DEGRASSI's Jake Epstein Joins SPIDER-MAN, TURN OFF THE DARK as 'Peter Parker' Alternate

Jake Epstein, best known as the star of the hugely popular teen series "Degrassi: The Next Generation," will make his Broadway debut as the Peter Parker / Spider-Man Alternate in Broadway's Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark. Epstein will play Saturday and Sunday matinee performances beginning on December 8, 2012 at the Foxwoods Theatre (213 West 42nd Street).

Matthew James Thomas, the original alternate for star Reeve Carney, played his final performance on Sunday, November 11, 2012 and will soon be seen in the lead role of A.R.T.'s upcoming production of Pippin.

Producer Michael Cohl commented, "Spider-Man may be an iconic American hero, but there is a lot of Canadian pride on our production team and we are delighted to welcome another Canuck into the fold."
Jake Epstein is a Canadian born actor and singer best known for playing Craig Manning on "Degrassi: The Next Generation," a hugely popular Canadian teen drama television franchise. A critical success, "Degrassi: The Next Generation" also aired in the U.S. and was one of the highest-rated shows on TeenNick. No stranger to musical theater, Epstein starred in the First National Touring productions of Green Day's American Idiot (Will), Spring Awakening (Melchior) and the Toronto production of Billy Elliot (Tony).

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark is Broadway's most popular new show and, in the past year, the production has been seen by more than 1 million audience members from around the world. It features music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy® Award-winners Bono and The Edge, direction by Philip William McKinley (The Boy From Oz), and a book co-written by Julie Taymor, Glen Berger (Underneath The Lintel) and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Fantastic Four and Spider-Man comics, "Big Love"). Scenic Designer George Tsypin and Costume Designer Eiko Ishioka are winners of Outer Critics Circle Awards and were recently nominated for Tony® Awards for their work on Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark.

The world's most recognizable super hero leaps off the comic book pages and onto the Broadway stage in Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark. Peter Parker's ordinary teenage life takes a turn for the extraordinary when he's bitten by a genetically altered spider and suddenly finds himself endowed with incredible superpowers. Parker quickly learns that with great power comes great responsibility as he tries to juggle the demands of high school and home life, while battling the Green Goblin and his band of super villains as they try to take down New York City and destroy everything Peter holds dear – including the beautiful girl-next-door, Mary Jane Watson. This high-flying groundbreaking and history-making production brings this story – inspired by more than fifty years of Marvel comic books – thrillingly to life!

Tickets for Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark are priced from $49.50 - $147.50, and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling (877) 250-2929. Tickets are also available at the Foxwoods Theatre box office (213 West 42nd Street), which is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

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