Producers are turning the lights off forever on the Spider-Man musical on Broadway early next year, the final chapter in the story of most expensive theatrical show ever that shook off a troubled launch to become a hit and is now limping away to Las Vegas.
Rick Miramontez, a spokesman for the show, said in a statement last week that “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” will end its run in January and will next appear in Vegas. “Further details will be announced in the weeks to come,” he said.
The show’s box office take — once putting it among Broadway’s biggest earners — sprung a leak this summer and never recovered. It last broke the $1 million mark in mid-August and has limped through a dismal fall. Producers had said it needed to make $1.2 million a week just to break even.
The musical, with songs by U2’s Bono and The Edge, is now routinely discounting tickets and a move to a smaller venue doesn’t make financial sense.
“Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” was Broadway’s most expensive show with a price tag of $75 million and had a rocky start, with six delays in its opening night, injuries to several actors, a shake-up that led to the firing of original director Julie Taymor and critical drubbing.
One of the lead producers says moving the show to Las Vegas makes sense because Sin City has always been a better fit for the splashy musical than the Great White Way.
“We can have a more exciting and better show in Las Vegas. To me, Las Vegas is the town of show business,” Michael Cohl said. “If you look at our show, it’s much, much more a spectacle and a Vegas show than a Broadway show. So I think we’re going to have a great time there.”
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