Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark Producer, Julie Taymor, Defends Delay

After weathering a spate of injuries, production troubles, and cast departures, the premiere of the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark will be delayed for another five weeks; but lead producer Michael Cohl says it’s to be expected with “a very different kind of Broadway show.” Some producers are breaking the custom of keeping mum on colleagues’ work, calling the postponement a ploy to rake in more money before the critics can offer their judgments. Cohl explained, “We’re not bound by old expectations of when to open or not to open. We’ll open when the show is ready to open.” Director Julie Taymor said that she’s “finessing and finishing off some major elements of the story” and clarifying parts of the second act that many have criticized online. The director added that she’s been trying to block out the negative media attention the Broadway show has earned and urged that she’s “not changing the story… I’m trying to make it better.”