FREEZE FRAME: SPIDER-MAN Turns 2 & Celebrates $2 Million Week

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark will begin its second year with tomorrow evening's (Tuesday) performance at The Foxwoods Theatre. The occasion was celebrated at yesterday's matinee performance with the on-stage presentation of a giant (seven foot) cake in the shape of the iconic Chrysler Building. SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark began preview performances on November 28, 2010, and has become one of the most famous theatrical events in Broadway history.

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark has been seen by more than 600,000 audience members from around the world. In the sold-out audience at yesterday's matinee were visitors from Brazil, Japan, Germany, Canada, The United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Mexico, Iceland, The Netherlands, Argentina, Spain, Israel and Egypt, among other nations. Also in attendance were super-fans Ashley Naglieri, seeing the show for her 50th time, and actress Poppy Montgomery and her son Jackson, who made their 12th visit.

Producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris added, "We were staunchly committed to getting this show open and to doing whatever we could so that SPIDER-MAN would be in New York City for this year and those to come. We're thrilled with the incredible response from our fantastic audiences at each and every performance."

Producers Cohl and Harris also announced this morning that SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark has set an all-time box office record for the Foxwoods Theatre – grossing a whopping $2,070,195.60 for the week ending yesterday.

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark features music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy® Award-winners Bono and The Edge, direction by Philip William McKinley (The Boy From Oz), original direction by Tony® Award-winner Julie Taymor (The Lion King, Across The Universe, Frida), and book co-written by Taymor, Glen Berger (Underneath The Lintel) and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Fantastic Four and Spider-Man comics, "Big Love"). The show currently stars Reeve Carney as "Peter Parker/Spider-Man," Patrick Page as "Norman Osborn/Green Goblin," Rebecca Faulkenberry as "Mary Jane Watson," and Christina Sajous as "Arachne."

In the past year of performances at The Foxwoods Theatre, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark has been the most media covered show in Broadway history, from "Saturday Night Live" to "The Simpsons" to "Conan" to "South Park" to the cover of The New Yorker.

Inspired by nearly 50 years of Marvel comic books, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark follows the story of teenager Peter Parker, whose unremarkable life is turned upside-down when he's bitten by a genetically altered spider and wakes up the next morning clinging to his bedroom ceiling. This bullied science-geek suddenly endowed with incredible powers soon learns, however, that with great power comes great responsibility as villains put both his physical strength and strength of character to the test.

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark now plays the following performance schedule: Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 p.m., and Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

Photo by Walter McBride / Retna Ltd.

Patrick Page, Reeve Carney & Company attend the backstage celebration for 'SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark' as it marks a milestone one year of performances on Broadway, Foxwoods Theatre in New York City.