Show was dark on Wednesday in the wake of actor's injury.
By Gil Kaufman
"Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" poster
Photo: Marvel
In the wake of serious injuries during a preview performance, producers of the troubled "Spider-Man" Broadway musical met with officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the New York State Department of Labor on Wednesday to put new safety measures in place for the ambitious $65 million production.
Reuters reported that following the meetings, new safety procedures were put into place in an attempt to avoid the kind of accident that injured 31-year-old aerialist Christopher Tierney. The performer fell 20 feet after a safety cable malfunctioned during a show on Monday and was hospitalized in serious condition.
Among the new rules enacted are a requirement to have a second stagehand and stage manager to back up all of the show's 38 stunts involving harnesses and ropes.
"All of these accidents are a result of safety and health systems failures," said Maureen Cox, director of safety and health for the New York State Department of Labor.
The performers union Actors Equity Association said the fall that injured Tierney was caused by human error, though it did not specify what that error was. The show's director, Julie Taymor, released a statement Tuesday reiterating the importance of safety on the stage of the show, which has been plagued by a series of missed opening dates and injuries to four performers.
"I am so thankful that Chris is going to be all right and is in great spirits," Taymor said. "Nothing is more important than the safety of our Spider-Man family and we'll continue to do everything in our power to protect the cast and crew."
Cox said the investigation into what caused Tierney to fall and whether there were any safety codes broken is ongoing. "At this point, we are satisfied that they have put in the appropriate controls," Cox said of the new safety measures. "If they are not comfortable and haven't got everything in place, we have agreed that they wouldn't go, and so apparently that is the position that they are in right now."
As of now, "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" preview performances will proceed as planned on Thursday (December 23), and the official Broadway opening date has been pushed back from January 11 to February 7. Wednesday's matinee and evening shows were the only performances canceled due to Tierney's injury.
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