Las Vegas Sun

May 9, 2024

Bono is optimistic about future of ‘Spider-Man’ musical

Spider-Man

AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

People line up to enter the Foxwoods Theatre for a matinee showing of “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” in New York, March 9, 2011.

Click to enlarge photo

Musician Bono of the band U2 was at a ceremony, Tuesday, March 3, 2009 in New York, where part of Manhattan's West 53rd Street was temporarily renamed after the band.

NEW YORK — U2 frontman Bono feels optimistic that his musical, "Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark" will continue to thrive after the show turns the lights out on Broadway early next year.

"When you think of the difficult birth that we had with 'Turn Off the Dark,'" he said, "it's worked out so well."

"Three hugely successful years, and then it's off to Germany, it's off to Las Vegas," Bono said Monday night on the red carpet for "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom."

U2 contributed to the film's soundtrack with "Ordinary Love." It's the band first new song in three years and it plays at the end of the movie.

Bono and Edge also wrote the music for "Spider-Man."

By the time it closes, more than 2 million people will have seen it. But the musical had a tumultuous run, including six delayed opening nights, numerous injuries to the cast, and the publicized firing of director Julie Taymor. It was also Broadway's most expensive show, costing around $75 million.

"It was a lot more expensive than it should have been, but in the long term it will ... do very, very well," he said.

The musical turns off its light at the Foxwoods Theater on Jan. 4.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy