Tell-all book about Broadway’s ‘Spider-Man’ arriving in November
It’s a book that will appeal to Broadway fans and Comic-Con habitues alike.
“The Song of Spider-Man: The Inside Story of the Most Controversial Musical in Broadway History” promises to be a juicy tell-all of the backstage politics and backstabbing that went on during the development of the superhero musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.”
The book, written by the show’s co-scriptwriter Glen Berger, now has a street date of Nov. 5. Berger was brought on board by director Julie Taymor to help write the book for the musical, but the pair eventually had a falling-out, as revealed in court papers filed by Taymor after she was fired from the troubled production.
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Taymor actually had a falling-out with many members of the show’s creative team, including U2 musicians Bono and the Edge, as well as producers Jeremiah Harris and Michael Cohl. In April, both sides announced that the lawsuit between them had been settled out of court.
The exact contents of Berger’s book remain under wraps, but publisher Simon & Schuster said in its media material for the book that the author “reveals every aspect -- the highs and lows -- of the production and in doing so, takes us inside the theatrical process in a way few authors can.
“‘The Song of Spider-Man’ is the ultimate fly-on-the-wall account of how Broadway works, how big musicals are made, and how great artists continue to dream, even in the midst of a nightmare.”
Emmys 2013: Top nominees | Complete list | Recap | Winners timelineIn court papers, Taymor claimed that Berger and set designer George Tsypin conspired against her to create the so-called Plan X, an attempt make changes to the musical without Taymor’s knowledge during the show’s preview period.
Berger is a playwright and television writer primarily for children’s shows.
“Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” is still running at the Foxwoods Theatre in New York. The musical has a price tag estimated at $75 million, and it remains unclear when, if ever, the show will break even.
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Troubled ‘Spider-Man’ is beaten but unbowed
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