Bono, Taymor, et al. Talk 'SPIDER-MAN 2.0'

This Thursday, after weeks of revisions and rehearsals for 'SPIDER-MAN 2.0' - the overhauled version of the $70 million bohemoth SPIDER-MAN, TURN OFF THE DARK - opens once again for previews. Though the original version was marred by injuries, delays, and disastrous reviews, the creative team hopes to start with a clean slate.

At the center of the controversy was director Julie Taymor, whose art-over-plot approach to the show had many leaving the theatre scratching their heads. She was later ousted from the day to day of the production, though she reportedly retains some involvement.

"It was about self-discovery, self-sacrifice, humility, personal integrity, and love," she told the New York Times of her vision, which included the large role of a mythical spider-woman, Arachne. Of that character, she says: "Arachne should not have overpowered that story but only enhanced it. That is precisely what we were continuing to work on, that balance."

The director who has taken the helm, Philip William McKinley, strives for a more cohesive plot - and one that's family friendly. "Our motivation for doing ‘Spider-Man' 2.0 is its potential for becoming a real family event," he stresses. "There was a great deal of dedication and thought in the earlier version of the show, but we are really stressing the entertainment dimension here."

Another key figure in the SPIDER-MAN saga is U2's Bono, who along with The Edge penned the music and lyrics. Though he hasn't made much public comment on the show, he does admit today that it had its problems. "What was great about ‘Turn Off the Dark' 1.0 was unusual and rare: magic, a pop-up Pop-Art opera with a bit of rock 'n' roll circus thrown in. What was not right about it was a catalog of commonplace problems - story knots, bad sound and finally a failure to cohere, meaning that the whole was not greater than the sum of the parts, as wonderful as some of those parts were," he says. "If people can't follow the story, then the songs aren't going to get them out of the maze. But equally, they can't be the only emotional life of those characters."

That balance is to be made by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, brought on board to rework the book. He doesn't expect to lose all of the mystical elements brought forth by Taymor, however. "There is still a ton of emotional complexity in the musical, and some of that original darkness." Aguirre-Sacasa, who was tapped specifically for his knowledge of the Spider-Man franchise - having written comics about the hero before - intends to use that knowledge: "But we all also wanted a show that would honor the rich legacy and history of the Spider-Man story: the high school love story, the pretty girl next door, the science geek who is coping with new powers."

What changes can be found in SPIDER-MAN 2.0? Arachne, though not eliminated altogether, is no longer a central character or a villain. Rather, she's a guardian angel with a scaled back storyline. The characters who've had their roles expanded to fill that gap are the true Spider-Man regulars: Mary Jane, Aunt May, and Uncle Ben. Along with the tweaked score, five additional aerial sequences will soar through the Foxwoods Theatre, and much of the omitted comic book sensibility will be brought back.

While Peter Parker will surely defeat his villains, only beginning Thursday will anyone truly be able to predict if SPIDER-MAN 2.0 can defeat its worst enemy by its June 14th scheduled opening: its reputation.

Tickets for SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark are priced from $67.50 - $140 for performances Tuesday-Sunday and $67.50 - $135 for Wednesday matinee performances and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling (877) 250-2929. Tickets are also available at the Foxwoods Theatre box office, which remains open during the show's hiatus. The box office is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Read the full New York Times article here.