Even if you’ve never picked up a comic in your life, it’s likely that you’ve heard of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. Most Expensive Broadway Show Ever! All those injuries! And when will it get out of previews and actually open? After much brouhaha, lots of money, and big changes in the creative team (namely, the dismissing of Julie Taymor and the hiring of Marvel writer, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, to remedy a flawed book), Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has finally officially opened on Broadway!

And?

It was difficult to see the show completely untainted precisely because of all the bad press it’s received, but when the lights went down and the overture began, I banished my preconceived notions. This was a new show, and I was determined to see it on its own terms. Overall, I was rewarded for my open mind. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is a flawed show, but it also isn’t the train wreck you might expect. In fact, much of the show was incredibly enjoyable!

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark explores Spidey’s (Reeve Carney) origin story (NYC teen, Peter Parker, gets bitten by a genetically altered spider while on a school field trip to a science lab), his relationship with his high school sweetheart, Mary Jane Watson (Jennifer Damiano), and his decision, after a family tragedy, to become our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. If you’ve seen the film starring Tobey Maguire, you’ve already seen a lot of what’s on stage at the Foxwoods Theatre, as many of the story elements seem lifted directly from that script.

What makes this theater experience special is the way that what’s on the printed comics page can be brought to life on stage. There’s an enjoyable musical number in Act 1, called “Bouncing Off the Walls” during which Peter is first exploring his powers, and the set pieces (designed by George Tsypin) and the fight choreography coupled with the aerial work effectively recreate what you’d find in comic panels. In Act II, when we’re introduced to the supervillains Spider-Man will have to face, Taymor’s mask designs are just what the doctor ordered, creating an appropriately stylized interpretation of these well-known characters as well as introducing new characters to the mix. In general, the aerial work is what makes the show, and I made sure to give a standing ovation to the team of Spider-Men required to make it happen. They worked hard and made it look effortless. The aerial work here has revolutionized what is possible in a Broadway house.

Performance-wise, a clear stand-out was Patrick Page as scientist Norman Osborn who turns into Spider-Man’s arch nemesis, The Green Goblin. Osborn is a sensitive soul who genuinely wants to make the world a better place, and when the death of his wife prompts him to transform himself into the Goblin, he is all scene-stealing hilarity, giving us an unusually campy interpretation of a diabolical character. The other stand-out in the cast was Michael Mulheren as J. Jonah Jameson, the editor of The Daily Bugle who has it out for Spider-Man while also needing him to make headlines. In fact, one of the best things about his portrayal of JJJ, in addition to the impeccable comic timing he brought to the role, was a clarity about the character’s motivations. His conscious casting of Spider-Man as a villain because “helping people doesn’t sell papers,” as well as spotlighting why Peter and Mary Jane are so in love are two things that the book gets right that isn’t often clear in the comics.

However, as I said, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is a flawed show. Act I is uncomfortable to sit through, it’s so boring, whereas Act II actively captures the spirit of the comic and is entertaining, funny, and ultimately uplifting. It’s like watching two different shows. The character of Arachne, a holdover from Julie Taymor and Glen Berger’s original book, while performed by the wonderful TV Carpio, makes no dramatic sense here, and clutters what could have been an emotionally-charged narrative. You can tell that the original writing team didn’t respect the Spider-Man story enough to trust that it already had everything it needed, and chose to pile on what they thought was dramatic weight but ended up being useless filler. There’s also the matter of the ridiculous addition of a character called Swiss Miss to The Sinister Six. Taymor’s other additions to the Green Goblin’s motley crew of scientists turned genetically enhanced villains, like Swarm, a man made up of bees, make sense. But Swiss Miss was made after working with a genetically enhanced… swiss army knife?

For a show with Spider-Man right in the name, we get surprisingly little insight into Spider-Man/Peter Parker, and it is clear that the original writing team didn’t really understand him as a character. Which is a shame, as Reeve Carney is enormously talented and deserves more to do than this musical gives him. One performance I didn’t buy at all came from the miscast Jennifer Damiano as Mary Jane. Not only was her acting and singing lifeless, but despite being an acceptable age to play the role in real life, she looked and acted way too old. I couldn’t escape the feeling that the young Peter Parker was being hit on by an older, skeevy babysitter.

But the show’s biggest flaw was the music. I’m a U2 fan, but just because you can write songs doesn’t mean you can write a musical, and Bono and The Edge clearly can’t. There was no narrative cohesion between musical numbers, and the lyrics were vague. Other than the occasional character name-dropping in the lyrics, you could take these songs and write a completely different musical around them without anyone being the wiser. There were also no standout songs, nothing that you leave the theater humming. They all blended together into a mess of mediocre, adult-contemporary pop. And for the record, in reference to a scene where recent high school graduates are at a club dancing to U2’s Vertigo: sorry, but teenagers haven’t danced to U2 at a club since 1989.

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is all about spectacle and humor (at least in the second act). Don’t go to see it expecting life-changing theater, and you might end up having a good time.

Words by Teresa Jusino. Photos courtesy of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

On Saturday, spirits were high and traffic was stopped, with people crowding the sidewalks and plazas to get a look at the parade, peek into souvenir shops and take in the live entertainment. On a stage set up in Central Plaza, the lineup was mainly focused on physical feats, among them acrobats, a 12-year-old Mongolian contortionist, an exceptionally impressive balancing act and Shaolin warriors

Around the corner, a colorful market with crafters vending such enticing goods as dress shirt magnets [I bought two], hand-screened T-shirts, clothes made from recycled material, pottery and jewelry.

Across the street – FOOD. Just in case you were dissatisfied with the array of Chinatown’s regular restaurant destinations, here were over twenty stands offering delicacies from various parts of Asia. And it wouldn’t have been a Los Angeles event without food trucks – the Grilled Cheese Truck and The LobstaTruck were both parked nearby.

Though Chinatown’s New Year celebration wasn’t quite like this [click here], it was lots of light-hearted fun, and I’m eagerly looking forward to next year’s celebration!

Words and photos by Zoetica Ebb

After getting a tip from the photographer’s friend, we traveled beyond the Golden Gate Bridge and far outside downtown San Francisco to what was really the closest to a real village in the rolling hills of Marin County. Like us, Dave McDonald had a mission of his own: to re-invent the American flag. While that may sound like a rather far-fetched and futile crusade, wait until you hear the story itself. Among his favorite adages was a quote by Mark Twain: “Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.” McDonald believes that like himself, many people are ‘allergic’ to Red, White and Blue: Thus, the new flag, which he’s taken the time to put on a both bumper stickers and tee-shirts. Reportedly even Robin Williams came into the shop and got both a sticker and a shirt.

When a friend of McDonald’s had a dream of a quasi-apocalyptic future — one which carried a vivid image of a new American flag — Dave McDonald soon thereafter experienced a similar one, only with classic 50′s UFOs hovering around at the top (McDonald believes we’ve been visited several times). While I’m a skeptic, it’s nice to meet a more down-to-earth eccentric especially in such a cozy and peaceful place like Marin. Little doubt he’d have been the town eccentric ages ago (or burned at the stake). McDonald’s store is a collection of erotica, strange artifacts that is centuries-old, bizarre knick knacks, bric-a-brac and good ‘ol mary jane paraphernalia.

Wandering down to Broadway after a show at The Independent to get some pizza, we witnessed some of the debauchery of Frisco, a bit seedier than I’d remembered it from the days of yore. Coincidentally located near The Financial District, Broadway is famous for its debauchery and sketchy characters. Two motorcycle cops nearly collided when one got a little caught up in the hustler/stripper action lurking outside the bar. We grabbed a bite to eat at the local pizza joint, only to watch a bunch of scantily clad girls walk across the street from the strip club. Amongst the usual chatter, one of them mentioned the exact words ‘I didn’t do my homework for 4th period’, which just somehow made the night more complete.

After the hustlers and crackheads of Broadway, we ambled down into the hipper parts of the city. I came to appreciate the more run-down parts of the city I’d (naively) never pictured Frisco ever had so much of. The clubs where we saw the bands play, the areas surrounding, none of this was the stuff of Full House or any TGIF shows. And speaking of which:

If images of Bob Saget and that other guy with the mullet aren’t clashing in your cerebellum, consider yourself lucky. Currently this iconic pop culture landmark is selling for 4 million. How badly do you miss the magic of late 80s television staple TGIF? For an extra 10 dollars, Balki will move into the basement and keep you company. Stumbling back into the nightlife, where there were plenty of headbangers and beer-guzzlers to be found, along with a very unusual bar whose owners clearly have a penchant for taxidermy, plaid, and rifles, though not necessarily in that order.

With an early flight the next morning and a ride to catch home, I bid San Francisco adieu, with a vow to return, visit more bars, clubs, weird bands, crack heads, and discount tickets to some of the better strip joints on Broadway. And with an electric chair like this, who needs Alcatraz?

Words by Jeff Nau, Photos by Glenn David Williams

Ace Hotel is definitely the place to stay if you ever find yourself in Portland, Seattle, Palm Springs or New York City. Their offbeat, nouveau-bohemian interior design has been attracting artists, designers, geeks with style & international jet setters — you know, people just like you — since 1999.

 The New York City location has morphed into something beyond just a place to rest your head.

On any given day, you’ll find the lobby teeming with the meticulously disheveled, sunken into plush armchairs with cups of Stumptown coffee or staring seriously into glowing MacBooks. In addition to Stumptown Coffee Roasters, there’s a restaurant by the owners of The Spotted Pig called The Breslin which serves incredible British-inspired cuisine. And soon there will be an Opening Ceremony boutique to satisfy all your shopping urges. Talk about a one-stop shop!

 With a sprawling, 8-level boutique in Tokyo’s Shibuya district as well as a rabbit warren-esque location in Los Angeles, Opening Ceremony has made a name for itself as a painstakingly-curated store for the style obsessed.

They collaborate with designers to create individual shops within the store, which gives each label the ability to differentiate & brand themselves however they wish. In addition to hosting designers such as Alexander Wang & The Row, Opening Ceremony has also conjured up collaborations with Pendleton, indie style icon Chloë Sevigny & industry darling Rodarte. While Opening Ceremony already has a location in New York City, this one will be very different.  Owners Humberto Leon & Carol Lim said that they tried to think of what they would want on hand if they lived in a hotel, & plan to stock the boutique accordingly.

What does this mean for the discerning traveler? It means that in addition to a selection of the very best & most stylish clothing (Hussein Chalayan & Christopher Kane, anyone?), you’ll also be able to buy condoms by Proper Attire, fantastic toothpaste, toiletries by Proenza Schouler and a range of snacks, including imported potato chips & “the best gummies from France.” The Leons said they plan on installing a McSweeney’s bookshop, too — which means you no longer need to resort to the Gideon Bible for bathtub reading. Very thoughtful!

 Opening Ceremony is set to open in Ace Hotel’s New York City location in February 2010. We can’t wait.

Words by Gala Darling