It is now official, SPIDER-MAN, Turn Off the Dark, will open on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at Broadway’s Hilton Theatre, 213 West 42nd Street (preview performances will begin Saturday, January 16, 2010). Directed by Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor with 22-time Grammy Award-winning Bono and The Edge creating new music and lyrics, SPIDER-MAN will be written by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger. SPIDER-MAN is produced by HELLO Entertainment/David Garfinkle, Martin McCallum, Marvel Entertainment/David Maisel, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Jeremiah Harris. SPIDER-MAN is produced in association with Omneity Entertainment/Richard Weinberg, the Mayerson/Gould/Hauser/Tysoe Group, Patricia Lambrecht and Jam Theatricals/S2BN Entertainment. Julie Taymor is best known as director of one of the most successful musicals in Broadway history, Disney’s The Lion King and the film Across The Universe. Bono and The Edge are half of one of the most popular rock bands of all time, U2, who will be making their Broadway debut with SPIDER-MAN. Drawing from over forty years of Marvel comic books for inspiration, SPIDER-MAN spins a new take on the mythic tale of a young man propelled from a modest rowhouse in Queens to the sky-scraping spire of the Chrysler Building, the bustling offices of the Daily Bugle, through the dizzying canyons of Manhattan, to new vistas never before seen. The musical follows the story of teenager Peter Parker, whose unremarkable life is turned upside-down-literally-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 astonishing powers-soon learns, however, that with great power comes great responsibility as villains test not only his physical strength but also his strength of character. Spider-Man’s battles will hurtle the audience through an origin story both recognizable and unexpected–yielding new characters as well as familiar faces–until a final surprising confrontation casts a startling new light on this hero’s journey. The principal creative and design team for SPIDER-MAN includes Daniel Ezralow, Choreographer (Across the Universe, The Green Bird); George Tsypin, Sets (The Magic Flute, The Little Mermaid); Eiko Ishioka, Costumes (Academy Award® for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Tony Award® nomination for M. Butterfly, the opening ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics); Donald Holder, Lighting (Tony® Awards for The Lion King, South Pacific); Jonathan Deans, Sound (Fosse, The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil, Young Frankenstein, Ragtime); and Teese Gohl, Musical Supervisor (Across the Universe, Frida). Additional members of the SPIDER-MAN creative team will be announced at a later date. Casting for SPIDER-MAN will be announced soon. Group tickets now on sale. Single tickets will go on sale June, 2009. For more information about group tickets, visit the Spider-Man website at www.SpidermanOnBroadway.com or by calling 1-800-Broadway.

See … I dunno what to think about this new show. On the one hand, I love Spider-Man and a part of me (the 12-year old part) thinks it might be cool to see a comic book superhero come to life on the musical theater stage. On the other hand, another part of me (the grown adult who has seen his fair share of horrible Broadway musicals) fears that a Broadway show based on Spider-Man might be a terribly, horrible idea. A cartoony thing like Shrek (which I haven’t seen and have no desire to see) at least has a whimsy about it that sorta makes sense as a Broadway show. I cannot for the life of me imagine a singing Spider-Man trying to muffle thru his lyrics with that mask over his mouth. What does Spider-Man have to sing about? Schmaltzy love songs about Mary Jane Watson, I suppose. I’m also worried that with Bono and The Edge behind the music there will be a lot of blaring guitars and such. I’ve been able to preview the new U2 album just leaked to the Internets … I’m not impressed. I fear they won’t impress me with Spider-Man songs either. I AM VERY relieved to know that the amazing Julie Taymor is directing. She did the impossible by bringing inventive genius life to the animated Lion King so that it could thrive on the Broadway stage. If anyone can make this work, it’s Julie Taymor. I’m curious … but concerned. What do ya’ll think … good idea or bad? Would you pay good money to see Spider-Man on Broadway?

[Source, Source]

It was previously reported that altho Angelina checked herself into the hospital last week, she is still “weeks away” from giving birth to her twin babies … and here we are, one week down and she still hasn’t brought forth the precious fruit of her very famous loins. Babydaddy Brad Pitt has been showing up at Lenval Hospital for daily visits with his pregs lady (sometimes bringing the kids along with him) but he’s not doing all of his waiting at the hospital … he’s been passing the time with a couple of famous friends as well. After the jump, check out a few pics of the famous friends that Brad has been hanging out with over the past couple of days …

Here are pics of Brad, with son Pax Thien, chillin’ with Robert de Niro and Bono at the U2 frontman’s home in Eze-sur-Mer, France yesterday afternoon:

HMM … I can’t help but notice that huge gold ring on Brad’s ringfinger. I’m sure he’s worn it before but we know that Brangelina remain unwed … I wonder why no one has asked him about any commitment ceremony that the couple might’ve enjoyed. In any event, it looks like we’re still a while away from the birth of the Brangelina twins — but you never really know … those young’ns could come along any day, I suppose. Again, I’m lobbying the fates to bring forth those babies on July 12. I understand it’s a great day for a birthday :)

UPDATE: People magazine is reporting that the hospital is refuting the validity of the pics supposedly taken into Angelina’s hospital room:

The hospital in Nice, France, where Jolie, 33, is staying as she awaits the birth of her twins has coated the windows of her room with special insulating material that cameras cannot see through, the Associated Press reports. The news comes after several photographs – allegedly of Jolie and Brad Pitt – have surfaced. “It is impossible to see into Mr. Brad Pitt and Mrs. Angelina Jolie’s room,” a rep for the Fondation Lenval hospital said in a statement. “So any picture released are either posed fakes set up by paparazzi or they are pictures of other patients. We hope this is clearly understood out of respect for all patients in this clinic.”

HMMM … I dunno … the photos do look a lot like they are of Angelina and Brad … here is the uncropped version of the Angelina photo:

And here is another pic of “Brad” pulling down the screen over the window:

I find it hard to believe that the photo would be faked, I mean, why? The photos aren’t anything special or even valuable. Click HERE to see the obvs fake photos that are going around. I suppose it’s possible that the photo has been faked but what is more likely is that, if it’s not them, it must be other people in the same hospital. Personally, I think the hospital is just trying to cover their butt. The pics look genuine to me … but, who really knows.

[Photo credit: X17]