Help is on the way for the financially plagued “Spider-Man” Broadway musical.
Reports say U2 rocker Bono, who along with The Edge wrote the score for “Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark,” is coming to the show’s rescue by raising the funds necessary to keep it afloat.
The $45 million musical, which will star Evan Rachel Wood as Mary Jane Watson and Alan Cumming as the Green Goblin, is set to preview at the Hilton Theatre on 42nd Street on February 25, 2010, but work on the show was suspended last month because producers reportedly ran out of money.
Since then, “Spider-Man” has been rumored to be doomed.
When Disney announced its purchase of Marvel Entertainment, which owns the Spiderman character, some speculated “Spider-Man” the musical would be bailed out.
But instead, international rock star and peacemaker Bono has come to save the day.
New York Post columnist Michael Riedel said: "Bono's too smart to put his own money in the show, but word on the street is that he's tapped into his vast network of rich friends and business associates to restart production.
"Bono feeds half of Africa. So raising a few more million for Spider-Man shouldn't be too difficult."
The Irish rocker, along with U2 guitarist The Edge, penned the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical, which was unveiled last year with grandiose ambitions.
Bono’s name has been closely linked with the project. He even came up with the title, which was inspired by a story Bono heard of a child who would ask his father to "Turn off the dark" instead of "Turn on the light."
So the Irishman is said to be “furious” and “embarrassed” by the debacle surrounding the show.
Modest construction was set to continue on Wednesday at the Hilton, but according to the New York Times, “actors have yet to be reassured that the musical is on, and full-scale work on the multimillion-dollar scenery is still on hold.”
“Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark” will be directed by Tony winner Julie Taymor, and according to press notes: “spins a new take on the mythic tale of a young man propelled from a modest rowhouse in Queens to the sky-scraping spire of the Chrysler Building, the bustling offices of the Daily Bugle, through the dizzying canyons of Manhattan, to new vistas never before seen.
"The musical follows the story of 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."
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