darwinswench's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
mschlat's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this up 1) because I love behind-the-scenes books, 2) because I'm a big superhero fan, and 3) because I was fascinated by the disaster the Spider-man musical threatened to be and became.
It's important to note that this is not a work of journalism --- this is a recollection of the history of the show by Glen Berger (the writer of the musical's book). And it's very clear early on that Berger worships Julie Taymor, the director and creative impetus behind the musical. That worship is tempered as time passes, but a central focus of the book is Taymor's and Berger's relationship. Sadly, I found this the least interesting part of the work --- most of the writing here circles around the stress, the emotional management, and ultimately the question of betrayal. I know it's compelling to Berger, but I found it repetitive with more fidelity on Berger's part than seemed warranted.
There's also a tendency in early pages to foreshadow shoes yet to drop (e.g., this decision about the set will lead to monumental problems later on). However, it's hard to see the seperate shoes dropping later on when you are surrounded by falling pianos.
Two things really worked for me in the book. First, Berger clearly and convincingly details the origins of the show's woes, specifically the early committment to huge set pieces that dictated far too much and left little room for flexibility. Second, Berger agonizingly describes the struggle to tech the show (with, at one point, the rehearsals teching about thirty seconds of show per night). Perhaps because Berger is less involved in this portion, the writing is tighter and more compelling.
If you are a theatre fan (and especially if you have done tech in a show), I'd recommend picking this up for a diversion. It's a quick read with some fascinating insight into one of the most controversial shows in recent history.
It's important to note that this is not a work of journalism --- this is a recollection of the history of the show by Glen Berger (the writer of the musical's book). And it's very clear early on that Berger worships Julie Taymor, the director and creative impetus behind the musical. That worship is tempered as time passes, but a central focus of the book is Taymor's and Berger's relationship. Sadly, I found this the least interesting part of the work --- most of the writing here circles around the stress, the emotional management, and ultimately the question of betrayal. I know it's compelling to Berger, but I found it repetitive with more fidelity on Berger's part than seemed warranted.
There's also a tendency in early pages to foreshadow shoes yet to drop (e.g., this decision about the set will lead to monumental problems later on). However, it's hard to see the seperate shoes dropping later on when you are surrounded by falling pianos.
Two things really worked for me in the book. First, Berger clearly and convincingly details the origins of the show's woes, specifically the early committment to huge set pieces that dictated far too much and left little room for flexibility. Second, Berger agonizingly describes the struggle to tech the show (with, at one point, the rehearsals teching about thirty seconds of show per night). Perhaps because Berger is less involved in this portion, the writing is tighter and more compelling.
If you are a theatre fan (and especially if you have done tech in a show), I'd recommend picking this up for a diversion. It's a quick read with some fascinating insight into one of the most controversial shows in recent history.
skelleybean's review against another edition
5.0
Obviously, this book is only one side of a very long, detailed, and painful story, but I really enjoyed reading Glen Berger's thoughts on this production. Hos writing is enjoyable, sharp, and funny to read, and his account of the story made me want to learn more and more about the production. A great book for a theatre nerd who wants to know more about this crazy ordeal.
murph_the_serf's review against another edition
5.0
What was already an epic tale filled with more ups and downs than a skyscraper elevator is only made more interesting by the author's storytelling ability. Since Berger is a writer by trade he was able to get you sucked into this incredible story of a Broadway behemoth. I don't know much about how Broadway productions normally operate but this was fascinating and seemed to effortlessly get across a LOT of information in a fun way.
erinkayata's review against another edition
4.0
I loooved the Spiderman soundtrack in my early college days, so this was a glimpse into a show I’m frankly sad I missed. But beyond that, it went behind the scenes of a cultural phenomenon often reduced to a punchline and offered a well written (if at times convoluted) look at where it went wrong. The descriptions of the accidents and the tension with Taymor really had me gasping. Good read for anyone interested in the behind the scenes of the theater!
scoobertoo's review against another edition
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
3.75
There were a lot of points I screamed at this book cause I was completely baffled by the actions of the people in charge and for most of the book I basically disliked everyone involved. I still reserve the right to not believe anything the russian hairdresser, Glen Berger, said in the book but he won me over a little bit at the end.
But anyway, rollercoaster of a book, though sometimes it felt like Berger was including too many details, and other times not enough.
Spoiler
You still don't get points for writing in your book, after the fact, about how weird it was that the heads of the musical tried to get the lead actors to sleep with each other so they'd have more chemistry on stage (as if that would have even accomplished anything but the opposite???).But anyway, rollercoaster of a book, though sometimes it felt like Berger was including too many details, and other times not enough.
le_d_green30's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
4.0
jobinsonlis's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fascinating look at an infamous spectacle. I would have loved to see the original version of this Spider-Man musical—as misguided as the story sounds to a comic book fan like me, I do admire the ambition behind it. But also maybe don’t make a musical based on the crowd-pleasingist (not a word) superhero Marvel has if you don’t really like kitschy pop culture.