Broadway Audiences Berated for Bad Acting

Mike Myers in talks to write Broadway show

(NEWSER) - Austin Powers on Broadway? Yeah, baby! A source tells the New York Post that Mike Myers is in talks to turn the spy-spoof franchise into a "musical stage show." Though Myers will be "heavily involved" in writing it, he won't star in it, the source says—"even though he has quite a good singing voice." If that bums you out, perhaps this will help: Myers has also reached a deal for a fourth Austin Powers movie, which sources say he will star in as well as write and produce (expect a 2013 or 2014 release). The third and, so far, last Powers flick came out in 2002. More»

Increasingly, patrons want to provide live updates

(NEWSER) - The bad news is, apparently some of us absolutely cannot sit through a play or opera or ballet performance without tweeting. The good news is, in some theaters, those tweeters will have their own section. As more theatergoers live-tweet performances, so-called "tweet seats" are becoming "a national trend," the director of a Shakespeare festival tells USA Today . To wit, art-minded tweeters will find a place at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Raleigh's Carolina Ballet, and Ohio's Dayton Opera. In at least one theater, the seats are in the back row so that other audience members are not disturbed. More»

Julie Taymor says she's not being fairly compensated

(NEWSER) - More drama behind the curtains for Broadway’s Spider-Man: Former director Julie Taymor is suing the show’s producers over what she says is a lack of compensation for her creative work. “The producers' actions have left her no choice but to resort to legal recourse to protect her rights,” her attorney says. Taymor was fired following much-publicized trouble onstage and off, but she's the only director eligible for a Tony for the show. More»

$9 million on sets, costumes alone

(NEWSER) - Amid injuries, delays, and firings, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has managed to eat through $75 million, New York state financial statements reveal. To put that in perspective: The play The Book of Mormon cost $9 million, reports the New York Times . Here’s where some of the money—and time—has gone:

• $4 million to rent the theater for two years before opening (most shows need it just months in advance)
• $9 million on sets, costumes, and, er, shoes

Official Broadway opening comes after 183 previews, web of problems

(NEWSER) - After multiple delays, a record-breaking 183 preview performances, and so many mishaps that "troubled" seemed like part of its name, the Spider-Man musical officially opened on Broadway Tuesday night. True to form, the curtain rose for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark almost an hour later than scheduled, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»