After nearly two years, Broadway’s Patrick Page will be leaving the cast of “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.” August 5 is Page’s scheduled last performance as dual characters Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin at the Foxwoods Theatre.
Just a few short weeks later, Page will be back on the stage in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of “Cyrano de Bergerac.” Page will star as Comte de Guiche, alongside Douglas Hodge in the title role. This revival of the Edmond Rostand comedy will begin previews mid-September at the American Airlines Theatre, with an opening set for October 11.
“Cyrano” will be directed by Jamie Lloyd, and the rest of the cast has yet to be announced.
As a Drama Desk nominee, Page is no stranger to the theatre, with previous credits including “A Man For All Season,” “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch stole Christmas!” “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “The Kentucky Cycle.” He has even had a few stints on television in The Good Wife and Law and Order: SVU.
Page has played the role of the Green Goblin in “Spider-Man” since its opening in 2010, sticking with the production throughout the highs and lows. “He stuck with the show despite its turbulent birth, and his humor and knack for comic timing was one reason the musical has thrived,” said Mark Kennedy of The Huffington Post.
According to Jennifer Schuessler of The New York Times, after the revamp of the show in 2011, Page’s character received expanded stage time — the Green Goblin was originally killed off in the first act. Reviews consistently praised Page for his performance. In a 2011 article by Ben Brantley from The New York Times, Page was described as “the one reason for adults unaccompanied by minors to see the show.” Schuessler describes the actor as a “consistent bright spot throughout the show’s troubled development,” with his “gleefully demonic portrayal of the Green Goblin.”
Taking on the role of the Goblin after Page’s departure in August is Tony nominee Robert Cuccioli. Cuccioli gave his Broadway debut in the 1987 production of “Les Miserables,” playing the role of Javert until 1995. According to Kennedy, Cuccioli “knows his way around an alter ego,” which will assist him with this performance as the Green Goblin and his alter ego, Norman Osborn. In 1997, Cuccioli was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance as the two title roles in “Jekyll and Hyde.” Cuccioli is also a Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award winner.
In a statement to Playbill.com, producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris, of “Spider-Man,” expressed their excitement for Cuccioli to join the cast. “There aren’t a lot of actors out there who can pull off utterly likable and totally terrifying at the same time, and so we feel extremely lucky that the great Robert Cuccioli has agreed to take on this role.”
Despite Page’s departure, hopefully the show will continue its popularity as one of Broadway’s top earners. As Schuessler explains, the production’s “huge budget will mean a long road to profitability for its producers.”
