Why can't the Spiderman Musical master 40-year-old technology?

Is it me, or does the Spiderman musical, currently in previews on Broadway, seem like it's being put on by a bunch of 12-year olds in their backyard with no parental supervision? Spiderman is "swinging" about attached to huge, bulky ropes and wires that are completely visible. Just this week another performer was injured, quite seriously this time, when the "safety" rope attached to his back snapped as he leapt off a bridge set into a pit below.



Wasn't flying around the theater technology pretty much mastered over 40 years ago during the Broadway production of Peter Pan?



How is it that not one, but four actors (including children) were able to be flown safely, and relatively invisibly, about the stage in 1960, but come 2010 Julie Taymor and $65 million dollars can't produce a stage visual that doesn't seem like a kid with some clothesline, a pair of Spidey underoos and a really bad idea?

Seth Green meets his future, grown-up self.

Santa Streaking

I know, I don't update this blog enough. Yadda, yadda and yadda. Sorry.

So I ran a mile in the cold yesterday in tight red boy shorts and Santa beard. For charity. See?


It was the first annual NYC Santa Streak, sponsored by the site Why Leave Astoria?!. Modeled on the one in Boston, basically a bunch of people got together, donated either canned food or a gently used coat, stripped down and raced along side the East River on a cold and incredibly windy day.

More pictures here.

Metrocard of the BEAST!

This is really only a post that New Yorkers will find amusing.


Actually, maybe only I find this amusing.

World's Largest Jesus

Last week, Poland completed and unveiled the largest statue of Jesus Christ in the world. Manned by a specially trained super force of space explorers, it will defend us from the menacing hordes of the evil King Zarkon.

Go Voltron Jesus!

The Return of Conan... to "Conan."

Not having basic cable, I scrambled around the internet looking for a live stream, eventually finding one, I'm somewhat ashamed to say, thanks to Twitter.

I missed the excellent cold open (which I watched this morning), but enjoyed Conan's return to the airwaves immensely. Was it a brilliant show? Only at times, but it was certainly was a strong show throughout. The set is a little underwhelming, especially when compared to George Lopez's raucous, sprawling concert-style setup which followed, but I laughed out loud when the giant remote-control moon began moving across the panoramic background view of the Pacific ocean. Andy actually had the best two lines of the night, with his "Mayans are freaking out" line at the prop moon, and especially his comment regarding the Conan Halloween mask ("It smells like tears inside!") All in all, a really good show and enough to make me tune/stream in for more.

In reading a bit of feedback and reporting on the first show, however, I find it odd that, because he referred to the NBC debacle in several of his bits, people are accusing Conan of wallowing in self-pity, and that he should "get over it."

It was his first show. For him not to reference the transition from NBC to TBS would have been disingenuous, as well as ignoring a particularly large elephant in the room. I suspect the NBC references will drop off considerably after the first week, other than it's use as the usual late-night comedy fodder for being a 4th place network.

It is hard to imagine someone dealing with the NBC Tonight Show situation with more class, wit and grace than Conan did. He was never whiney, he was never self-pitying, and he always kept things in perspective; in fact, he actively requested people not to feel bad for him, reminding fans that he was a multi-millionaire former host of the Tonight Show, the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Those suggesting otherwise either have a short memory, or never really heard or read any of the relatively few choice words Conan had to say on the whole subject. They are, instead, attributing the media and fan furor over Leno's nonsense to O'Brien himself, when, in reality, he pretty much stayed above the fray, playing music and growing his beard.

Jury's still out on the beard, however.

G.I. Joe the Movie, or, How I've Failed to Protect my Childhood