Monday, June 29, 2009

Peter Parker TBA

I keep meaning to give you updates on Spider-Man:Turn Off the Dark, the 2010 Broadway musical. It keeps slipping my mind. Perhaps it's a psychological entertainment defense mechanism because the project seems like such a potential stinker. A superhero musical? Even if you can imagine the songs in your head (I can't), one wonders how the stage craft can manage webslinging and swinging? It better look better than the vine work in Broadway's Tarzan, he said gagging.

Two of the three principal roles have been cast so it's time to discuss.


Alan Cumming the Broadway Diva, X-Man, Gay Celebrity and Fragrance Hawker will be playing The Green Goblin. That seems like an inspired choice to me and I smell another TONY nod unless this things a disaster. Will this role make Cumming the first actor to have played two different famous characters within the Marvel Universe?

Kirsten Dunst might want to warn the new Mary Jane -- that'd be Evan Rachel Wood -- that playing Spider-Man's girl can be a thankless chore. If you're in New York next spring and you can part with $100+, you'll be able to hear the young star belting live. I only hope that Bono and The Edge (they're doing the song score), give her an 11th hour number called "Tiger". I also hope the book writer doesn't let Mary Jane swing towards the mopey on stage. Y'all know I love Kiki (an unpopular affection to be sure) but the Spider-Man film franchise didn't do her many favors when they decided to make MJ a sadder and less sassy girlfriend than she was in the comic books.

Julie Taymor (Frida, Across the Universe) is directing this unwieldy beast. She was buried in an avalanche of praise when she brought The Lion King to the stage many years back but can "it can't be done!" lightning strike twice?

They still haven't announced who is playing Spider-Man himself, though tickets are already on pre-sale. One wonders if the producers will choose a Broadway star for Peter Parker or shove another movie name without stage experience into the mix ... though if they do spend the money for a name one will also have to wonder why an already expensive Broadway production would pay for a "name" when the production itself comes with instant pre-sale name recognition.
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8 comments:

Sally Belle said...

Who's the movie name without stage experience that's already in the mix?

Peter Parker is...not a name anything...unless you count his band...and his genes.

NATHANIEL R said...

wait. what?

i'm slow today.

Pivo said...

I'm affraid this may mark the beggining of the Curse of The Sequel in Broadway. If it S-U-C-C-E-E-D-S, we will have not only "SpiderMan 2" in 2014, but also "Avenue R", "Summer awakening" and "The hours: Another Daldry Musical".

mB said...

As far as I had heard (through the grapevine of course) Peter Parker was supposed to be a no-name... but said no-name turned it down, expect the new addition to the cast to surface sometime soon ;-)

Arkaan said...

I thought Jim Sturgess was being talked up for Spider-Man???

Sally Belle said...

"... or shove another movie name without stage experience into the mix."
I wondered who you were referring to?


Also, and I didn't express this well...But, the actor who is going to be playing Peter...is not a name in movies or theatre...but, he does have a band, and a famous relative....and he is an actor.

crossoverman said...

@Pivo - Taymor has talked about this project a little, saying this one show is trying to encapsulate the whole Spider-Man story, ie. it's not just an origin show - and it should explore Peter/Spidey over a large swathe of his life. This explains why there are so many villains in the show as well - because it's supposed to be set in different periods of Peter's life.

I'm really hoping a Broadway star is cast as Peter - or even a Broadway nobody. Scatter names throughout the supporting cast. Put them in the smaller villain roles. Spider-Man is name recognition enough.

If anyone can pull off the wire work involved, it'll be Taymor. She's been working on the show for nearly eight years now. I think the bigger question is if Bono & The Edge can compose interesting musical songs, that explore character, set a scene and tell a story.

I'm intrigued enough to be putting on my list of Shows to See when I finally make it to NYC next year.

Sally Belle said...

Crossoverman...It is not a Broadway star who will be playing Peter Parker. But, he's is going to be great and become a star pretty fast. Remember this is a rock opera type musical with circus elements and ....hell, it's Julie Taymor, who can explain it?

Anyhoo....the actor playing Peter is in a band....and has a better voice then Sturgess, and can act and is really cute! I think everyone will be happy.

Nathaniel...wow, I did sound like I was on drugs. Well, I was, but that was 30 years ago.