Bruce Glikas/FilmMagicUh-oh.
Just when it seemed Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark had ironed out all the kinks since opening on Broadway last spring, yet another mishap has befallen the budget-busting musical.
Matthew James Thomas, the actor who plays both Peter Parker and the titular webcrawler twice a week, was hospitalized Wednesday following a backstage accident during a matinee performance.
Here's what we know.
According to Newsday, Thomas sustained the unspecified injury near the beginning of the Spider-Man's second act during a scene transition, grounding the tuner to a halt for 10 minutes. He was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital where he received stitches.
Reeve Carney, who originated the role of Peter Parker and Spidey and performs them six times a week, filled in for Thomas for the remainder of the show.
Rick Miramontez, a publicist for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark confirmed the incident, without divulging details of what happened.
"Matthew James Thomas sustained a minor injury while offstage during Wednesday's matinee performance. He is fine, and will be back in the show for his next scheduled performance on Saturday," Miramontez said in a statement.
Thomas usually performs at the Wednesday and Saturday matinees.
As everyone knows by now, the high-flying $65 million production has been beset by all kinds of accidents even before previews began: A stuntman broke his wrists, actresses Natalie Mendoza and T.V. Carpio (who played the spider villainess Arachne) suffered concussions, and Spidey double Christopher Tierney sustained severe injuries when he plummeted more than 20 feet in a fall (he has since made a full recovery and is back in the show).
Despite the setbacks, new safety guidelines were put into place and, following a successful retooling instituted by a new creative team in April and May after the abrupt firing of director Julie Taymor, Spider-Man appeared to be back on track by the time of its June premiere.
While panned by the critics, the show continues to be a big draw. It's now one of the highest-grossing musicals on the Great White Way, just behind Wicked and The Lion King, so it's doubtful the latest bad press will adversely impact ticket sales.