Something heroic is happening on Broadway.  The new musical, “Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark” is being launched at the  Foxwoods Theater, and there’s a lesson here for all of us.

The show is directed by Broadway phenom Julie Taymor, and has music by Bono and The Edge from U2.  It is already infamous for a history of delays, drama, and huge expenses.  The music reportedly has cost around 65 million to produce, making it the most expensive show in Broadway history.  The production shut down for 6 months due to lack of money, and unfortunately several casts members have been injured during rehearsals and previews of the show.

What’s interesting is the boldness of the creative team.  They are literally doing something never done before—and doing all of it in the brightest glare of today’s media spotlight.  In the past most shows would go out of town for preview performances where they could work on the show, make sometimes substantial changes, and get the show “right” without the intrusion of critics or the “rush to judgment” of their peers.  These days shows are critiqued and sometimes “sentenced” while on these out of town runs, no longer able to work away from the endless news cycle and internet buzz.

Spider-man had an even larger problem.  The complex technical issues of innovative flying scenes meant that the show could not work or be rehearsed outside of the actual theater where it is being launched.  This has lead to a record number of preview performances and an unprecedented amount of scrutiny.  Mix in the extra money spent, turbulence of the creative process, and unfortunate injuries and you have a field day for cynics ready to bring down a project so daring.

While this is a fascinating story, I have been particularly inspired by the words of director Julie Taymor. When interviewed on “60 Minutes,” she was asked about facing the great risks involved in this production. Ms. Taymor’s response was this:

“I love it when people say ‘what a horrible, lousy idea.’ I think that’s great. I hate the comfort zone, let’s put it that way. I don’t think anything that’s really creative can be done without danger and risk.”

This last sentence has especially spoken to me. Anything truly creative brings with it a degree of risk. I know this has proven to be true in my work. Each time something really exciting and successful has happened, the creative team found itself going out on a limb and taking chances.

I’ve written before about a production of “West Side Story” I created with my band at Dunwoody High School in the late 80’s which the band parents called “Hinton’s Folly.”  Another time we created a “Hooray for Hollywood” show that included everything from 8 actors to an elaborate script performed live on the field AND someone in a gorilla suit!  Crazy, but fun and exciting.

Many other times I have worked on shows where we took great creative risks. Sometimes we ended up with a huge success, sometimes things ended with some disappointment, but every time we were invigorated and “alive” during the process. This is the way to create, this is the way to live!

When discussing the travails of the new “Spider-man” musical, Julie Taymor was asked “How scared are you.” Her reply:

“Oh I am scared. If you don’t have fear, then you’re not taking a chance. But what I DO have is a team. If your collaborators are there, which is what answers the fear question, and they all are as impassioned as you are, and BELIEVE in it, your fear is mitigated.”

What words of wisdom! The taking of creative chances works when you have a team of talented people who also are passionate about what could be, and what you’re trying to create. I am thankful for many creative people, on many different band staffs, who have taken risks to follow an idea and have trusted me with their band for a season. Many times this leads to magic. No matter what, it’s always worth the effort.

I am also thankful for some key creative partners in my business, most notably Mary White, guard guru and visionary, Greg Basham, expert show designer and bold thinker, and Clif Walker, percussion and conceptual phenom. Having them help with so many of the shows I am involved in allows me to take risks and helps to keep me headed in the right direction. Their expert advice at the right times has made many successes possible.

I cannot wait to get to New York and see “Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark.” I cannot wait to see Spider-man fly in the air over the audience as the music swells and the story soars!  And no matter what the ultimate verdict is on this show, I applaud the creators for their vision and courage, and am so appreciative for the inspiration. Fly, Spider-man!