Spider-Man, Not So Itsy-Bitsy

Superheroes thrive in times of trouble, so this really shouldn’t be so shocking: The upcoming Spider-Man musical, under the direction of the Lion King’s Julie Taymor, will be the most expensive production in theater history, topping $40 million. "It's off the charts," a source tells the New York Post. Even if the budget comes down, the show—produced by Sony with a rock score by Bono—will reportedly cost $1 million to stage each week, meaning that, in this economy, it should break even in, say, 8,000 years.