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NEW YORK: The curtain was to rise again on ''Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'' after producers of the accident-plagued Broadway musical agreed to new safety precautions to prevent another fall such as the one that left a stuntman seriously injured.
Leo Rosales, spokesman for the state Department of Labor, said the show's producers would check in with the department later Thursday to confirm they had put into place all the protocols they had promised on Wednesday. That confirmation was mandatory before the show could go forward with all 38 planned aerial maneuvers, he said.
''We agreed with what they delivered to us, the safety measures and protocols that they're going to implement,'' Rosales said. ''Now it's up to them to implement it. We need that confirmation from them that yes, they have implemented all the safety protocols and procedures.''
Wednesday night's performance of the $65 million musical was canceled so that the cast and crew could rehearse the new precautions, which include a requirement that a second person ensure that the harnesses used by performers during the show's high-flying stunts have been put on properly.
The much-anticipated production, teaming ''Lion King'' creator Julie Taymor with songwriters Bono and The Edge of U2, has had a rocky route 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.
The fourth accident came Monday night, when Christopher W. Tierney, a stunt double playing Spider-Man, plunged about 30 feet (9.14 meters) into a stage pit, despite a safety harness that should have prevented the spill. Tierney was scheduled for back surgery Wednesday, his brother Patrick said.
The announcement that Wednesday night's sold-out performance wouldn't take place came just three hours before showtime at the Foxwoods Theatre. Wednesday's matinee performance had been canceled earlier.
