By: Dave Bowden

Rocker lands lead in upcoming Spider-Man musical

Tobey Maguire’s no longer the only actor wearing the webs, as producers of the upcoming Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Lights have finally found their star.

Reeve Carney, lead singer of rock band Carney, will play Peter Parker in the title role opposite Evan Rachel Wood, who is set to play love interest Mary Jane Watson, and Alan Cumming, previously cast as Spidey nemesis Norman Osborn, a.k.a. the Green Goblin.

Julie Taymor, who previously directed Wood in the 2007 musical film Across the Universe, will direct the Broadway debut of Marvel’s friendly neighbourhood superhero, while U2’s Bono and The Edge provide music and lyrics.

“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 fresh and authentic,” Taymor said in a prepared statement.

Carney’s casting ends months of searching and speculation over who would step into the role made famous by Maguire on the big screen. Despite repeated denials, rumours abounded that Universe star Jim Sturgess would don the tights and rejoin his co-star and director for a Broadway run. In the end, the year-long commitment the production required of the film star prevented the old band from getting back together.

Though Sturgess would have lent the production some additional star power, producers hope that the relatively inexperienced Carney will provide Peter Parker with a little edge, so to speak.

“Our ambition was to find a Peter Parker who could really act and sing, but who still brings a kind of performance that could be new to Broadway audiences,” said Bono and The Edge. “We wanted something a little more authentically rock and roll.”

With a legion of dedicated fans thanks to three successful films and five decades of comics, the musical – scheduled to open next year at New York’s Hilton Theatre – will nonetheless require a heroic effort to equal the popularity of its on-screen predecessors. Combined, director Sam Raimi’s three Spider-Man films have grossed nearly $2.5 billion at the box office.

In addition to its previous success, the franchise has recently generated buzz for the soon-to-lens Spider-Man 4, the first of two planned sequels.The latest round of internet rumours has Canadian darling Rachel McAdams joining returning actors Maguire and Kirsten Dunst as Spidey rival/love interest the Black Cat.

If all remains on schedule, the musical production’s run should coincide with the shooting of the film, which is currently slated to hit theatres May 5, 2011 – nearly nine years to the day after the original.