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| Bono with Coast Guard Machinery Tech Second Class Michael Franco |
"Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," a musical nearly a decade in the making, opened Tuesday night to an audience including former President Bill Clinton, who gave his stamp of approval to the most expensive production in Broadway history.
"It works," Mr. Clinton said during intermission. "The sets are great, the choreography is great. I love it. The story really hangs together."
Mr. Clinton was seated between his daughter, Chelsea Clinton, and U2's Bono, who wrote the show's music with band mate the Edge, and surrounded by a sampling of the opening's celebrity guests, including Jay-Z.
Perhaps predictably for a musical whose opening night was delayed six times, Tuesday's curtain rose nearly an hour later than scheduled. "Obviously, we're a little delayed here at 'Spider-Man,'" an announcer told the audience over the loudspeaker. "I'm sure you're not surprised to hear that."The tumultuous history of the musical, plagued by ballooning budgets, cast dropouts and numerous accidents, seemed to inspire a sense of relief in producers on opening night.
"We inherited Deepwater Horizon," said producer Jeremiah Harris, referring to the oil rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, "and we had to pull it up and plug all of the holes."
He added, referring to the revisions enacted during the show's hiatus in April and May, after director Julie Taymor was ousted from the musical's helm, "I think we achieved what we thought we could achieve in three-and-a-half weeks. I hope no one leaves unhappy."
The show's driving creative force for around nine years until she was replaced by producers in March, Ms. Taymor decided at the last moment to attend Tuesday's performance.
During the curtain call, she was ushered to the stage by the show's current creative team, including creative consultant Philip William McKinley, and Bono and the Edge.
After thanking his collaborators, Bono gave Ms. Taymor special credit, though perhaps not in the manner she might have preferred. "By the way," he said, "you're looking hot, Julie."
The Edge added that Bono convinced him to sign on to the production by telling him that "it took Elton John three weeks to write the music" for the Lion King, the hit musical that earned Ms. Taymor a Tony Award.
For her part, Ms. Taymor spoke briefly, thanking the musical's cast and crew "that I got to work with for a long time."
Some in the audience displayed their enthusiasm for the evening by scooping up armfuls of the white web that shoots out over the crowd during the second act, and many came prepared to show their Spidey spirit in how they dressed. One man wore a black two-piece suit emblazoned with red spiders; another wore a gray tweed vest with prominent webbing.
Julie Saltman, an assistant to "Spider-Man" producer David Garfinkle, wore a red gown embroidered with black spider webs, and a matching mask, both of which she designed and created.
"All of the hand-beading was done in time for the first [scheduled] opening night," Ms. Saltman said. "I didn't know it was going to be delayed six times."
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