‘Spider-Man’ Musical Will Be Shut Down For Creative Overhaul
The producers of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark are planning to shut down the show for up to three weeks while the troubled musical is given a major overhaul that could involve the departure of director Julie Taymor, according to the New York Times.
The details of the shutdown have not been set, but the Times‘ sources say that it will probably happen in late April through early May. During this time, the cast would take a short break before beginning new rehearsals for the revised portions of the show. As a result of this shutdown, the official opening date for the musical will have to be pushed back once again, likely to sometime in June. The current opening is set for March 15th.
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Taymor’s potential departure could change the show drastically. She has been the musical’s creative mastermind since the beginning, and has shouldered much of the blame for its overwhelmingly negative reviews during its extended preview run at the Foxwoods Theater. According to the Times’ sources, Christopher Ashley, the director of Memphis and The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Philip William McKinley, the director of The Boy From Oz, are in talks with the producers about joining the show, possibly as Taymor’s replacement.