Our readers try to rescue 'Spider-Man'

It seemed like a typical season back in November, then along came a spider.

With a $65-million budget, "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" became the most expensive -- and, quite possibly, the most hyped -- show ever to hit the Great White Way. To say that Spidey's long-delayed flight to opening night has experienced turbulence is like calling the Green Goblin a little cranky. In the past few days alone, the show was postponed for a sixth time with plans to finally open in "early summer." At the same time, it was announced that director Julie Taymor was being replaced by Philip William McKinley ("The Boy From Oz").

Script doctor Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who has written for Marvel Comics, was called in last month to perform surgery on the book. At the same time, we asked our readers who had seen to show to write in with their suggestions on how to untangle the web of intricate problems that is "Spider-Man." Some criticized the convoluted story line, even more attacked the show's forgettable score. While a few thought "Spider-Man" was entertaining as is, others thought it was unsalvageable. "The best thing this show needs is to be shut down," wrote Julian Russo of East Islip.

While most who wrote in agreed the show has numerous problems, more than enough readers offered constructive fixes to get "Spider-Man" up and open. Here's what they came up with.

Make a long story short

A show about a spidery hero shouldn't make the audience antsy, but what can you expect with a running time of more than three hours?

"The show needs to be shortened and tightened up. It's like watching a rehearsal. They are too far in to give this impression," wrote Melanie Seinfeld of East Meadow.

The first thing she'd cut is some of the high-wire activity. "The flying sequences are fun to watch . . . the first couple of times, and then they became tiresome and just a time filler."

Debbie Rabinovici of Oceanside, who thought the story "reads and looks very much like a comic book, which is good or bad depending on one's taste," suggested editing the long wrestling match in Act 1.

"Shortening the beginning 'high school part' would help," said Sheila and Jeff Jasper of Baldwin Harbor. "The second act slows down quite a bit, a letdown after the effects in the first act."

Fine-tune the music 

"Spider-Man" may have songs by Bono and The Edge, but don't expect music reminiscent of their "Rattle and Hum" days. For most readers, the songs were rattling and humdrum.

"The music by Bono and Edge is weak," writes Steven Rice of New York City. "The actors are all talented and have good singing voices. Unfortunately, this is not the kind of music where you would immediately run out to buy the cast album."

Barbara Friedman of Roslyn, who has seen the show twice, found the slower songs too drawn out, but recommended leaving in two -- "Walk Away" and "Rise Above." "I found myself humming them after leaving the theater," she says, "something quite unusual for most musicals today."

Michael Steuer of Smithtown hoped that Bono would cancel his tour with U2 and "get back to where he was needed, but I guess that did not occur. I guess he can't be fired."

Go Green

When the Green Goblin is bad, "Spider-Man" gets good, according to readers.

Jonathan Librach of Plainview, a 17-year-old comic book fan, thinks making "Gobby" more evil would make the show devilishly fun. "Green Goblin is very cold and manipulative in the comics and having him betray Arachne would be a very pleasing thing to see in the show because comic book fans would like the fact that they kept the characters accurate to the comic book versions, and casual Broadway showgoers would consider him as one of their favorite Broadway villains."

Pam Uruburu-Bank of Massapequa wants producers to give "Gobby" more face time. "Patrick Page as the Green Goblin is phenomenal, and indeed, the best part of the show," she writes. "In fact, as he is carrying the show, one wishes his demise wouldn't come quite so soon. I say make the Green Goblin the sole villain and get rid of all the others."

Beware of 'Geeks'

One of the show's many quirks is the "Geek" chorus, a quartet of nerdy comic book fans who debate the meaning and story of Spider-Man. While the foursome is meant to provide comic relief, some readers thought they were annoying more than amusing.

Steuer thought the Geeks slowed down the progress of the story. "If they are to stay, they ought to be given some musical interlude to lighten the mood, at least."

Create a suitable ending 

Many readers believe the ending was anticlimactic and lacked drama.

"The moment before intermission felt more like an ending than the final line of the play -- Mary Jane's lame, 'Go get 'em, tiger!' " wrote Uruburu-Bank. "My sister and I just looked at one another and simultaneously said, 'Huh?' "

Cindy Doire of Bayside was confused about what happened to the Spider-Man suit at the end. "Someone put it on," she wrote. "Who? It wasn't Peter, because he didn't wear it again. At the very end, when MJ tells Peter, 'Go get 'em, tiger!' . . . he didn't wear the suit. How could he fight without the suit?" She recommends a new scene in Act 2 where Peter sneaks into Mr. Jameson's office unseen and grabs the suit.

Andrew Toscano of Mineola also suggests a way to dress up the ending with an appearance by having Spider-Man decked out in black. "The black suit plays such an integral part in the Spider-Man mythos. Also the addition of a new song would make the ending more exciting."

Leave Spidey alone

Not everything thought the show needed help.

In fact, Charlie Lando of Wantagh thinks "Spider-Man" is high-flying entertainment as it is. "My wife and I attended the matinee performance on Feb. 9 and were overwhelmingly surprised at how much we enjoyed the show. We think that it is just fine as it was presented that day! . . . We saw no problem with dark-clad helpers managing the lines so that the flying stunts could be performed, etc., etc. Don't fix something that isn't broken! (Anymore!)"