Spiderman: Natalie Mendoza departs

Natalie Mendoza who stars as 'Arachne' in the Broadway musical Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark, has departed the production.

Mendoza was injured during the musical's first preview on 28 Nov 2010. At that peoducrion Mendoza was standing offstage waiting to make her entrance at the beginning of the first act when she was struck on the head by a piece of rope that was holding production equipment. Despite the innjury the actress continued with the show. Mendoza was later diagnosed with concussion. Against doctor's advice, she performed the role on 1 Dec, but was too ill to continue beyond that performance.

Mendza finally returned to the show on 16 Dec 2010, but was experiencing vocal problems and has not performed in the show since the 20 Dec 2010. Her last performance on 20 Dec 2010 was the evening the actress' friend, and fellow cast member, Christopher Tierney fell 30ft from a platform into the orchastra pit, receving life-threatening injuries - from which the actor is slowly recovering.

In a statement Mendoza said, "It has been a difficult decision to make, but I regret that I am unable to continue on Spider-Man as I recover from my injury. I wish Julie (Director Julie Taymor) and the cast and crew every success with this production.

Taymor said of Ms. Mendoza's departure, "Natalie is a talented performer. We've appreciated her contributions to the show and we wish her all the best."

A replacement for Mendoza is atill to be announced, meanwhile her understudy America Olivo and T.V. Carpio have stepped into the role.

Currently in previews, Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark is set to open at the Foxwoods Theatre on the 7 Feb 2011.

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.

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 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.