Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark Makes Changes

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Marvel Comics,

When a comic book title starts to suffer a long decline of sales, the publisher tries to turn things around by bringing in a new creative team.

And apparently when a Broadway musical based on a comic book gets horrible reviews, repeatedly injures its cast, repeatedly delays its official opening night and looks to be a huge embarrassment, they also make some changes.

The producers of the troubled Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark musical have done just that. They’ve kicked the original director Julie Taymor to the curb and brought in a new director - Philip William McKinley - and at least one person who is actually familiar with Spider-Man: writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.

They’ll be making some changes to the extravaganza and one of our Broadway spies was able to slip me an internal memo of the reworking that's going on prior to the show’s latest official opening date sometime in the summer of possibly this year.

Here then are the Top 10 Changes The New Creative Team Is Making To Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark:

Click to continue reading Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark Makes Changes

Weekend Reading: Chaykin, Layman, Cunningham & Batman

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Interviews, Movies, Reviews, Television, Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, Marvel Comics,

You can’t beat the power of the hammer. There’s a new Thor trailer floating around that feels much more impressive than the earlier Fortress of Solitude one. I’m liking it more and more, even if the big battle in the desert town looks very movie set-ish.

Now let's read some stuff...

Chaykin: Here’s an interview with one of my favorite creators, Howard Chaykin, talking about his upcoming work at Dark Horse.

Chew: Marc-Oliver Frisch at Comics Beat tackles John Layman to the ground and asks him lots of questions about food, comics and work-for-hire.

Smart: I wanted to conduct an interview with Darryl Cunningham, but he’s so smart that it would only serve to point out how not-smart I am. Fortunately, Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter is a smarty and he landed an excellent interview with the creator of Psychiatric Tales.

Batman: The Pullbox talks to my old friend, the comics historian Peter Sanderson. Subject: The Batman TV series from 1966.

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Chaykin, Layman, Cunningham & Batman

Carney Talks Spider-Man Musical

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Marvel Comics,

In a much-too-long YouTube video, musician Reeve Carney talks about donning the red and blue bodysuit for Broadway.

“We just wanted to get up here on YouTube today to tell you something important to us, and to maybe some people who are fans of certain comic books. Okay, basically, let’s cut to the chase—we wanted to confirm the rumors going around the internet today that I, Reeve Carney, will in fact be playing Peter Parker, the amazing Spider-Man, in the Broadway production of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.”

Click to continue reading Carney Talks Spider-Man Musical

Read More | Just Jared

Spider-Man on Broadway gets Release date

Posted by Todd Matthy Categories: Editorials,

I don’t believe it but Marvel.com confirmed, Spider-Man’s Broadway release date will be Thursday, February 18, 2010 at Broadway’s Hilton Theatre, with previews starting in January. The play’s title is “Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark” with music by Bono and the Edge and Julie Taymor directing.

The story will be “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’s battles will hurtle the audience through an origin story both recognizable and unexpected—yielding new characters as well as familiar faces—until a final surprising confrontation casts a startling new light on this hero’s journey.”

Evan Rachel Wood will portray Mary Jane Watson but no other cast members have been announced. Go to Marvel.com and SpidermanOnBroadway.com for more information and ticket sales.

Wood is Broadway’s Mary Jane

Posted by Todd Matthy Categories: Editorials, Reviews, Television, Marvel Comics,

It looks like Mary Jane’s dream to light up Broadway is about to come true.  Newsarama reports that Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen) has been cast as the titular redhead in the upcoming “Spider-Man: The Musical”.

Yes, Virginia you read that right, a Spider-Man musical is coming with rehearsals set to begin in the summer of 2009.

Not much is known about the musical other than Julie Taymor who did “The Lion King” with music being composed by Bono and the Edge will produce the show.  Playbill reports that the musical will revolve around a female character called Arachne who is described as a “beautiful, boastful, young woman turned into a spider for her hubris and lack of respect for the gods” who will try to woo Peter Parker (and give Bond yet another forum to preach). The play will also feature Norman Osborn and J. Jonah Jameson as further thorns in the webhead’s side.
I really don’t know what to make of this. There hasn’t been a superhero musical since “It’s a Bird. It’s a Plane. It’s Superman” and if anyone doesn’t remember that play there’s a good reason - the two genres don’t mesh. Is Spidey going to sing zingers to J. Jonah Jameson? Will the final battle with the Green Goblin be a dance off? Most importantly, how are they going to do the web swinging?  Questions aside, I think Evan Rachel Wood would make a good Mary Jane. From what I’ve seen of “Across the Universe,” she has an okay voice. She could play Mary Jane in the movies if Kristen Dunst decides not to return. No one has been chosen for Peter at this time. Either way I’ll be in the cheap seats for this.

Read More | Newsarama