Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark - pushes back dates again

Lead producer Michael Cohl has announced that Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark has delayed its first performance and that they will now begin preview performances at Broadway's Foxwoods Theatre on 28 Nov 2010. Opening night, which was scheduled for 21 Dec 2010, is now set for 11 Jan 2011.

"Shows like ours, that embrace the challenge of opening on Broadway without an out-of-town tryout, often need to adjust their schedules along the way," said Cohl."Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark has an unprecedented level of technical artistry, and getting it right takes time." He added, "We apologize in advance to any inconvenienced ticketholders."

Ticket holders for the postponed performances will be contacted directly and given the ability to exchange their tickets for a future performance at no cost or receive a full refund.

Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark, which is estimated to cost $65 million has suffered from delays since the show was first announced in Feb 2009. Originally scheduled to open at the Hilton Theatre (now the Foxwoods) on 18 Feb 2010, following previews from 16 Jan, the show immediately hit financial difficulties. Raising over $50 million dollars for a new musical was proving difficult.

In Nov 2009 an official statement confirmed rumors that the show was having difficulies raising the necessary finance and anounced that a new production team, headed by Michael Cohl, was now in place. It was also announced at that time that the show would not open in Feb 2010 as originally planned, but would still have its official opening in 2010.

The latest delay, which seems only a short temporary set back for the productions schedule, has been caused by injuries. During recent rehearsals two actors have suffered serious injuries, one broke both his wrists and another badly injured both his feet. According to the NY Post State regulators are inspecting the set and the show's stunts for safety on 5 Nov 2010 - it is not known if they will ask for changes.

According to NY Post, insiders in the show report that only scenes of the musical have been rehearsed, and the production has still to be performed from beginning to end. The NY Post also reports that the show's advances are not brilliant, with only $5million being rumored as the total so far. A veteran theater producer told Michael Riedel of the NY Post, "The fact is, the public doesn't know what this show is yet. And if it doesn't get the greatest reviews since 'Oklahoma!' I bet it'll crash quickly. It's just too expensive."

Drawing from more than 40 years of Marvel comic books for inspiration, Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark follows the story of teenager Peter Parker, whose unremarkable life is turned upside-down—literally — when he's bitten by a genetically altered spider and wakes up the next morning clinging to his bedroom ceiling. This bullied science-geek—suddenly endowed with astonishing powers — soon learns, however, that with great power comes great responsibility as villains test not only his physical strength but also his strength of character.

Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark features music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy Award-winners Bono and The Edge of U2 with direction by Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor ('The Tempest,' 'Across The Universe,' 'The Lion King') and a book by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger ('Underneath The Lintel').

A press release for the show reads "Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark represents the consummate collaboration of cultures by joining the theatrical and cinematic vision of Julie Taymor with the thrilling musicality of Bono and The Edge, and the iconic Spider-Man brand. This project has allowed these artists to create a work specifically designed for a theater environment, one that can't be produced as a stadium show, and is the natural evolution of three remarkable careers. Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark promises to be the most ambitious production ever undertaken on Broadway.

Currently in rehearsal, the complete cast of Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark stars Reeve Carney as 'Peter Parker/Spider-Man,' Tony Award-nominee Jennifer Damiano as 'Mary Jane Watson' and Patrick Page as 'Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin.'

The cast also features Natalie Mendoza, Michael Mulheren, Ken Marks, Isabel Keating, Jeb Brown, T.V. Carpio, Mat Devine, Gideon Glick, Jonathan Schwartz, Matthew James Thomas, Laura Beth Wells, Matt Caplan, Dwayne Clark, Luther Creek, Gerald Avery, Collin Baja, Marcus Bellamy, Emmanuel Brown, Erin Elliott, Craig Henningsen, Dana Marie Ingraham, Ayo Janeen Jackson, Heather Lang, Ari Loeb, Natalie Lomonte, Kevin Loomis, Kristin Martin, Jodi McFadden, Kristen Oei, America Olivo, Jennifer Perry, Kyle Post, Brandon Rubendall, Sean Samuels, Dollar Tan and Christopher Tierney.

The creative team includes Daniel Ezralow (Choreography), George Tsypin (Scenic Design), Academy Award-winner Eiko Ishioka (Costume Design), Tony Award-winner Donald Holder (Lighting Design), Jonathan Deans (Sound Design), Kyle Cooper (Projection Design) and Julie Taymor (Mask Design).

Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark is being produced on Broadway by Michael Cohl, Jeremiah J. Harris, Land Line Productions, Hello Entertainment/David Garfinkle, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Billy and Fernando Rovzar Diez Barroso, Jeffrey B. Hecktman, Omneity Entertainment/Richard G. Weinberg, Nederlander Organization/James L. Nederlander, Terry Allen Kramer, S2BN Entertainment, Jam Theatricals, the Mayerson/Gould/Hauser/Tysoe Group, and Patricia Lambrecht, by association with Marvel Entertainment.