SPOTLIGHT


By far, the Broadway show that is causing the most buzz is the stage adaptation of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. And that might not


necessarily be a good thing, either. The $65 million dollar musical about the web-slinging superhero is the most expensive production ever staged on Broadway. The rock musical has music and lyrics by U2’s Bono and The Edge, a book by Julie Taymor (the show’s director) and Glen Berger, and it also features complicated aerial stunts. This is why one of its players, Christopher Tierney, was injured recently


during previews. Tierney plays Spidey in certain parts of the show, as do other actors, so the two stars billed as the title character, Reeve Carney and Matthew James Thomas, don’t get too tuckered out from making all those webs! The show will (and must) go on, beginning on February 7, after it has already had its fair share of setbacks, including rewrites and actress Evan Rachel Wood and actor Alan Cumming dropping out as Mary Jane Watson and The Green Goblin.


Hop on board one of cinema’s most memorable bus rides, as Priscilla Queen of the Desert gets a musical makeover! Don’t forget to pack your giant pump to put on top of said vehicle, just in case you feel like lip synching to opera! The cast will feature Will Swenson as Tick/Mitzi, Tony Sheldon as Bernadette and Jerry Mathers as The Beaver, oopsie, I meant Nick Adams as Adam/Felicia.Seeing as Bette Midler is serving as a


producer for this venture, it’s a safe bet (bad pun, sort of intended) that the Original Broadway Cast Recording is going to be fierce, with a capital F. There are standards that were featured in the film, such as “Shake Your Groove Thing” and “Go West,” and welcome additions from the likes of the Madonna, Donna Summer, Cyndi Lauper and Tina Turner. Funnily enough for a show that will more than likely garner a gay following (no, say it ain’t so, mo!) the Kylie Minogue songs, which were featured in the London West End production, have been cut for American audiences. Opens February 28.


While South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker are certainly no strangers to controversy, they are Broadway virgins, at least in the musical creation sense. The duo has teamed with Avenue Q co-writer Robert Lopez for The Book of Mormon, which details the tale of two


young Mormon missionaries spreading the gospel in a dangerous part of Uganda. Sounds hilarious!? Knowing the creative minds behind the project, it most likely will be when it opens on March 24.


It looks as though London-based musical theater fans are about to embark on a journey down the Yellow Brick Road and will be off to see The


Wizard of Oz. The musical, which is based on the 1939 film with Judy Garland as Dorothy, will include both traditional songs from the movie, as well as new tunes by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.


So, what if you can’t make it to NYC or across the pond, and still want to be entertained? Well, coming to Club Nokia this month is Cirque


Berzerk, the tight knit family of performers who have banded together to put their own edge on the new face of contemporary circus theatre. In addition to that, there will be whistle stops in San Diego and Los Angeles for Cirque Du Soleil’s Michael Jackson The Immortal Tour. The peek inside of the King of Pop’s artistry includes a glimpse at Michael’s inspiring “Giving Tree,” and “the secrets of Michael’s inner world are unlocked,” according to the show’s website. Must. Show. Restraint.


by tim parks


JANUARY 2011 | RAGE monthly 47


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84