Producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris announced today that SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark star Reeve Carney has extended his contract with the production to May 2012, and will continue to play the role of 'Peter Parker/Spider-Man' through that time. For several weeks this winter, while Carney takes a brief leave to film the starring role in Jake Scott's upcoming untitled Jeff Buckley biopic, it is intended that 'Peter Parker/Spider-Man' alternate Matthew James Thomas and cast member Matt Caplan will assume the role.
Broadway?s biggest show SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark officially opens Tuesday, June 14th at the Foxwoods Theatre (213 West 42nd Street). The show features creative consultation by Philip William McKinley (The Boy From Oz), original direction by Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor (The Lion King, Across The Universe, Frida), music and lyrics by 22- time Grammy Award-winners Bono and The Edge, and book co-written by Taymor, Glen Berger (Underneath The Lintel) and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Fantastic Four and Spider-Man comics, 'Big Love').
In one of the most highly anticipated openings in recent Broadway memory, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark officially celebrates their opening night on Tuesday, June 14 th at the Foxwoods Theatre. The show features creative consultation by Philip William McKinley (The Boy From Oz), original direction by Tony® Award-winner Julie Taymor (The Lion King, Across The Universe, Frida), music and lyrics by 22- time Grammy® Award-winners Bono and The Edge, and book co-written by Taymor, Glen Berger (Underneath The Lintel) and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Fantastic Four and Spider-Man comics, "Big Love"). The newest production photos have been released and BroadwayWorld brings you a first look below!
SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, the most ambitious production ever undertaken on Broadway with original direction by Julie Taymor and music by U2's Bono and The Edge, is currently in previews at the Foxwoods Theatre on West 43rd Street. After struggling to find its voice since beginning previews in the fall of 2010, director Philip William McKinley, writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and choreographer Chase Brock were brought onto the creative team by lead producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris to help implement new staging, book rewrites, and additional choreography, respectively. The show is on track to open on June 14, 2011 after several delays.
SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, the most ambitious production ever undertaken on Broadway with original direction by Julie Taymor and music by U2's Bono and The Edge, is currently in previews at the Foxwoods Theatre on West 43rd Street. After struggling to find its voice since beginning previews in the fall of 2010, director Philip William McKinley, writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and choreographer Chase Brock were brought onto the creative team by lead producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris to help implement new staging, book rewrites, and additional choreography, respectively. The show is on track to open on June 14, 2011 after several delays.
Yesterday, May 31, BroadwayWorld got some one-on-one time with McKinley, the newest captain of the SPIDER-MAN ship, entrusted with revamping Julie Taymor's original vision into the worldwide commercial success the team hopes the show will become. Speaking candidly, McKinley reveals the pros and cons of reworking the troubled project, his new approach, additions and changes audiences can expect, and why the cast has been the key to the show's longevity to date.
Music from SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark will be released on June 14th by Interscope Records. With 14 new songs co-written by Bono and The Edge for the Broadway production, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, the album is produced by Steve Lillywhite. Songs are performed by the cast including Reeve Carney in the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Jennifer Damiano in the role of Mary Jane, T.V. Carpio as Arachne and Patrick Page as the Green Goblin, with contributions from Bono and The Edge and music performed by the production's twenty member strong orchestra. The release date coincides with the opening night (June 14th) of the Broadway show.
Following its matinee performance on Sunday, April 17, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark embarks on a three-week hiatus for technical rehearsals before unveiling the new version of the mega musical on Thursday, May 12. The original staging of SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark played its final performances to sold-out houses. The official opening night of the new SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark is set for Tuesday, June 14th at the Foxwoods Theatre (213 West 42nd Street). In the following video, swing Joshua Kobak answers questions from fans. Click below to check it out!
Following its matinee performance on Sunday, April 17, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark embarks on a three-week hiatus for technical rehearsals before unveiling the new version of the mega musical on Thursday, May 12. The original staging of SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark played its final performances to sold-out houses. The official opening night of the new SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark is set for Tuesday, June 14th at the Foxwoods Theatre (213 West 42nd Street).
In today's New York Post, Michael Riedel is reporting that talks have 'turned testy' between Taymor and the producers, and that she is now threading to take the entire script of the show with her, which is said to have the production in 'chaos' with producers quickly scrambling a new script. There's no word on what this might due to the production in terms of additional rehearsal time if a deal is not able to be worked out.
Lead producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris announced today that SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark has rescheduled its opening night for Tuesday, June 14, 2011. In addition, to allow rehearsal time for the new changes being implemented in the show, performances from Tuesday, April 19th to Wednesday, May 11th have been cancelled with preview performances resuming on Thursday, May 12th. This amended schedule will allow the time necessary to execute the plan, which will include revisions to the script.
Talking to Don Imus this morning, legendary New York Times writer (and soon to be New York Magazine writer) Frank Rich said 'There is no way to fix a show this far into previews, according to Broadway history... it's a fool's errand at this point, if you know, follow history.' That said however, he also revealed that he has not seen the show, which has been in previews for months, because 'life is too short.'
The Wall Street Journal reports today that despite going public with the news that Julie Taymor will no longer move forward with SPIDER-MAN, her exit deal has not yet been finalized. Issues surrounding royalties, copywrites, and a non-disclosure have not yet been settled upon. Tamor's camp declined to comment on the separation negotiations. Litigation is not out of the question. Taymor will officially step down as head creative on March 15, 2011.
The production has released new footage of T.V. Carpio performing 'Rise Above' which has been seen as an anthem by the show's creative team and cast as well to ignore the negative attention that's been lavished upon the production.
We're told that the cast today will be meeting with Actors Equity to explore their options and union protection. Many of the cast are up in arms since they've been rehearsing the show now since August of 2010 (or earlier) with much exhaustion and no end in site.
Jeremy Gerard at Bloomberg News is the first with more details on what will be cut from the show, and what changes will occur during the show's as of yet unannounced shutdown.
He reports that the Julie Taymor creation of Arachne will be heavily cut down, with her scenes being minimized and cut entirely, along with the song 'Deeply Furious' in which she and her minions go shopping for shoes, also said to be a Taymor favorite. Also on the chopping block? The Green Goblin's Act I death scene, which will make his Act II appearance more logical.
We're told that he'll be getting a big new Act II opening number as well.
In today's New York Post, Michael Riedel provides additional details about what's next for the show, most notably that Bono and The Edge are now expected to be fully, hands-on collaborators in the show as well as Bono himself going out to be the new 'face of the musical' for press.
It's not a great day for SPIDER-MAN on Broadway, as the show was halted tonight for several minutes mid-show for safety concerns.According to audience member reports, the show was stopped at the beginning of what is one of the most extensive aerial sequences in which the Green Goblin fights SPIDER-MAN above the audiences heads. During tonight's show, the Green Goblin stopped mid-flight, after a malfunction caused his steering mechanism to fail. The actor playing SPIDER-MAN was held on the balcony from making his flight while they attempted to discover what went wrong.
Lead producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris announced today that SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark has a newly expanded creative team in place. The team will be implementing a new plan to make significant and exciting revisions to the production. Opening night (previously set for March 15, 2011) has been rescheduled to an evening in early summer, 2011. This amended schedule will allow the time necessary to execute the plan, which will include revisions to the script.
Lead producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris announced today that SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark has a newly expanded creative team in place. The team will be implementing a new plan to make significant and exciting revisions to the production. Opening night (previously set for March 15, 2011) has been rescheduled to an evening in early summer, 2011. This amended schedule will allow the time necessary to execute the plan, which will include revisions to the script.
BroadwayWorld.com was the first to report that multiple critics from major newspapers have indeed purchased tickets in recent days to SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off the Dark, and they have come out in force. All but a few papers have filed reviews timed to tonight's performance which was, until the most recent delay, scheduled to be the show's opening night. Here are all the reviews for SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off the Dark to date and we'll keep updating as new ones come in.
