Bono Swings in to Help Save 'Spider-Man' Musical

By Jett Wells Posted Jan 5th 2011 10:59AM

Bono the fixer? With numerous accidents and technical issues marring the preview run of the 'Spider-Man' musical, one of the show's creative minds has swooped into New York City to make his honest assessment. The famed U2 rocker finally got to see the $65 million production live on stage Tuesday night with bandmate The Edge, The New York Times reports.

While Bono was supposed to see 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' in mid-November, scheduling complications with tour dates pushed his preview up until recently. While the normally loquacious singer hasn't shared his thoughts on the show, according to witnesses, he and Edge appeared cheery and upbeat the entire time.

Bono's main concern going into the project, however, was that the play not just be a visual light show, but something of heart and substance.

"We're wrestling with the same stuff as Rilke, Blake, 'Wings of Desire,' Roy Lichtenstein, the Ramones – the cost of feeling feelings, the desire for connections when you're separate from others," he said in a New York Times interview in November. "If the only wows you get from 'Spider-Man' are visual, special-effect, spectacular-type wows, and not wows from the soul or the heart, we will all think that we've failed."

It hasn't been lack of soul that's been giving the producers fits however. It's been the delays, frustrated actors and freak accidents, such as an aerialist falling 30 feet after a tethered rope suddenly snapped.

But despite all the controversy and messy accidents, the musical is still producing fanfare and ticket sales, ranking third last week with $1.88 million in revenue. The musical is still in its preview stages, and is set to open Feb. 7 at the Foxwoods Theater.

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=967680&pid=967679&uts=1293040589

http://www.popeater.com/mm_track/popeater/movies/?s_channel=us.moviespop&s_account=aolpopeater,aolsvc&omni=1&ke=1

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

Showstoppers on Broadway

The marquee at the Foxwoods Theatre on 42nd Street December, 22, 2010 in New York. The producers of the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark were forced to cancel today's matinee performance after a stuntman playing Spider-Man in Broadway's most expensive show ever, plunged to the stage in front of a horrified audience, dealing the troubled production yet another setback. The accident occurred near the end of a dress rehearsal late Monday for the show, the repeatedly delayed 65-million-dollar spectacular, which features music by Bono and U2 guitarist the Edge. AFP PHOTO / DON EMMERT (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

AFP

The Great White Way

FILE - An Oct. 5, 2010 file photo shows a banner covering the front of the Foxwoods Theater on 42nd street in New York for the play Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark. A 31-year-old actor on the set of the Broadway musical "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark" fell about 30 feet during a performance and was taken to a hospital, fire officials said Monday Dec. 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens/file)

The Great White Way

In this publicity image released by Richard Kornberg & Associates, from left, Dave Malloy, Alec Duffy and Rick Burkhardt are shown in a scene from "Three Pianos," performing off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Kornberg & Associates, Joan Marcus)

The Great White Way

Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones in the Broadway premiere of Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize winning "Driving Miss Daisy", now in performances at The Golden Theater (252 W. 45th Street). (AP Photo/The O and M Co., Annabel Clark)

The Great White Way

In this undated publicity photo released by Shirley Herz Associates, from, left, Victoria Mallory, Martin Vidnovic, Simon Jones, Kerry Conte, John Bell and Ashley Robinson are shown in "A Child's Christmas in Wales," performing at Irish Repertory Theatre off-Broadway in New York. (AP Photo/Shirley Herz Associates, Carol Rosegg)

The Great White Way

Tags: bono, spider-man

Comments

(9)

Wednesday 05 January

By chicomsam

Vote down Vote up Report this

Ok Bono..AKA...EGO...Your career is over and everybody knows you want the limelight and your picture taken and fame. Go away.

By Anne

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Bono and the Edge own the show. Its little wonder they show up to see about the accidents and stuff. Geez

By Jay

Bono please? for 40 cents he could of bought a better hairpiece.
When all these celebrities begging for money actually LIVE in the area they beg for money to help. then i will listen.

Tuesday 25 January

By Joseph Brando

Do you really think anyone going to see a SPIDER MAN play wants anything other than visual, special-effect laden wows? You stupid Idiot! Not everything needs to be from the heart and soul. Some things are just supposed to be fun. There are a million thought-provoking, heart-tugging plays in the world - if that is what you wanted to do, you should have attached yourself to one of those instead of, er, Spider Man!

By ChiliPepper

Maybe he'll raise funds through SpiderAid or lecture during his next tour about countries lacking in debt relief to Broadway. How much did you save moving your accounts to Amsterdam, B?

By masanddjs

I wish he'd go back to Ireland and stay there. They have enough problems over there for him to solve!

By Ed

Fcuk Bono

By jivejerky

Bono is the new Oprah

By the_fool

Perhaps the crew of Spiderman can go into the recording studio with Bono and change some of his lyrics and add or subtract some chords in the songs too.

Page 1 of 1