As of this writing, five of Spider-Man" Turn Off the Dark's cast members have been injured on the set. On November 17, 2010, the New York State Department of Labor sent inspectors to see some of the show's flying sequences after two actors were injured—one broke both of his wrists and the other broke both of his feet. Later that month, actress Natalie Mendoza, who played Arachne, suffered a concussion during the show's first preview performance. Mendoza left the show at the end of December, citing her injury as a primary reason for her departure. On December 20, 2010, stuntman Christopher Tierney suffered four broken ribs, a skull fracture, a broken shoulder blade, and other serious injuries after falling more than 20 feet. He later returned to the show. In early March 2010, federal regulators cited the show for three safety violations, which carried a fine of $12,600. However, this did not end the show's injuries. Actress T.V. Carpio, who had replaced Natalie Mendoza as Arachne, suffered a neck injury during an aerial battle sequence on March 22, 2010, and she had to leave the show for two weeks.
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Back in 2003, during the show's pre-Broadway run, star Kristin Chenoweth, who played Glinda, injured her neck during a performance in San Francisco. She returned to the show two days after her injury, but for a time her costume was temporarily altered to include a neck collar decorated with rhinestones. In 2005, the start of Wicked's Canadian tour was postponed after star Stephanie J. Block, playing the role of Elphaba, was injured during rehearsal of a flying scene. She was "experiencing muscle spasms which are preventing her from performing," a spokesman for the show said. That same year, Idina Menzel, who played Elphaba on Broadway, was injured when she fell through a trap door. During the "melting sequence," the hidden elevator that was used to lower Menzel below the stage was already partially descended when she stepped on it; she fell and cracked one of her ribs. Though her understudy performed the next day, she appeared during the curtain call for what would have been her final performance, and said, "I love you all. It's been the best year of my life. Thank you."
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In December 2009, a performance of Fela! was canceled a mere two weeks after the show opened. A producer cited a "perfect storm" of injuries as the cause of the cancellation. The show's dance captain was out with a wrist injury, one ensemble member had been elbowed in the eye and taken to the emergency room, and another started having back spasms right before performance was supposed to begin. Reportedly, none of the understudies had been trained to perform in place of these injured members.
According to a report published by the American College of Sports Medicine, there were 18,000 injuries sustained by Cirque Du Soleil workers between 2002 and 2006. During one incident in 2002, a 1,000-pound prop resembling an alligator head fell from the ceiling and hit an electrician working on the stage. He lost 25 percent of his skull and was paralyzed from the waist down. After a five-week trial, he settled with Cirque Du Soleil—for $41.6 million.
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Lest anyone think that Julie Taymor's popular production of The Lion King got off without injury, it turns out many of the dancers in that show sustained injuries just by coming to work and performing their moves every day—though this is a problem plaguing many Broadway productions. The actors who play the giraffes tend to have wrist issues from clutching their stilts. Likewise, the actresses who play the cheetah sometimes have back problems. And it has been suggested that the elaborate, and heavy masks and headpieces can exacerbate cervical and upper-thoracic strain in cast members.
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Two women from Kansas City, Missouri, recently announced they were suing the Broadway production of Billy Elliot after they allegedly were injured by a prop while sitting in the audience during a performance on November 23, 2009. They sued the production for $2 million in damages. The lawsuit accused producers of "negligence and carelessness."
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In May 2008, ensemble member Adrian Bailey was injured when he fell 20 feet through a trap door and landed on the stage. Bailey fractured his wrists, broke his back, and shattered his pelvis in addition to other injuries. He filed a lawsuit later that year.
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Christie Brinkley was forced to delay her opening performance as Roxie Hart in Chicago by four days in April 2011, due to a minor muscle injury. Of working on the production, Brinkley said, "I'm having the time of my life. I'm just having so much fun."
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In December 2010, the iconic actor and stage performer Dick Van Dyke had to cancel his appearance in Step in Time! A Musical Memoir at Los Angeles's Geffen Playhouse after injuring his Achilles tendon. The play, which Van Dyke co-wrote with the play's director, Joshua Ravetch, chronicled Van Dyke's 60 years in show business with stories and songs from some of his most notable performances. "I very much wish the circumstances allowed me to share my stories at the Geffen this winter," Van Dyke said in a press release following his cancellation. "Unfortunately, this injury is forcing me to be off my feet for a while." Van Dyke didn't need too much time to recuperate. By April, he and his brother, Jerry Van Dyke, appeared in sold-out performances of Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys at the Malibu Stage Company Theatre.
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