Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN Entertainment) – “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” the oft-delayed $70 million Broadway musical, has been plagued with technical issues and negative reviews. At least one person close to the production didn’t disagree with the reviews: U2′s Bono, who scored the show along with the Edge.
“It might have been a little hard for some other people around here to take that, but we don’t disagree with the New York Times,” Bono told “Nightline’s” Cynthia McFadden. “That’s the sort of stuff we were saying backstage.”
In the New York Times’ review, published in February, writer Ben Brantley wrote, “‘Spider-Man’ is not only the most expensive musical ever to hit Broadway; it may also rank among the worst.”
But director Julie Taymor, who brought “The Lion King” to life for Broadway, didn’t agree with the reviews. She was eventually forced out of her role in the production.
“Julie would not accept this,” Bono said. “She got very close to it, so close, perhaps, that she couldn’t see it. And we were going out and coming back and we could see very clearly what we thought were the problems and she didn’t think they were as big a problem as we did.”
The musical, which was dark for weeks as it went under some re-tooling, resumed previews last week and will officially re-open on June 14th with new music from Bono and the Edge and a more defined storyline, under the direction of Taymor’s replacement, Phil McKinley.
Of course, Bono and the Edge have plenty of praise for Taymor, who they say is an incredible artist and that “a lot of what’s magic about ['Spider-Man'] is hers.”
“If it’s a big success, I think it serves everybody involved and Julie, as well, because, you know, this show is so much about the contributions she made,” the Edge said. “So I think the best thing we could do for the show and — and for Julie is turn this into a success”
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