Autism-friendly Spider-Man on Broadway planned
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NEW YORK (AP) - The first-ever autism-friendly performance of the Broadway hit Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark will take off this spring, and tickets go on sale on Thursday.
The Theatre Development Fund, a nonprofit organisation that provides access to live theatre, said on Wednesday it bought all the tickets for the matinee on April 27 at the Foxwoods Theatre and will offer them at a discount for children and adults on the autism spectrum. Tickets range in price from US$35 (S$43) to US$80.
The Spider-Man musical will be the fifth show in the fund's autism-friendly programme. The first was Disney's The Lion King in October 2011, followed last year with performances of Mary Poppins, a second performance of The Lion King and of ELF: The Musical. Lisa Carling, the Fund's director of accessibility programmes, said surveys taken after previous autism-friendly performances showed strong interest for one of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.
Autism disorders strike one in 100 children, according to United States government estimates. Children with the diagnosis are often sensitive to loud noises and harsh lights and find it difficult to sit still or remain quiet. Autism spectrum disorders include both severe and relatively mild symptoms.
