How 'Spider-Man' went from flop to hit on Broadway

>>> when "spider-man: turn offer the dark" first debuted it was met with rebukes because of months of delays and technical problems. now two years later it is enjoying massive audiences --

>> has anybody followed it lately, mika?

>> so for the anniversary i went to one of the very first ones, i sure did, we turn --

>> i did too.

>> and spiderman was like dangling over the audience.

>> and there was a big bee -- anyhow, the president of the theaters jordan roth, we turn to him to give our " morning joe " theater correspondent louis bergdorf, doo, doo, a backstage tour of the hit musical.

>> so now you're freezing my buns off on broadway . i know nothing about it. jordan roth, i got, morni" morning joe 's" correspondent. you have the key to every theater in the city, even the ones you don't own. take us on a behind-the-scenes tour to see what's going on.

>> let's go.

>> so we're here backstage with chris tierney , the hero spidey , hero flier in the beginning of the show you took a very tragic and very well publicized fall.

>> we've been working really, really hard and tired and human error that happened. i think it's best it did happen to me because we were bound and determined to make this show work.

>> we're glad you're still flying?

>> me too. me too.

>> see you out there tonight.

>> we're backstage at spider -man with spider -man. happy, happy two-year anniversary.

>> pretty crazy -- i can't believe i've been here two year.

>> what keeps you here for two years.

>> you get to try new things every night with the material.

>> kind of like a dream come true i i've always wanted to be spider -man. now i get to --

>> you get the --

>> so many people didn't think the show would open let alone run. here we are, the two-year anniversary, feel vindicated.

>> i feel like it's easter. we're still alive and back.

>> i think recoup something possible. it will take some time to recoup the entire investment.

>> if you knew then what you know now would you have produced the show.

>> no, not a chance.

>> how funny is that --

>> bring you genuine spidey web.

>> is that what it is?

>> second-year anniversary of spidey web.

>> just first of all did louis make you uncomfortable?

>> we had the best time.

>> he's lying again.

>> we're doing a double act .

>> are you in character right now?

>> always.

>> maybe.

>> jordan , how about spider -man got absolutely mass critique by the critics and yet people keep going. tourists keep coming and keep filling up the audience. we brought a friend from florida while we were looking at it going, oh, my god, this is early. this is horrible. looked over and, wild-eyed wonderment and love it

>> that's the face. that's the face. they actually at the show now take pictures and post them on facebook so you can see yourself with spider -man and the faces be -- everybody is looki open-mouthed and that's what we have to look at. that's what's taking the show two years into a run.

>> it's making money ?

>> it's making a lot of money and grossed almost $150 million to date. and it averages a million-four a week. what's bad about that?

>> how unusual given the sometimes catastrophic effect of social media , how unusual is it for a failure to come back, rebuilt and become a phenomenal success?

>> it's unprecedented. what they have done with this show really closing it down for three weeks to completely reimage what it could be and then reup -- it's unprecedented.

>> we were just talking about you two and then the way they came at it. in this period when they shut down i ran into edge, they were like -- they recognized the stakes.

>> you ran into edge.

>> i did. i di. he was talking about the pressure they were under because this would be a huge catastrophe like a massive reputation-killing thing. what changed? what's the before and after?

>> what was bad about it and now what's so good about it?

>> well, i think what they really did is they focused on --

>> you were such a name-dropping freak.

>> you know, i ran into edge.

>> a good name to drop if you're going to drop some.

>> i'm sorry. go ahead. what they did was they really focused on the central conflict between spider -man and the green goblin . that's -- that is what we wanted to see. that's the conflict.

>> like distracting kids on the side of the stage.

>> no more distracting --

>> tra freshish --

>> she's still here but serves a different purpose. it's a creative experiment to see what you can do when you take everything in your toy box , keep your toy box , keep all the elements and completely deploy them for a different goal.

>> i'm very excited about two things coming. tennessee which wiilliams classic.

>> cat on a hot tin roof , scarlett johansson . if you don't want to buy a ticket just from looking at that picture right there, that's a sign that you are dead.

>> ciaran behinds is in it, too? we don't care about anybody other than scarlett johansson .

>> and you can talk about that one.

>> heilemann and i are rock snobs. you know what, we have a very, very soft place in our heart for barry manilow .

>> that's what i'm talking about.

>> yes! he's coming to broadway .

>> no.

>> live at the st. james with us for three weeks.

>> can you get us in?

>> we're all coming.

>> can i meet him?

>> of course you can meet him. you're joe scarborough .

>> i don't know if i could see through that.

>> as excited as we are about those two shows, there's a posthumous play with tom hanks .

>> lucky guy coming in the spring. i think it's going to be a really hot ticket .

>> and then kinky boots .

>> kinky boots , sinncyndi lauper wrote the score. and it is delicious, sexy, sassy, moving fun.

>> is it kinky?

>> we bring you a little kinky.

>> and some booty?

>> does barry manilow sing coco?

>> coco.

>> hit after hit after hit.

>> used to open for bette midler .

>> he used to open for bette midler .

>> maybe she'll come. the other piece of news --

>> news from broadway .

>> bono and the edge are working on some new songs for spider -man. they consider this really a work in progress .

>> that would help. that would help.

>> it's a work in progress . they are continuing to work on it.

>> that's awesome. that's really impressive. two years later, how can it be better?

>> i like that. that's what we do every day.

>> see?

>> in love with nora efron. when does her play begin?

>> in the spring in march.

>> and this is tom hapnks' broadway debut ?

>> yes, be there. fantastic.

>> i have to get over my barry manilow .

>> you come, you'll meet --

>> i don't know.

>> edge.

>> nothing to be angry about.

>> really?

>> it's all good, barry manilow . we'll see you at the st. james. thank you, guys.

>> so good to have you on the show. we're sorry about louis .

>> i have yet to do this. heilemann and i are going to be like in the front row of " mad love " opening night.

>> guaranteed.

>> teenage girl looking at one direction.

>> we will be there with the " morning joe " camera just for that.

>>> mika, who is ahead?

>> actor ray lio ittta stops by from "goodfellas" to " field of dreams ." guess which one of those he's never seen. keep it here on " morning joe ." a hybrid? most are just no fun to drive. now, here's one that will make you feel alive . meet the five-passenger ford c-max hybrid.