Mike Fleming

As expected, the much-troubled Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark has delayed its opening night from January 11, 2011 to Monday, February 7. The $65 million musical, which has found itself more under a microscope than just about any Broadway-bound musical because of the record price tag and star creatives, has been plagued by injuries to cast members taking part in acrobatics scenes. The Lion King‘s Julie Taymor is directing a book she wrote with Glen Berger, with music and lyrics by U2′s Bono and The Edge. Preview performances will continue at the Foxwoods Theater on 42nd Street, but the creatives continue to tweak both the songs and the book, per  The New York Times. Pushing until they’re absolutely ready is smart; beyond Spider-Man, only a musical like Andrew Lloyd Webber’s delayed Phantom of the Opera sequel Love Never Dies will be welcomed with such an intense level of media and critical scrutiny.

Here is the official release:

New York, NY – Lead producer Michael Cohl announced today that SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark has delayed its opening night (previously set for January 11, 2011) to Monday, February 7. Directed by Julie Taymor and featuring a book by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger, and new music and lyrics by U2’s Bono and The Edge, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark is now in previews at Broadway’s Foxwoods Theatre (213 West 42nd Street). All performances prior to the new opening night will go on as planned.

In a statement, Cohl said, “The creative team is implementing truly exciting changes throughout the preview process. Due to some unforeseeable setbacks, most notably the injury of a principal cast member, it has become clear that we need to give the team more time to fully execute their vision. SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark is an extremely ambitious undertaking, as everyone knows, and I have no intention of cutting a single corner in getting to the finish line.”

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 audiences through a unique entertainment experience in ways never-before-dreamed-possible in live theater.