'Spider-Man' makes safe return to Broadway

NEW YORK — Spider-Man returned to the stage without any apparent hitches Thursday, a day after two performances were canceled due to a scary fall that left a stuntman seriously injured.

New safety precautions didn't seem to prevent the cast of Broadway's costliest show from hitting the heights in nearly 40 aerial maneuvers.

Before the $65 million show could resume Thursday, producers had to give final confirmation to the state Department of Labor that they had enacted safety measures aimed at avoiding any further mishaps.

Among them: a requirement that a second person ensure the harnesses used by performers during the show's high-flying stunts have been put on properly at the Foxwoods Theatre at Manhattan's Times Square.

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"It's a safer show now," said Reeve Carney, who plays lead character Peter Parker, Spider-Man's alter ego, after the show. "It was always safe, but now it's safer."

Clearly relieved that the show went well, he said it was "beautiful to see everyone come together tonight."

Also delighted was Julie Taymor, the show's director and co-writer, who credited the show's injured actor, Christopher Tierney, with inspiring the cast to rise above the recent troubles.

"Chris gave us the spirit tonight," she told The Associated Press after the show.

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Tierney, a stunt double for Spider-Man, had plunged from a ledge about 30 feet into a stage pit, despite a safety harness that should have prevented the spill. He underwent back surgery and was "walking today," Taymor said happily.

One stunt scrapped
As the show opened, producers Michael Cohl and Jerry Harris went onstage to greet the audience. They thanked the crowd for coming and promised they'd see all the aerial stunts, eliciting applause.

Taymor said only one of nearly 40 stunts was scrapped at the last minute.

The packed house cheered when Peter Parker was transformed into Spider-Man, the Marvel Comics superhero created by writer Stan Lee.

People also clapped enthusiastically at the scenes in which Spidey flew out over the audience and fought his nemesis the Green Goblin in the skies above Manhattan.

"It was better than great," said 7-year-old old Max Oechsner, of Delmar, N.Y., near Albany.

His father, Troy Oechsner, was a little more mixed, echoing complaints that some had about a confusing plot.

"They could have made the story more clear and compelling," he said.

It was clear from the line at the box office Thursday afternoon that business was booming for the return of "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark."

"We're sold out until Jan. 2," a ticket seller told a steady stream of buyers.

Some folks had tickets already but wanted to check that the evening's show would go on as planned, since both Wednesday's matinee and evening performance had been canceled.

Ticketholder Victoria Shaw-Locknar, who was attending Thursday's show with her daughters Ruby, 11, and Ava, 9, said she was nervous because she didn't want to see anyone get hurt.

But she figured that producers must have worked out the kinks. Besides, she added, attending the show would be experiencing a piece of history: "We'll be seeing either the biggest future hit or the biggest flop!"

The much-anticipated production, teaming "Lion King" creator Taymor with U2 songwriters Bono and The Edge, has had a bumpy ride to Broadway.

Already the most expensive show in Broadway history, it has been plagued by technical glitches, money woes and three other injuries, including a concussion and two broken wrists.

The show has been in previews for a month, and its official Broadway opening has twice been postponed. It is now set for early February.

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'The human element'
James J. Claffey, Jr., president of Local One IATSE, the stage employees union, said Thursday in a statement that his group "is confident in the additional safety protocols."

"'Spider-Man' is the most challenging musical production in the history of Broadway," he said.

"For all the advanced technical equipment used in today's Broadway shows, the shows are still performed and run by human beings," he added. "The human element cannot be taken out of live theater, and the Broadway theater is a strictly choreographed system of actors, stage managers, technicians and machines."

Maureen Cox, director of safety and health for the Department of Labor, said the investigation into Tierney's accident was continuing.

Investigators said they are looking into whether it was caused by equipment failure or human error.

"We're also making sure that the actors and the stagehands know that if everything is not right, they can say, 'We're not going to go,'" Cox said.

Tierney's brother Patrick, who came down from New Hampshire to see Tierney through back surgery, said his brother would be released from a hospital Friday or Saturday and would complete his recovery at home in New Hampshire.

He said his brother is in "as good spirits as he can be," is expected to make a full recovery and will surely return to the stage.

"He's a dancer. He landed on his feet. If he didn't land on his feet, he wouldn't be with us," said Patrick Tierney, of Plaistow, N.H. "He has a strong body and an amazing attitude."

Associated Press writer Holly Ramer in Concord, N.H., contributed to this report.