Whoops! 'Spider-Man' air tricks grounded

All spider-flights over the audience were canceled at "Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark" Thursday night, when the rig that controls Spider-Man's flying failed to work before curtain time. The show continued, minus the high-flying tricks that have both plagued and paid off for the $75-million mega-musical. The Green Goblin did fly, but solo.

The sold-out audience was informed of the malfunction before the show began and offered free tickets for another performance within the next 14 days.

According to Rick Miramontez, company spokesman, this is the first technical problem since the catastrophe-hexed spectacle finally opened June 14 after six delays, more than 180 previews and withering early unofficial reviews. He estimates that there were fewer than 10 requests for refunds and about 100 tickets given away.

Karin Gehm Barrett of Bay Shore, who was seeing the musical for the seventh time Thursday, tweeted that Spider-Man "didn't even come down from the ceiling to close the show. He carried Jen [Jennifer Damiano, who plays girlfriend Mary Jane] out and then walked out."

Reached by Newsday Friday, she downplayed the missing stunts. "If you had never seen the show, I don't believe you would have felt you were missing anything," she said. "I personally don't feel it impacted the story line. Hey, things happen in live theater." She already has her replacement tickets.

Although the final version of the show received mixed reviews, general reaction was more benign and appeared to calm box-office anxiety. The show grossed $1.7 million last week, finally exceeding the $1.2 million weekly operating costs.

The breakdown happened just before the big holiday weekend, but late Friday afternoon, Miramontez said the flying was scheduled to go on at Friday night's performance.