Every good superhero dies. Superman got his beatdown courtesy of Doomsday, Wallflower was assassinated by a sniper, and now Spider-Man has his sob story to tell – sort of. What, pray tell, finally did the wallcrawler in? Broadway. Yes, according to Rolling Stone, U2’s much-troubled Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark musical will be shut down for three weeks while producers overhaul the $65 million production.
The show, which was set to make its official opening on March 15th, could close its doors for a period of time from late April through early May. While no details on the shutdown have been revealed, the New York Times reports that one of the changes may be the departure of director Jule Taymor. Taymor’s been the creative energy behind the project since day one, but reports from within the production say producers blame her for the show’s disastrous preview at Foxwood Theater.
The Daily Mail has similar news, reporting that Taymor’s exit stems from Bono’s return to the production. Apparently seeing the show after their recent tour, Bono and The Edge suggested changes, which Taymor reportedly rejected and led to her absence from recent rehearsals. “When she lost the trust of Bono,” one insider said, “that was it for her.”
According to the the Times, Christopher Ashley, who has directed The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Philip William McKinley, the director of The Boy From Oz, are in discussions to take over for Taymor. This recent development is another bump in the production’s storied history. After stalling out due to financial concerns back in July 2010, the show rebounded slightly thanks to a recent appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman. In mid-February, the show hired comic book writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa to rework the story, but was then hit with a fine by OSHA for workplace safety violations. Ouch. Sort of makes the days of Green Goblin and Doc Ock seem like child’s play now, huh?
We’ll keep you informed.