Taymor on SPIDER-MAN Delay: 'It Takes Time'

As BroadwayWorld reported yesterday, SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off The Dark has once again delayed it's opening to "sometime in February," the New York Times reported, pushed back from January 11, 2011. SPIDEY creator Julie Taymor spoke with Showbiz411.com yesterday and revealed that she is "happy" about the delay so that she has time to incorporate changes and fine tune some loose edges.  Losing star Natalie Mendoza to a concussion for 17 days hurt the show's progress, as did the implementation of a new closing number. The "work in progress" that is currently playing the Foxwoods Theatre continues to perform at the box office in the meantime.

To read the full report on Showbiz411.com, click here.

The New York Times revealed yesterday that this latest opening delay is due to the creators desire to re-stage the finale, make some changes to the dialoge and book cuts, and possibly add new music once Bono and The Edge resume working on the show full time in late December.

As noted in the Times: "The producers and creators are still weighing the extent of the changes that they believe the musical needs before theater critics see the show during the week before opening night, according to the two people involved with the show, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the producers and their spokesman are supposed to make the only public comments. The spokesman, Rick Miramontez, declined to comment on Thursday."

An official announcement of a new opening date from lead producer Michael Cohl is expected sometime this week. This is the fourth opening delay for the show to date. To read the full Times report, click here.

SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off the Dark is now in previews at the Foxwoods Theatre on Broadway. 

Featuring direction by Tony® Award-winner Julie Taymor (The Tempest, Across The Universe, The Lion King), music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy® Award-winners Bono and The Edge, a book co-written by Taymor and Glen Berger (Underneath The Lintel) and one of the most iconic title characters of all time, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark is the most ambitious production ever undertaken on Broadway and finds astonishingly fresh ways to tell a story inspired by over 40 years of Marvel comic books. The show follows the story of teenager Peter Parker, whose unremarkable life is turned upside-down when he's bitten by a genetically altered spider and wakes up the next morning clinging to his bedroom ceiling. This bullied science-geek suddenly endowed with incredible powers soon learns, however, that with great power comes great responsibility as villains put both his physical strength and strength of character to the test. SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark will thrill the audience through a unique entertainment experience in ways never-before-dreamed-possible in live theater.

Tickets are priced from $67.50 - $135 for weekday performances and $67.50 - $140 for weekend performances and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling (877) 250-2929. Tickets are also available at the Foxwoods Theatre box office Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Syfy, the premier cable destination for imagination-based entertainment, is a lead media partner for SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark.

For tickets and more information, visit www.SpiderManOnBroadway.com.