Lead ‘Spiderman’ Actress Leaves After Concussion

In the midst of a major setback resulting from the injuries caught by four of its actors, the high flying “Spider-Man: Turn

Off the Dark” musical is about to face another setback with only about four weeks left before its premiere.

Natalie Mendoza, who played the role of villainess Arachne during the show’s previous runs, was one of the four actors

injured in the Julie Taymour-directed musical. Mendoza was hit by a rope in the head, and the rope was presumably thick

enough to hold a heavy prop or equipment on stage and also thick enough to give her a concussion and make her suffer from

nausea and headaches in the weeks following the unfortunate incident, and rumors now afloat that the actress is leaving the

production.

A confirmation from the actress, her reps or reps for the musical is still yet to be given. Show insiders tipped The New York

Times in anonymity about an alleged exit agreement for Mendoza with the details still needed to be fully worked out, such is

the reason for the gag order. The actress however, clued her Twitter followers in about her plans for the immediate future

and it obviously doesn’t include going back onstage to continue portraying Arachne. “Can feel a trip to India coming on &

visiting my magic little orphanage Ramana’s Garden in Rishikesh. Raising funds as we speak. Be the change,” her Twitter post

reads.

The $65 million Broadway musical has also announced that due to several unforeseen events surrounding its production and its

stars, its premiere night had to be pushed further back to February 7, 2011.