Faulkenberry Show’s Broadway Records
Bermuda’s Rebecca Faulkenberry and the rest of the cast of “Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark” had plenty to celebrate over the holiday season — with the musical setting a record for the highest single-week gross of any show in Broadway history.
“Spider-Man” rang in the New Year as the highest grossing show on Broadway, with total box office receipts for the week ending Sunday, January 1 of $2,941,790.20 — besting the previous record of $2,228,235 set by the musical “Wicked” in 2011.
Playing to 17,375 audience members — 100.02 percent capacity of New York’s Foxwoods Theatre — “Spider-Man” also enjoyed the highest single-week attendance by any show in Broadway history.
The Foxwood’s previous box office record of $2,070,195.60 was set by the show just four weeks ago.
Bermudian Ms Faulkenberry joined ”Spider-Man” in November in the role of Mary Jane Watson, the title character’s love interest. She had made her Broadway debut earlier in 2011 in the ’80s-era jukebox musical “Rock Of Ages.” Before moving to New York, the former Bermuda High School student had worked in London’s West End appearing in such shows as “High School Musical” and “Aunt Dan and Lemon.”
Currently in its second year on Broadway, “Spider-Man” began preview performances on November 28, 2010, and has become one of the most famous theatrical events in Broadway history, playing to packed houses and standing, screaming ovations nightly.
Featuring music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy Award-winners Bono and The Edge, direction by Philip William McKinley ["The Boy From Oz"], original direction by Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor ["The Lion King", "Across The Universe", "Frida"], the show stars Ms Faulkenberry, Reeve Carney in the dual role of Peter Parker and Spider-Man and Patrick Page as industrialist Norman Osborn and his crazed alter ego, the villainous Green Goblin.
Inspired by nearly 50 years of the Marvel comic book character created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, “Spider-Man” follows the story of teenager Peter Parker, whose unremarkable life is literally 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.
In between setting new Broadway records, Ms Faulkenberry — who has described herself as being “super-proud” of her Bermuda roots — found time to make a New Year’s resolution over the festive season.
Ms Faulkenberry — who began treading the boards as a youngster in Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society and Bermuda Gilbert & Sullivan Society productions — recently told the “Broadway Buzz” theatrical gossip website: “I partly have the obligatory gym/workout resolution. I’m not running around and dancing anymore like I was in ‘Rock of Ages’, so that means I need to pick up the calorie burning slack in life.
“Also, I’ve written my own music for a few years now, but always been too self conscious to really perform or record it. Now I’m going to grow some cojones and do something with it!”
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