Posted July 20, 200816 yr http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle4364944.ece Bono weaves Spider-Man a web of music The U2 singer and guitar ace The Edge have penned all 18 songs for a Broadway musical about the comicbook arachnid hero Eithne Shortall HEARD the one about the spider and the fly? They got together and created a Broadway musical and album. Having composed the music for the forthcoming Broadway production of Spider-Man, Bono and the Edge will release a U2 album based on their musical adaptation of the comic books. The singer — who styled himself The Fly on U2’s Zoo TV tour — and the guitarist have written 18 tracks for Spider-Man: The Musical, a $25m (¤16m) production that is due to open in New York in October 2009. The band will rework some of the musical numbers and include them on the album, which is due to follow their next release this October. Teese Gohl, the project’s musical supervisor and who has worked on films such as Frida and The Butcher Boy, said his task was to show the two musicians how to write for a musical and for a female vocalist. He said it was a complicated project because Bono and the Edge were writing with both the musical and their album in mind. “When you write songs for a musical you have to think drama and multiple singers,” he said. “This was particularly important for them because they’re used to writing for just one man.” The U2 pair have now completed the 18 tracks and only have to finish off the incidental music to be used between scenes and played in the background. They used a 20- to 30-piece orchestra for the score — something rarely heard in modern musicals. The production will open and close with Boy Falling from the Sky, one of the show’s most intricate pieces. Other songs include Bouncing off the Walls, which will accompany the first transformation of Peter Parker into Spider-Man, and Rise Above, a number written for Mary Jane, the female lead. They have also written numbers for Arachne, the Spider-Woman villain who was a relatively minor character in the comic book series. U2 are not planning to record all the songs. Gohl said the album that the band have just completed is “entirely different”. Bono last year described the score as “punk rock” and “beautiful opera”. He added: “If we pull off what we’re trying, it will be something the likes of which no one has seen or heard. It should be a hallucinogenic experience for theatre-goers. “You have the visual energy she brings. The myth of the arachnid and the elasticity of these characters, you can turn theatre upside down.” Taymor, who previously directed the Lion King musical and Across the Universe, a cinematic musical based on Beatles songs, is overseeing the project. She first made contact with U2 through Elliot Goldenthal, her companion and an Oscar award-winning composer. Open auditions for the lead roles of Peter Parker and Mary Jane will be held in New York next week. Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood, the stars of Across the Universe, are considering taking roles. Casting was originally planned for last year but difficulty in finding a venue slowed down the project. Gohl said: “We couldn’t find an appropriate space because we needed somewhere with no balconies. It is a huge production and balconies would obstruct people’s view. There was even talk about building a theatre or setting up a tent. But they finally found a venue and we have a theatre in Manhattan now so it can go ahead.” Bono and the Edge previously penned GoldenEye, the theme tune to the James Bond film of the same name, which was performed by Tina Turner.
October 10, 200816 yr Author http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/a13233...40-million.html Bono's 'Spider-Man' costing $40 million Friday, October 10 2008, 18:24 BST By Sarah Rollo The Broadway version of Spider-Man looks likely to become one of the most expensive musical productions in theatrical history. The show, which features a score by U2's Bono, currently has a budget of $40 million (£23 million). Marvel announced last month that it could be ready to open on Broadway next year. However, it has been reported that some people involved are becoming concerned about the production's spiralling costs. "It's off the charts," a source told the New York Post. The interpretation is being directed by Julie Taymor and is said to include lavish stage sets and costumes.
December 16, 200816 yr Author http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/12/16/bono-...r-theatregoers/ Bono On ‘Spider-Man: The Musical’: ‘A Hallucinogenic Experience For Theatregoers’ Published by Casey Seijas on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 at 12:13 pm. Sure, on the surface, Broadway musicals and comic books go together like Tony Stark and a six-pack of O’Doul’s, but when you’ve got the musical miracle workers that are Bono and The Edge from U2 (who are co-writing “Spider-Man: The Musical“), fantastical funnybook magic can happen. Hot on the heels of reports that Evan Rachel Wood had joined the cast to play Mary Jane Watson in the production, the U.K.’s Times Online published an extensive piece on “Spider-Man: The Musical,” and how Broadway’s current ticket sales slump may affect the show. However, we’re gonna eschew the prevailing gloom-and-doom of that piece, and focus on what Bono had to say about his plans for the musical, which is reportedly gearing up to be the most expensive to ever run on NYC’s Great White Way. According to the Times piece, Bono says that the show will be “something the likes of which no one has seen or heard,” and says the music will be “part punk rock and part opera.” “It should be a hallucinogenic experience for theatregoers,” he said in the report. “You have the visual energy brings. The myth of the arachnid and the elasticity of these characters — you can turn theatre upside down.” As we’ve already mentioned here on Splash Page, “Spider-Man: The Musical” is set to move into the Hilton Theater on January 4 (once the current production of “Young Frankenstein” ends) and is expected to begin performances sometime in 2009. Julie Traymor will direct the show, and rumored to be joining Wood will be her “Across the Universe” co-star, Jim Sturgess, who will take on the role of Peter Parker (a.k.a. Spider-Man).
December 21, 200816 yr Author Part of an interview with Evan Rachel Wood From http://www.mediablvd.com/magazine/the_news...0812211481.html http://i43.tinypic.com/9uagxw.jpg MediaBlvd> How do you feel about getting to play Mary Jane in the Spider-Man musical on Broadway? Evan> I’m really excited! It’s Julie Taymor, who did The Lion King on Broadway, and she’s doing the same thing with this. I remember hearing The Lion King was going to be on Broadway and wondering how that would be, but then Julie Taymor just takes it to this whole other level. That’s what she’s doing with Spider-Man. Bono and The Edge (of U2) are doing the music for it. I did the workshop and the little run-through of it, and it’s awesome. It’s really spectacular. They’re using new technology and wirework, and Spider-Man never sings in tights, only as Peter Parker. A man does not sing in Spandex. MediaBlvd> Have you gotten any of the music yet? Evan> Yeah. I had to do a read-through of it for Marvel, in person, that was kind of an audition. So, I’ve heard all the music and it’s so good. It makes me cry. MediaBlvd> Did you work with Bono and The Edge on the songs themselves? Evan> Yeah. They would say, “We wrote this song. Sing it.” Jim Sturgess, who played Jude in Across the Universe, did the workshop with me. We’re still trying to convince him to play Spider-Man. But, I got to read it with him and he’s such a huge U2 fan. There was one time he was learning the song and Bono and The Edge were playing the other parts, so they were basically his back-up singers, and I just remember taking him to the side and going, “Bono and The Edge were just your back-up singers! Can you just enjoy this moment, right now, for me, please? It’s 4th of July. We’re never going to forget this!” It was awesome! It was amazing! MediaBlvd> Are the songs the type that, in the tradition of a musical, you have to listen to them in the context of the story, or are the songs more stand-alone? Evan> I think you can hear them just on their own. One of the cool things about it being Bono and The Edge is that they actually sound like hit songs. The soundtrack will be good too because they’re like pop songs. MediaBlvd> Was there one song, when you first heard it, that you thought it would definitely be a hit? Evan> Yeah. There are a couple. I love my solo. It’s just a beautiful song. I said, “It’s like the ‘On My Own’ moment from Les Miserables.” It’s that kind of feeling. I’m obsessed with David Bowie and my favorite David Bowie song is “Ashes to Ashes.” I heard this song and it has this twangy instrument in it, and they looked at me and said, “We wanted this song to sound like ‘Ashes to Ashes,’” and I just went, “Whoa!” MediaBlvd> When you signed on for Spider-Man, how long of a commitment did you have to give? Evan> It’s going to be a year total. But, I’ve always wanted to do it and I’m never going to get another opportunity like that again -- originating a role on Broadway with Julie, and with so many people that worked on Across the Universe. It’s just the most fun! Across the Universe was eight months, so it’s not that much longer. I can’t wait! MediaBlvd> How do you feel about taking the time out from your film career to do this big project? Evan> I’ve been asked to do Broadway in the past and I haven’t because I’ve been too afraid to leave, but I think this is just too special to pass up. And, after going through so much with film, I just need a break, and to do something that is going to be really fulfilling for me, every night, is just going to be a great experience. I don’t think it’s really going to take me out of the game. I think it’s going to be big. Everybody will go see it, so I’m not too worried about it. MediaBlvd> How long is the rehearsal process? Evan> Three months. We start in June and we go into October. MediaBlvd> What is the story? Does it follow the comic book or the films’ storyline? Evan> It’ll pull some things from the films, but it’s based more on the comic book and the origin of Spider-Man, even before there was a Spider-Man. It’s going to be a little different. There’s going to be old villains and new villains. Wait until you see the villains! I wish I could tell you who the villain is. MediaBlvd> Are there villains we’ve never seen in the comics or movies? Evan> Yeah. There’s one that’s more of a Greek mythology kind of thing. I can’t say the name, but it’s going to be awesome. MediaBlvd> Having done episodic television, studio films, independent features and now stage plays, what’s been the most grueling schedule for you? Evan> Woody Allen was pretty grueling, I’ve gotta say. Comedy, just because I wasn’t used to it, was definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done. MediaBlvd> You’ve really blossomed and transformed since you first came to recognition with Thirteen. Has it been hard growing up, in front of the public? Evan> Yeah, and it gets harder and harder. I try to stay away from having my personal life in the press because it’s just too hard and, unfortunately, I’m kind of a weird girl, so it draws attention sometimes. It is hard having to deal with those judgments. No matter how much you want to say, “It doesn’t bother me,” it’s never fun. And, it does interfere with your life a lot, so that’s another reason why I’m glad to be stepping out for a bit and doing theater. I just need a break for a bit.
February 25, 200916 yr Author From http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/inde...-february-2010/ U2 “Spider-Man” Musical Swinging Onto Broadway February 2010 http://i42.tinypic.com/2eg6wde.jpg Photo: Parra/FilmMagic(Bono), Honda/AFP/Getty (Spiderman) The planned Spider-Man musical, featuring music and lyrics by U2’s Bono and the Edge, will make its Broadway debut in February 2010. Previews of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark start January 16th, with the musical’s official starting date February 18th at the Hilton Theatre. Julie Taymor, director of film musical Across the Universe, is set to direct. Bono and the Edge assuredly had no shortage of material to contribute to the musical — they’re incredibly prolific these days, penning 50 to 60 songs during their No Line on the Horizon recording sessions. The real test for the Irish band’s comic book knowledge surely came into play when they wrote the musical’s lyrics. We’re hoping for a tender eight-arms-to-hold-you ballad sung by Dr. Octopus. While no casting announcements have been made yet, The Wrestler actress Evan Rachel Wood has long lobbied for the role of Peter Parker’s girlfriend Mary Jane. Wood appeared in Taymor’s Across the Universe alongside actor Jim Sturgess, who has been rumored to play Peter Parker. According to the press release, “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.” Rolling Stone will have more details about the Spider-Man musical in the next issue, so keep an eye on stands.
June 10, 200916 yr Author http://www.gigwise.com/news/51203/U2s-Bono...roadway-Musical U2's Bono And The Edge Speak About Spider-Man Broadway Musical Which opens in 2010... * by Jason Gregory * Wednesday, June 10, 2009 U2's Bono and The Edge have spoken about their involvement in the Broadway adaptation of comic book hero Spider-Man. The two musicians have recorded lyrics and music for the production, which is due to open next February. In an video interview with U2Place, Bono said the pair had agreed to do the project because of the relationship between comics and rock music. “We were open to the idea of musical theater, but Spider-Man, that’s a different thing again, because that’s comic books, and there’s a whole series of relations between punk rock and rock bands and comic books, that goes back years,” he said. The Edge also revealed they had also been inspired by the story of Peter Parker – the ordinary man who transforms into Spider-Man in the books. “Every rock & roll star probably started out as the geek who got bullied on in school, and eventually their form of revenge was to write songs or learn to play guitar,” the guitarist said. Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark is being directed by Julie Taymor and adapted for the stage by scriptwriter Glenn Berger. The musical will open on February 18th, with previews commencing on January 16th.
August 7, 200915 yr Author http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/...sical_in_t.html Spider-Man Musical on Hiatus, Out of Money Michael Riedel reports this morning that production on 2010's Julie Taymor–directed, U2-scored Broadway musical Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark — now budgeted at $45 million, apparently — is on "hiatus" because money's run out. Hilariously, that's not even its most pressing problem. The show's lead producer, David Garfinkle, a Chicago showbiz lawyer with little producing experience who magically usurped authority following the death of the original producer in 2005, has been unable to reign in Taymor's excesses, hence the out-of-control budget, says Riedel. Even Bono's mad! Garfinkle's reportedly lost the faith of both Marvel and Sony, and they'll likely replace him "by the weekend" with the full backing of Bono and the Edge (we hope they'll be in the room when it happens, standing behind David Maisel with their arms folded and heads shaking), after which production will probably resume. A spokesman for the show insists that "there is no change in the production team" and that Spider-Man is still on track to start previews on February 25 and open the following March. But this week's stoppage isn't even the first one — back in June, when the budget was still a measly $40 million, Riedel reported that work had halted because a bank loan required for renovations to the Hilton Theatre hadn't come through. If you think all this sounds bad, just imagine how much worse it'd be if they'd hired Josh Bednarsky. 'SPIDER-MAN' NEEDS RESCUE [NYP]
August 24, 200915 yr http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertai...e-14465493.html U2's Spiderman musical has bit of an Edge Monday, 24 August 2009 Bono has finally revealed new details of the long-awaited Spider-Man musical he is writing with bandmate The Edge. The U2 rockers have written the music and lyrics for the Broadway production Turn Off The Dark, and Bono said their version of Peter Parker is very different from the comic book. The singer said: “Our Peter Parker is much more ... not Kurt Cobain, but a kind of slacker, a more kind of shy sort of guy.” According to Bono, the musical – set to open in 2010 – will have opera and rock ’n’ roll elements and will feature a new female villain. He said: “We've got a new villain, it’s a girl. It’s a very extraordinary role. We’ve taken it to a much more dizzy place than you’d expect.” And while he would give too much away about the actors involved, he did confirm American actress Evan Rachel Wood would play the part of MJ.
October 23, 200915 yr Author http://www.411mania.com/music/news/119960/...layed-Again.htm U2's Spider-Man Musical Delayed Again Posted by Mitch Michaels on 10.23.2009 Are they ever going to give this up? "Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark", an upcoming musical featuring music by U2's Bono & The Edge, has been delayed again, this time until Spring of 2010. The delay is due to weeks of production delays and ongoing financial difficulties. The original premiere date was February 25th, but an executive has stated there was "no way" that rehearsals for the musical would begin on schedule this fall. The show's production was halted completely over the summer when producers were unable to get together enough cash. Rumor has it even Bono himself is trying to recruit new investors for the show to go on. :(
October 23, 200915 yr How annoying. How much can it cost anyway? I mean it is bound to make it back several times ove.r
March 12, 201015 yr Author From http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/inde...an-rachel-wood/ U2’s “Spider-Man” Musical Loses Star Evan Rachel Wood http://i39.tinypic.com/2jtzrp.jpg Photo: Parra/FilmMagic(Bono), Honda/AFP/Getty (Spiderman), Walker/Getty(Wood), Ward/WireImage(Cumming) The delayed Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Broadway show featuring music by U2’s Bono and the Edge will have to find a new Mary Jane. Producers have confirmed that Evan Rachel Wood, the actress originally cast in the role of Peter Parker’s love interest, has left the musical, Variety reports. Wood exited the production due to a “scheduling conflict”; financial troubles pushed Turn Off the Dark’s opening well beyond its original February 25th preview premiere date. Variety writes that Spider-Man will likely begin its preview run in late summer and open around Halloween, though those dates remain unconfirmed by the show’s production team. “She’s the greatest actor of her generation, she’s the one to watch,” Bono said of Wood after her casting was announced. “She happens to sing like a bird, it’s like a true voice. She’s a very pure spirit and a very bright mind and she brings the part of MJ to life, really.” As Rolling Stone previously reported, a “cash flow problem” temporarily shut down production on Spider-Man in August, just two months after it was revealed that Wood, who previously worked with Turn Off the Dark director Julie Taymor in Across the Universe, would play Mary Jane and Alan Cumming had been cast as the musical’s villain, the Green Goblin. Singer Reeve Carney of the band Carney was later added to play Peter Parker, or Spider-Man without the mask on, in the show. The budget for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has reportedly grown to about $50 million dollars, making it one of the most expensive shows in Broadway history. The official Spider-Man on Broadway site hasn’t been updated yet to reflect Wood’s departure. Fans who previously bought tickets to Spider-Man’s received refunds after the show was delayed.
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