Hello Entertainment, one of the producers of the big-budget musical, released a statement to the Times explaining production had been suspended due to "an unexpected cash flow problem."
The statement, however, added, "The plans necessary for this correction are in hand now, and it is expected that activities, including work in the theater, will resume within the immediate future and with no material impact upon the planned production schedule."
Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark is currently scheduled to begin previews at Broadway's Hilton Theatre Feb. 25, 2010. A spokesperson for the musical previously told Variety that the work stoppage is not expected to affect the preview date.
Evan Rachel Wood will play Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker's girlfriend, and Tony winner Alan Cumming will star as Norman Osborn (aka Green Goblin), Spider-Man's most notorious nemesis.
The Lion King's Taymor directs. Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark features music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge and a book by Taymor and Glen Berger. Drawing from over 40 years of Marvel comic books, Spider-Man, 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."
The creative team also includes choreographer Daniel Ezralow ("Across the Universe," The Green Bird), set designer George Tsypin (The Magic Flute, The Little Mermaid), costume designer Eiko Ishioka (Academy Award for "Bram Stoker's Dracula," Tony nomination for M. Butterfly), lighting designer Donald Holder (Tony Awards for The Lion King, South Pacific), sound designer Jonathan Deans (Fosse Young Frankenstein, Ragtime) and musical supervisor Teese Gohl ("Across the Universe," "Frida").
The musical will be produced on Broadway by Hello Entertainment/David Garfinkle, Martin McCallum, Marvel Entertainment/David Maisel, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Jeremiah Harris. It will be produced in association with Omneity Entertainment/Richard Weinberg, the Mayerson/Gould/Hauser/Tysoe Group, Patricia Lambrecht and Jam Theatricals/S2BN Entertainment.
Interested theatregoers, who possess an AmEx card, can call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will go on sale to the general public Sept. 12.
Group tickets are also now on sale by calling (800) Broadway.
The Hilton Theatre is located in Manhattan at 213 West 42nd Street.
For more information visit www.SpidermanOnBroadway.com.
