Playwright, comic book author Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa asked to doctor ‘Spider-Man’ script

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“Get me rewrite!”

It’s the kind of line you might hear spoken inside The Daily Bugle, the newspaper at the center of “Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark.” Instead, it’s what the producers of the troubled musical are saying, and they have just brought on board playwright and comic book author Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa to help revise the show, a person close to Aguirre-Sacasa said Wednesday.

He’s not the first person who has considered rewriting the musical’s book, which was written by director Julie Taymor and collaborator Glen Berger. Earlier this year, screenwriter John Logan, who penned “The Aviator” and adapted “Sweeney Todd” for Tim Burton, visited “Spider-Man” but did not end up working on the show.

Aguirre-Sacasa, whose Marvel comic book credits include “Sensational Spider-Man,” also authored last year’s play “Doctor Cerberus” at South Coast Repertory. He has credits on the HBO series “Big Love” and the book for the musical “It’s a Bird … It’s a Plane … It’s Superman.”

The most expensive show in Broadway history, the $65-million “Spider-Man” was savaged by critics last week, ahead of the musical’s official March 15 opening. Many reviewers faulted the show’s book, particularly in the second act. To be fair, they were not much kinder to the music, by U2 rock stars Bono and the Edge. The show also has been plagued by repeated delays and several injuries to its cast.

News of Aguirre-Sacasa’s hiring was first reported by Deadline.com. A spokesman for the show declined to comment.

[For the record, 6:10 p.m.: An earlier version of this story included an incomplete title for the musical “It’s a Bird … It’s a Plane … It’s Superman.”]

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-- John Horn