Because that big-budget, epic Spider-Man musical has been such a runaway success, DC Comics and Warner Brothers thought to create a Batman “arena theater” show that will premiere in Manchester, England and make its way to the United States next year after touring the UK. Featuring an original story focused on Dick Grayson, it has been described as “a theatrical extravaganza of thrilling stunts, acrobatic acts and illusions” and “neither a musical, nor a traditional theatrical production, but ‘an elaborate all-new, all-action arena production aimed at kids and families.'” It’s also being described (by /film) as “a direct continuation of the story that was unceremoniously dropped after Batman & Robin.” And we all know how well-received that was. Photos and a video after the jump so you can judge for yourself!
Okay, let’s take into account that this is arena theater as well as a show geared towards kids and families. Which, as we all know, means it’s really for kids, meant to hold their attention while their parents can sit back and also enjoy the show. That excuses any silly over-the-top theatrics. And as /film points out, maybe it’s okay to have a sillier Batman story being told while Christopher Nolan does such an excellent job with the dark, serious Batman story on film. Because as we’ve learned, silly can also be very successful.
Here are some pics:
A closer look the villains:
And both heroes:
The stage:
Fight scene:
And here is a preview clip of the villains introduction, featuring the Joker:
(I Heart Chaos, /film, Gamma Squad)
