Mike Fleming

Broadway’s Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark has shut down for a three-week hiatus, a performance stoppage that had been expected. The show will implement all the changes from the original Julie Taymor-directed musical that were made by replacement director Philip William McKinley and playwright/comic book writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. The producers hope these will solve many of the structural problems that got the musical drubbed by critics tiring of the endless opening-night postponements. Will three weeks be long enough to turn around a rough run low-lighted by safety violations and a roster of wounded actors? Here’s the official release:

New York, NY – Following its historic matinee performance on Sunday, April 17, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark embarks on a three-week hiatus for technical rehearsals before unveiling the new version of the mega musical on Thursday, May 12. The original staging of SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark played its final performances to sold-out houses. The official opening night of the new SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark is set for Tuesday, June 14th at the Foxwoods Theatre (213 West 42nd Street).

The revamping of SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark represents an unprecedented and historic moment on Broadway. The new version takes the best aspects of the original, adds great new songs by Bono and The Edge, tells the story from a different angle, and will offer an even more thrilling audience experience.

Lead producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris said, in a joint statement, “We salute the artists and performers who have made this show an exciting reality, and we look forward to getting to the finish line with the wonderful new version of SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark that is now in the works, with Phil McKinley at the helm.”

It was recently announced that Philip William McKinley, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and Chase Brock have joined the creative team to help implement new staging, assist with book rewrites, and create additional choreography, respectively. McKinley has vast experience directing technically complex productions on Broadway and beyond. Aguirre-Sacasa is an acclaimed playwright, screenwriter (Big Love) and a noted writer of Spider-Man comic books. Brock is an innovative choreographer experienced with large Broadway shows.

Tickets for SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark are priced from $67.50 – $135 for weekday performances and $67.50 – $140 for weekend performances and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling (877) 250-2929. Tickets are also available at the Foxwoods Theatre box office, which will remain open during the show’s hiatus. The box office is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.