As previously reported here by this Examiner, rumors continue to thrive that Julie Taymor's adaptation of Spider-man: Turn off the Dark is in dire trouble and may not see the light of Broadway. Not so claims the producing entity in a statement to Playbill.com,
"Hello Entertainment is aware of the speculation about the future of Spider-Man on Broadway and is re-confirming that the plan is to resume production shortly and preview on February 25th, 2010 at the Hilton Theatre when cash flow issues have been resolved."
Tickets are still available (and have been since June 24th) for purchase in a special pre-sale program through the American Express card further lending credence to the 'we're still a go' credo.
So it seems Spidey will live to fight crime on the Great White Way. But wait! Today NY Post writer Michael Riedel, in efforts to be just as worthy a nemesis as the Green Goblin, added fuel to the "No Go!" fire by claiming that Evan Rachel Wood is looking to get back film offers once turned down due to conflicts with her attachment to the ill-fated epic. Supposedly Evan Rachel Wood, regardless of how things progress with the show, is now out of the picture. (One can't help but wonder if Riedel's unnamed source is really just proof that even he is reading Ken Davenport's blog).
Should the show truly be in jeopardy, the fallout could significantly affect many of the key-players including Bono, The Edge, Julie Taymor, the producing team, and the Hilton theatre which is already partially involved in it's grand-scale retro-fitting to accomodate the $40 million-plus production. (Read theatre-pro and blogger Jodi Schoenbrun Carter's thoughts about the cost of that lost capital in her blog, Off Stage Right.)
Regardless of how things shake out the general consensus is that the events that lead to getting Spider-man to Broadway (or not?) is a cautionary tale of how important a solid and experienced producer is to a first-class theatrical project. While lead producer David Garfinkle may eventually see his vision for a Broadway version of Spider-man realized, he risks alienating many of his key-players without some immediate and precise damage-control.
Ultimately, this "will they or won't they" bruhaha could turn out to be part of what makes the show successful. The controversy surrounding their troubled road to Broadway has now made Spiderman: Turn off the Dark a must see event (should it ever get it's Opening) not just for comic book fans and movie-buffs but for the Broadway industry in general if for no other reason than to see what all the fuss was about. Spider-man could save the day after all.
But just when there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel, a way for Spidey to fight back, that pesky rumored weekly operating cost of 900k rears its ugly head reminding us all just how ill-fated the webbed crusader's chances might be.
Sadly, I think Spider-man has met his match in the villain I like to call "Accounting".
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