SPIDER-MAN Honors English Teacher Jacqueline Morelli as 'Everyday Hero'

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark (Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris, Producers) announced the second honoree of the newly developed "Everyday Heroes" initiative: Horace Greeley High School English teacher, Jacqueline Morelli of Putnam Valley, New York. The "Everyday Heroes" program seeks to shine the spotlight on people who embody heroism in their daily lives.

Jacqueline Morelli has been teaching English for 16 years, nine of which have been at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, New York. Since she arrived at Horace Greeley she has been teaching special education collaborative classes and has never been more rewarded than she is when working with students who are always eager to learn. In his nomination submission on her behalf, Ms. Morelli's friend and colleague Frank Ceruzzi described her as "the kindest and most inspiring teacher I have ever met." He went on to explain, "Last year she worked with a very special young man with Cerebral Palsy who came into her classroom lacking confidence and feeling defeated. Jackie saw that James did indeed have the determination and the ability to be successful, and this past August she helped him to achieve his major goal of passing the New York State English Regents after working on this for over a year. Jackie spins a very special kind of web in her classroom that is just as engaging as the high-flying stunts in Spider-Man and I am truly honored to work with her every day."

The "Everyday Heroes" program is conducted entirely online on SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark's official Facebook page. The nomination process is open to the general public, and those who wish to nominate a Hero are encouraged to visit www.facebook.com/TurnOffTheDark and complete the nomination form. Each month, a special committee made up of SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark company members chooses an honoree from the pool of nominees. The honoree receives two tickets to a performance of SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, is publicly acknowledged at the theater, and is invited backstage for a meet-and-greet with the cast. In addition, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark makes a donation to the charity of the honoree's choosing. Please visit www.facebook.com/TurnOffTheDark for complete rules and additional information.

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark (Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris, Producers) features direction by Philip William McKinley (The Boy From Oz), original direction by Tony® Award-winner Julie Taymor (The Lion King, Across The Universe, Frida), music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy® Award-winners Bono and The Edge, and book co-written by Taymor, Glen Berger (Underneath The Lintel) and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Fantastic Four and Spider-Man comics, "Big Love"). The cast is led by Reeve Carney as ‘Peter Parker/Spider-Man,' Tony® Award nominee Jennifer Damiano as ‘Mary Jane Watson,' T.V. Carpio as ‘Arachne,' Patrick Page as ‘Norman Osborn/Green Goblin.'

Inspired by over 40 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.

Tickets for SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark are priced from $67.50 - $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, 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Tickets are now on sale through April 29, 2012.

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.