After Onstage Accident, Director Julie Taymor Speaks Out About Spider-Man Safety

Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark mastermind Julie Taymor is speaking out about the onstage accident that injured stuntman Christopher W. Tierney on December 20. He suffered broken ribs and internal bleeding, according to The New York Times. The paper also reported that Taymor visited with the actor in his hospital room on December 21.

"An accident like this is obviously heartbreaking for our entire team and, of course, to me personally," Taymor said in a statement. "I am so thankful that Chris is going to be all right and is in great spirits. 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.”

As previously reported, the incident is being blamed on human error. The December 22 matinee of the show has been canceled with performances expected to resume that evening at Broadway's Foxwoods Theatre. The musical is directed and co-authored (with Glen Berger) by Taymor, who is best known for her Tony-winning work on mega-hit The Lion King. It features music and lyrics by U2's Bono and The Edge. Spider-Man is scheduled to open on February 7, 2011.