Julie Taymor News

The behind the scenes drama with SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off the Dark appears to be never-ending with news this week that Julie Taymor's deal has not yet been completed, another cast injury of whiplash to T.V. Carpio who plays Arachne, additional stoppages and rumors about choreographer Chase Brock being brought in to replace Daniel Ezralow.

Disney's THE LION KING continues to reign across North America with a sold-out four-week premiere engagement in Schenectady, NY which concluded on Sunday, March 20. The engagement, which the Albany Times Union enthused, 'offers all of the spectacle one would expect and then some,' grossed over $5.2 million at the box office and entertained more than 77,000 patrons during 32 performances at Proctors Theatre.

In celebration of the company's 40th Anniversary, The Music-Theatre Group (Diane Wondisford, Producing Director) has announced plans for their "Music-Theatre Jam," a one-time-only happening featuring a treasure-trove of material from their past productions, to take place on Saturday, April 9th at 10 Jay Street, 9th Floor in DUMBO at 6:00 p.m.

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark recently announced a rescheduled opening night for a sixth time for Tuesday, June 14, 2011. On March 15, Julie Taymor stepped down as head creative force as the production makes room for Philip William McKinley. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is currently reworking the book and Bono and Edge have been making tweaks to the score.

We're now told by two production sources that these negotiations are still continuing, and that her exit deal has not yet been finalized. Issues surrounding royalties, copywrites, billing and a non-disclosure have not yet been settled upon. Both sides are still hoping to reach an amicable departure and to avoid litigation, but that possibility is not off the table as they've now dragged on longer than both sides thought they were.

Now, BroadwayWorld.com has learned that lead actress, T.V. Carpio, who plays the role of Arachne has been sidelined from the production with what we're told is 'whiplash' and is expected to be out for 2-3 weeks under doctor's orders. We've now been told that the injury occured on stage during one of the show's many battle scenes.

SPIDER-MAN is well past its unprecedented hundredth preview on Broadway, but the backstage drama isn't over yet. A couple of weeks ago, SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off The Dark made their latest in a long line of announcements, that they now have rescheduled their opening night for the sixth time, for Tuesday, June 14, 2011.

The Geffen Playhouse's Backstage at the Geffen annual fundraiser, which recognizes leadership in the theater community while raising funds for the Geffen Playhouse's education programs, will honor Tony and Emmy Award winning actress Kristin Chenoweth and Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Barry Meyer. The event, which will be co-chaired by Alan & Cindy Horn and John & Marilyn Wells will be held March 22, 2010 at the Geffen Playhouse.

Disney's THE LION KING, presented by Marina Bay Sands and Disney Theatrical Productions, together with BASE Entertainment, opened at The Sands Theatre in Singapore's Marina Bay Sands March 9 and the reviews are now in.

This morning, Bloomberg News is reporting that producers are now in talks to replace the show's choreographer, Daniel Ezralow with Chase Brock. Ezralow, who helped to create many of the show's mid-air battles is a longtime collaborator of Julie Taymor's, having worked with her on Across the Universe, and the Green Bird, along with also staging shows for David Bowie, Sting and U2. Chase Brock most recently choreographed Lost in the Stars at Encores!, was assistant choreographer to Kathleen Marshall on Wonderful Town and recently helped create the (fantastic) Nintendo Wii game, Dance on Broadway.

Today we are talking to the current Prior Walter in Michael Grief's off-Broadway revival of Tony Kushner's Pulitzer prize-winning ANGELS IN AMERICA, and also a headliner of Monday night's SPRING AT LAST! Gala to benefit The Harvey Milk School, late of ABC's smash-hit comedy UGLY BETTY, the charmingly candid and overwhelmingly talented Michael Urie! In this exclusive conversation we tackle topics ranging from Shakespeare to Sondheim to the power and legacy of ANGELS IN AMERICA and what songs and words of hope we can expect from him at the SPRING AT LAST! Gala alongside headliners Lance Horne and Wanda Sykes. Plus, Michael gives us the first news on a number of films he has coming out in the next year and much, much more!

In this week's SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK Weekly Web-Mail, music director and conductor Kim Grisby answers a fans questions. To watch the video, click below.

The Schenectady premiere of Disney's THE LION KING will close at Proctors on Sunday, March 20, 2011.

John Douglas Thompson is playing the title role in Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth in Theatre for a New Audience's final and fourth show of its 31st Season. Directed by Arin Arbus, this production reunites Ms. Arbus and Mr. Thompson whom she directed in the title role of Othello two seasons ago. Mr. Thompson won OBIE and Lucille Lortel awards for his performance. Macbeth features Annika Boras as Lady Macbeth, Albert Jones (Theatre for a New Audience's Pericles and Oroonoko) as Macduff and Graham Winton (Theatre for a New Audience's Don Juan, Julius Caesar, Pericles, Othello and Measure for Measure) as Banquo. Macbeth begins previews Saturday, March 12 at 8:00pm, opens Sunday, March 20 at 7:00pm, and runs through Thursday, April 21 at The Duke on 42nd Street, a New 42nd Street® project, 229 West 42nd Street. The production is sponsored by Deloitte.

Disney's THE LION KING, presented by Marina Bay Sands and Disney Theatrical Productions, together with BASE Entertainment, opened at The Sands Theatre in Singapore's Marina Bay Sands March 9 and the reviews are now in.

Catalyst Collaborative@MIT, a science theater collaboration between MIT and Underground Railway Theater, presents Hugh Whitemore's BREAKING THE CODE, an elegant, deeply moving portrait of mathematician Alan Turning, played by Allyn Burrows and directed by Adam Zahler. The press performance is April 10, 2011 at 2PM.

A few weeks ago the cast of SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK Performed 'Rise Above' on The Late Show. Below, catch a glimpse of the song in full performance!

El pasado miércoles 2 de marzo el Presidente de Disney Teatrical Productions, Thomas Schumacher, y el Dir. de Producción Internacional de Disney, Felipe Gamba, presentaron en el Teatro Real de Madrid el musical El Rey León, que llegará al Lope de Vega el próximo mes de Octubre. Uno de sus personajes más emblemáticos es Rafiki, que en este vídeo nos muestra los cinco idiomas africanos que se hablan en la producción. Además Schumacher también explica por qué este musical debe hacerse en Madrid.

If the show wants some other options, late night TV host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel has offered up 'Death of a SPIDER-MAN' with his humorous take about the show.

Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce that individual tickets for William Shakespeare's tragiccomedy 'The Merchant of Venice' from the acclaimed Theatre for a New Audience, are on sale now for its Chicago debut during a limited, two-week engagement, March 15-27 2011, at the Bank of America Theatre (18 West Monroe St.).