Ascan. They were pretty loyal to the story given that his original home was just down the road!

Check out this clip at 2:38. See anything familiar?

Local Resident Profile: Peter Parker

New York Spider-Man fans cherish his city roots

Unlike most of the Marvel heroes who operate in New York, Spidey was born and raised in Forest Hills, and his adventures often kept him in the city. "He has the perspective of someone from the city but also that fresh look of a tourist where he appreciates the city," Hermus said.

Forest Hills High, Meet Broadway

.... via the soon-to-open, $0 Spiderman musical!

Yes, you read that right:

ArtsBeat: A Second Spider-Man Musical Swings Into Town
By DAVE ITZKOFF
Published: February 22, 2011
Frustrated by the delays that have engulfed “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” an improv comedian and composer has decided to open his own show about that comic-book wall-crawler one day earlier.

Mr. Moran said his “Spidey Project,” which has a book written by him and Jon Roufaeal and a score composed by Adam Podd and Doug Katsaros, will “100 percent” follow the origin story laid out for Spider-Man in Marvel Comics: “It’s Peter Parker, in high school at Forest Hills when he gets bitten by the spider and all that good stuff.”

Poor Spidey

I got immense pleasure from this morning's scouring review of the Spiderman show on Broadway in The Times. I've always hated the very idea of this show, not because it tried to turn theater into a circus of sorts, but because it arrogantly uses $65 million on trying to do so. $65 million!!! And they charge what? $200 or more for seats? In these times? Such excess is disgusting for what is supposed to be a form of entertainment accessible to everyone.

Movies have for a long time had such huge budgets. It's kind of expected. And the budgets sometimes make the movies really really good. But when did all this money being thrown at a Broadway show ever really make it "good" and not just some spectacle. Theater is supposed to enrich us as human beings and that is what is being forgotten in this Spiderman mess.

THEATER
Good vs. Evil, Hanging by a Thread
By BEN BRANTLEY
Published: February 7, 2011
This show is not only the most expensive musical ever to hit Broadway, but it may also rank among the worst.

An Exercise in Hubris

Will somebody please put this train wreck out of its misery and bring back Shakespeare for crying out loud?

ARTS
ArtsBeat: Performer Is Injured During ‘Spider-Man’ Performance
By DAVE ITZKOFF and HAMILTON BOARDMAN
Published: December 20, 2010
Theatergoers said they saw either the actor fall a distance of about eight to ten feet into a pit during the closing minutes of the show.

I just hope this performer is alright since there were limited details when I wrote this.
I think we're all pretty much learning from this ongoing theatrical disaster that the theater is not a movie, it is a play - with real live people, not digital effects that you can easily make do what you want by manipulating ones and zeros. And this, apparently, is what you get when you forget that.

By the way, with so many people being injured in this new production, it makes you wonder - isn't there supposed to be some kind of safety check by the city or fire department or someone to ensure the well-being of the performers before they go risking their lives? Or does that kind of fall by the wayside when you are spending many millions?