The lead producers of the Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” have two new shows in the works: A musical adaptation of the animated hit movie “Rio,” and a live stage show based on another movie, “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.” The producers, Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris, are also now focusing on an arena tour of “Spider-Man” rather than their original plan to open the show next in Las Vegas, Mr. Cohl said Monday.
The “Rio” and “Chipwrecked” shows will be made in partnership of 20th Century Fox and Iconic Entertainment Holdings, a venture of Mr. Cohl and Mr. Harris.
“Chipwrecked,” an island adventure comedy featuring the trio of musical chipmunks, is expected to start touring theaters next spring, while “Rio” – an adventure love story about two blue macaws – is aiming to open in Rio de Janeiro in time to coincide with the 2016 Olympics. Mr. Cohl said that “Rio” might eventually come to Broadway.
As for “Spider-Man,” the two producers announced last November that the musical would open in Las Vegas after the end of the show’s Broadway run; they made no mention of an arena tour at the time. “Spider-Man,” which had a record-setting budget of $75 million, closed in New York in January with losses of up to $60 million. The producers have been in talks with potential partners in Las Vegas, including the casino executive Steve Wynn, who himself expressed concern last year about whether the show could be turned into a Vegas-style spectacle that would appeal to potential ticket-buyers.
Regarding the future of the “Spider-Man” musical property, Mr. Cohl said in a statement: “Las Vegas was never a done deal; it’s simply a market that we were exploring — among other possibilities — and still are. Our favorite possibility for the future life of ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark’ always has been the arena tour, and we are thrilled that it has materialized.” Mr. Cohl also told The Wall Street Journal on Friday that the arena tour would start in late 2015 or winter 2016.
Mr. Cohl’s other recent projects have included an arena tour of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” which was canceled because of poor ticket sales, and the Broadway production of “A Night With Janis Joplin,” which was to transfer to the Gramercy Theater in April but was also canceled at the last minute because of weak ticket sales.