Despite the past reported troubles with the upcoming Broadway tuner Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, the production is full steam ahead and last week cast its leading man, Reeve Carney, who’ll play the role of Peter Parker, who’s also Spider-Man. Carney joins previously cast Evan Rachel Wood, who’ll portray Parker’s girlfriend Mary Jane Watson, and Alan Cumming, who’s set to play Norman Osborn, a.k.a. the Green Goblin.
Since you’re likely unfamiliar with Carney, we here at EW thought a little primer was in order. Here’s what we know:
• Carney (pictured) is a dead-ringer for Vincent Kartheiser, who plays the insecurely smarmy Pete Campbell on AMC’s Mad Men, which just wrapped its third season. Don’t you agree they might be separated at birth?
• He fronts a band, fittingly called Carney. I’m a fan of their song “There She Goes.” Carney’s newest single “Love Me Chase Me” was just released, and the band’s first full length album, Mr. Green, hits in early 2010 from Interscope Records.
• The actor and singer has worked with Spider-Man director Julie Taymor before, in her upcoming film version of The Tempest. (As another film credit, back in 1999, he was in the movie version of novel Snow Falling on Cedars.)
• Carney is Bono-approved. The music in Spider-Man comes from Bono and Edge, so Taymor said in a statement: “The music of Bono and Edge requires an extraordinary talent — not only is Reeve a great rock and roll singer, but his acting is equally as fresh and authentic.”
• He’s also worked with Peter, Paul and Mary, and Michael Jackson, who hired him to sing a track on HIStory. I mean, literally.
Don’t you feel like you could have cocktail-party conversation with him now? And are you excited about the show?
More on the ‘Spider-Man’ musical from EW.com:
The ‘Spider-Man’ musical: A ‘circus, rock-n-roll drama’? Really?
Reeve Carney to play Spider-Man on Broadway
Spider-Man musical on life support?
‘Spider-Man’ musical to star Evan Rachel Wood, Alan Cumming
‘Spider-Man’ musical casting: Peter Parker always sounds this dreamy?
Comments (1-3) of 3 Add your comment
One thing Carney should know about the Spiderman musical.
It is not going to last more then two months, that is IF it makes it to the actual stage
“Love Me Chase Me” is a great song. If you have iTunes you should definitely download it!
Vincent is way more handsome, gorgeous – I love him