The U2-scored Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” is finally swinging into gear after a year of financial roadblocks and sudden cast changes.
The $50 million production will begin previews on November 14, and opening night will arrive just in time for the holidays on December 21. The 1,829-seat Foxwoods Theatre, formerly the Hilton Theatre, will house the Broadway tuner.
“Spider-Man” general presales are open through August 18, while American Express will run its own cardholder presales from August 14 through September 6. Public onsale dates have not yet been announced, but will likely begin in mid-September after the close of presales.
Ticket prices for mid-week performances run from $57.50 (matinee) or $67.50 (evening) up to $135, according to Ticketmaster.com listings. But “Spider-Man’s” weekend ticket prices top out at $140, making it one of the most expensive tickets on the Great White Way, apart from premium ticket offers.
The schedule unveiling comes just a couple weeks after choreography rehearsals started for some “Spider-Man” cast and crew, including Reeve Carney, who will be taking on the title role of Peter Parker and his alter-ego. Media projections that full cast rehearsals will start in August also seem on-target, now that director Julie Taymor actually has a lead cast to work with.
Up until this week, replacements still had not been named for Evan Rachel Wood, in the role of Mary Jane Watson, and Alan Cumming, as Norman Osborn and his villainous alter-ego The Green Goblin. Both leads bowed out of their respective roles earlier this year due to scheduling conflicts.
But while announcing the show schedule, producers also named Jennifer Damiano (“Next to Normal”) as the new Mary Jane Watson and Patrick Page (“Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”) as the new Green Goblin. Media reports had long speculated that Damiano and Page were favorites for the suddenly vacant lead roles.
“Spider-Man” was originally scheduled to start February 25 this year. However, “unexpected cash flow problems” caused production delays in August 2009, and the production’s funding issues continued into early 2010.
Foxwoods Theatre is located at 213 W. 42nd Street in New York, NY. More details about “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” are available on the production’s official Web site.
