Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Spider-Man musical has the last laugh





The initially troubled Broadway show "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" has been turned around and become successful at the box office.



Producers of the musical, featuring music by U2's Bono and The Edge, announced that the star Reeve Carney will extend his contract until May. He had been due to leave in November.
It follows a revamp of the expensive production which was widely panned by critics when it was first shown.
The $70 show, the most expensive in Broadway history, had been set by disaster and had seemed in danger of becoming a huge flop.
Its troubles included script and staging problems and injuries to cast members.
Reviews were scathing and cast member Christopher Tierney suffered serious injury when a safety rope snapped during a preview and he plunged more than 20 feet into the orchestra pit.
The preview performances began last November but the show then closed for three weeks so problems could be addressed. Director Julie Taymor left in March.
More than half a million people have now seen show and it took in $1.7 million a week over the summer.
Carney will take a break in the winter to make a film. He said: "I am thrilled to be on stage nightly as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. I can't imagine a more wonderful, harder-working company than my mates on Broadway."

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