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A review by mschlat
Song of Spider-Man: The Inside Story of the Most Controversial Musical in Broadway History by Glen Berger
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.