Thanks to a segment on today’s Good Morning America, we know a lot more about upcoming Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, and what’s been revealed is unlikely to dispel any positive or negative preconceived notions you may have had about the existence of a Spider-Man Broadway musical.
Yep, that’s the “Lady Gaga’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas” design for the production’s Green Goblin up there, as revealed by Tony-winning director Julie Taymor. She also debuted a new villain created for the play, one with an outfit comprised of Swiss Army knives and poised to “cut New York to pieces.” Her name? Swiss Miss, of course. Looks sort of Grace Jones-meets-Heavy Metal.
Taymor and U2′s Bono and The Edge, who wrote the music for Turn Off The Dark and appeared via satellite from a France tour date, were interviewed on the ABC morning show by George Stephanopoulos. As you watch this clip, keep in mind that Stephanopoulos served as White House Communications Director during the Clinton administration when you hear him say things like “our Spidey senses are tingling this morning.”
Reeve Carney, Turn Off The Dark’s Peter Parker, was also interviewed. Best part: “Peter Parker, and, we’re not giving anything away, Spider-Man, right?” Foolish morning show personality! Doc Ock might be watching!
He also performed a song, the distinctly U2-ish “The Boy Falls From the Sky.” (Sorry for the “camera pointed at a TV” quality of the video.)
As the most expensive Broadway musical of all time, it’s getting a lot of hype, and attention this week from the likes of Entertainment Weekly and USA Today. But not everyone is psyched. Peter David, writer of classic Spidey tale “The Death of Jean DeWolff,” expressed some misgivings today on his blog, specifically about the inherent camp value of the name “Swiss Miss.”
Look, I desperately want to see the musical be a hit, if for no other reason than that it’s always fun to see nay-sayers get it in the teeth. But really, if it’s a villain, and you’ve got two and a half hours to establish her as a threat, naming her after a brand of hot cocoa really isn’t the way to go.
Previews start at Manhattan’s Foxwoods Theatre on November 14, with the official show open set for December 21.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
Taymor’s description didn’t make it sound exactly like they were going to be spending two and a half hours establishing “Swiss Miss” as a massive Spidey threat. in fact, if anything i got the impression that she’d be a rather minor threat…the avant garde theatre equivalent of the Shocker (you want to talk about camp value names. :p). i love the set designs. i always need to see costumes in motion before i decide one way or another. and the song is awesome. i can’t wait for this!
September 11th, 2010 at 2:01 am
Yeah–in fact, I’d wager that Swiss Miss is a red herring–those reports of Arachne from way-back-when (that then got hushed up) sound more like something Julie would feature….
September 11th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Looks awful and I don’t want the foul stench of Bono and ‘The Edge’ all over my beloved Spiderman. What an abomination.
September 11th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
Wow the Green Goblin looks totally gay there. No not lame, gay. Homo erotic. Like from a pride parade in New Orleans.
September 11th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Is it just me or would Reeve Carney make a cool Harry Osborn??
September 13th, 2010 at 5:37 am
When tickets went on sale (the first time) I jumped at the chance to pick some up. The cast sounded amazing, I’m an old school U2 fan, and I love comic books. Then little by little you had the delays, the cast leaving, more delays. I called American Express who handled the pre-sale, and I got my money back.
When the show re-solidified I got an email letting me know I was getting early access to tickets for the show, I passed. I’m glad I did. Swiss Miss, Gagoblin, pop up book set with a giant Spider-man. Not to mention the wearing your sister’s jeans, twilight pale emo spider-man they cast.
Maybe it will be the greatest show ever! My birthday is November 14th, a positive review would be my just deserts, a negative one? The icing on the cake.
September 14th, 2010 at 12:04 am
man the 2 villians look like there right out of power rangers..that is to say the pre power rangers Super sentai from 1974
September 14th, 2010 at 1:55 am
@XERO:
When it comes to costume design, progress is decidedly slow in Hollywood.
September 14th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Little by little my childhood hero is destroyed more and more. The same Spiderman who has defeated the likes of the Sandman, Dock Ock, Kraven the Hunter and the Green Goblin is now being killed by actors and producers. Who will save Spiderman?
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