Twin Cities Actor Injured During Spider-Man Musical
NEW YORK (AP) — The Broadway musical "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" will be performed as scheduled Friday night, a day after an actor playing the comic book hero was badly injured during the show.
"Tonight's performance will go on as scheduled. The technical elements of the show are all in good working order, and we can confirm that equipment malfunction was not a factor in the incident," said Rick Miramontez, a show spokesman.
The injured actor, Daniel Curry, suffered an injury during the Thursday night performance, which was immediately halted. The actor was at Bellevue Hospital on Friday in stable condition with a serious leg injury. Actors' Equity Association said it is "deeply concerned" about the incident and has initiated an investigation.
Curry is a graduate of the LaGuardia School of Performing Arts — the so-called "Fame" school — and appeared in an episode of "Smash" and toured with the "Man In The Mirror" Michael Jackson Tribute tour.
He is making his Broadway debut as one of nine actors who play the costumed Spider-Man during each performance, leaping into the audience and swinging over the orchestra. He also understudied various other roles.
Fire officials said they responded to the Foxwoods Theatre on West 42nd Street shortly after 9 p.m. to treat a man whose leg got caught in equipment backstage.
Actors' Equity Association, a labor union that represents actors and stage managers, issued a statement saying it is "deeply concerned about the Equity member who was injured in the Thursday evening performance" and "has initiated an investigation into the situation, working closely with its members and the representatives of the production."
Curry, who is in his 20s, was raised near Minneapolis. His mother soon moved the family to the borough of Queens to make his hope to attend LaGuardia High School.
"I had these big dreams," he said. "I've always wanted to dance, to be on Broadway, and I'm just thankful for my mom for making that happen."
"Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" is Broadway's most expensive show with a price tag of $75 million. It has become one of its biggest hits after a rocky start, with six delays in its opening night, injuries to fellow actors, a shake-up that led to the firing of Julie Taymor, the show's original director, and critical drubbing.
One actor, Christopher Tierney, suffered a fractured skull, a fractured shoulder blade, four broken ribs and three broken vertebrae during a fall on Dec. 20, 2010; he made a triumphant return to the show. A lead actress, Natalie Mendoza, suffered a concussion during the first preview performance and left the show. A stuntman, Richard Kobak, sued the producers, saying he suffered a concussion, whiplash and two holes in his knees.
The latest accident comes between two casting calls for a new Spider-Man. Actor Reeve Carney, who has been playing the musical's title character and his alter ego Peter Parker since the show began previews in late 2010, will leave Sept. 15, and casting calls were held in Los Angeles last week and are scheduled for New York on Monday.
Last night, Carney tweeted: "Please send your thoughts and prayers toward our @SpideyOnBway family tonight. We rise as one." Miramontez,, the show's spokesman, said: "Our thoughts are with Daniel and his family."
The injury comes less than two months after a 31-year-old performer in the Cirque du Soleil show "Ka" died on June 30 in a 90-foot fall during the show's climactic battle scene in Las Vegas. She was the first Cirque du Soleil performer to die in an onstage accident in the company's 29-year history.
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