The delayed Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Broadway show featuring music by U2’s Bono and the Edge will have to find a new Mary Jane. Producers have confirmed that Evan Rachel Wood, the actress originally cast in the role of Peter Parker’s love interest, has left the musical, Variety reports. Wood exited the production due to a “scheduling conflict”; financial troubles pushed Turn Off the Dark’s opening well beyond its original February 25th preview premiere date. Variety writes that Spider-Man will likely begin its preview run in late summer and open around Halloween, though those dates remain unconfirmed by the show’s production team.

“She’s the greatest actor of her generation, she’s the one to watch,” Bono said of Wood after her casting was announced. “She happens to sing like a bird, it’s like a true voice. She’s a very pure spirit and a very bright mind and she brings the part of MJ to life, really.”

As Rolling Stone previously reported, a “cash flow problem” temporarily shut down production on Spider-Man in August, just two months after it was revealed that Wood, who previously worked with Turn Off the Dark director Julie Taymor in Across the Universe, would play Mary Jane and Alan Cumming had been cast as the musical’s villain, the Green Goblin. Singer Reeve Carney of the band Carney was later added to play Peter Parker, or Spider-Man without the mask on, in the show.

The budget for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has reportedly grown to about $50 million dollars, making it one of the most expensive shows in Broadway history. The official Spider-Man on Broadway site hasn’t been updated yet to reflect Wood’s departure. Fans who previously bought tickets to Spider-Man’s received refunds after the show was delayed.

- RollingSt

Bono’s rosary beads and Larry’s Bible in U2 auction

Fancy owning a piece of U2? Well, fans of Bono and the boys can scoop a number of unique items in an online auction expected to raise £36,000.

Whether it’s a pair of used shoes, backstage passes or candid Polaroid shots of the rock legends, fans can get their hands on all things U2.

But the items, auctioned on the New York website gottahave-rockandroll.com, come with a hefty price tag.

Former U2 stylist Lola Cashman has put the 16-item collection up for auction in the US, including Bono’s rosary beads and a Bible belonging to Larry Mullen for the combined price of £6,300.

Cashman was previously involved in a high-profile court case dubbed Stetsongate, for selling items belonging to the rock legends she had collected while joining them on their Joshua Tree tour from 1987 onwards. After losing her appeal against a judge’s decision that the items were not hers to sell, she is now auctioning off band items that were personally inscribed to her.

All the items up for grabs hail from the band’s early days, with the rosary beads expected to make up to £3,500.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/bonorsquos-rosary-beads-and-larryrsquos-bible-in-u2-auction-14709148.html#ixzz0hcxMu2f2

U2 delighted Scottish singer Amy MacDonald when they revealed they were big fans and asked to meet her recently.

U2 send fan letters to their favourite singers.

The ‘One’ hitmakers delighted Scottish star Amy MacDonald when they sent her a hand-written request for a meeting at a recent awards ceremony.

Speaking ahead of her performance for the Absolute Radio sessions at London’s Hard Rock Cafe, Amy told BANG Showbiz: “I met U2, they sent me a letter to my dressing room, we were doing an awards ceremony. It said, ‘To Amy, come and say hello to your fan club’ and was signed by all of U2! I was like ‘Wow’.

“I’ve still got the letter, I had it framed.”

Despite enjoying every minute of the encounter, the ‘Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over’ singer admits she couldn’t wait to say goodbye to the rockers – because she wanted to tell her loved ones all about it.

She added: “I was there in the dressing room, Bono was pouring me a glass of wine and we were having a conversation abut my videos – they knew all my music, I couldn’t believe it.

“I couldn’t wait to get out of there so I could tell everyone – I was like, ‘Yeah, alright, can I get out of here now and go phone my mum?’ ”

Listen to Amy’s Hard Rock Cafe performance on Geoff Lloyd’s Hometime show on Absolute Radio today (08.03.10).

- ContactMusic

“Of the dozens of art world events happening as part of Armory Arts Week in New York right now, one of the most buzzed about was last night’s New Museum’s opening of a controversial show that features highlights from the personal collection of Greek billionaire Dakis Joannou, curated by artist Jeff Koons.”

…

U2’s the Edge, in his telltale black beanie and a plaid shirt, seemed to offer the most distraction from the artwork for star-struck onlookers. “He’s still so cute after all these years!” said one young female gallery wanderer, within earshot of the musician. Standing near a tall rock-like sculpture by artist Dan Colen, decorated with graffiti-style writing and wads of chewed gum, the Edge, who’s real name is David Evans, told us that he was impressed by the size of Jaonnou’s collection. “It’s incredible to see it all in one exhibition,” he said. Though he wouldn’t call himself a major collector of art, Evans told us he does own works by Jean Michel Basquiat and Damien Hirst, whom he calls a friend.

Read the complete story at The Wall Street Journal

U2 leads Billboard’s Money Makers list with $108M earned, Springsteen is second with $57M

U2's 360 tour

If money makes the world go round, then U2’s latest tour, which is dubbed “360 Degrees,” proves this saying true.

The veteran act leads Billboard’s 2010 Money Makers list, earning more than $108 million in 2009.

Bruce Springsteen is second with $57 million and Madonna follows with $47 million. AC/DC and Britney Spears round out the top 5 with $43 and $38 million, respectively.

Billboard compiles the list from monies earned through tours, CD and digital sales, publishing royalties and more.

Madonna topped the list last year; Springsteen came in third. Both U2 and Madonna have touring deals with Live Nation.

- ABCnews

Photo:Michal Czerwonka for The New York TimesDavid Evans, better known as U2's the Edge, right, and Stephen Billings, a landscape architect, walking on the property Mr. Evans owns above Malibu.

MALIBU, Calif. — The house that the U2 guitarist longs to build here would have a copper roof, fashioned to resemble fluttering leaves. Boulders that dot the property would be left in place and assigned charming names like Dinosaur Vertebrae and Cistern. The dirt dug up to build would be reused, when possible.

Yes there would be a pool, but its central purpose would be to ward off fire should the local native plants not do the job. And every imaginable green building technique would be used.

But all of this does not mollify those who police the mountainside along one of the most gorgeous stretches of American coastline, where public access versus exclusive seclusion is an ever-raging debate that even a member of the most vocally earth-hugging rock band on the planet cannot escape.

Standing high above the Pacific Ocean, wearing his signature black beanie, David Evans, or the Edge, his nom de guitar, made the case for his proposed 156-acre development that would include five houses, his own among them. The project would “respect and honor the landscape,” he said, and set a new standard for building in remote areas by incorporating the environment rather than mowing it down. Read the rest of this entry »