Last night was the official opening of the much-troubled Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and it marked a return of sorts for the show’s original director, Julie Taymor, who walked the red carpet, got a standing ovation after the performance, and even laid more than one smooch on her former collaborator Bono. Speaking during the curtain call, Bono praised Taymor’s creativity and mentioned that “by the way, you’re looking hot, Julie.†And then Taymor thanked “this cast, this crew, these musicians, and this incredible creative team that I worked with for a long time.â€
The show’s first official non-preview performance was dripping with celebrity audience members, so many that the performance began 50 minutes late to accommodate Spike Lee, Steve Martin, Liam Neeson, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Bill and Chelsea Clinton. (Bill was especially amused by a scene in which the Green Goblin becomes frustrated with his overly complicated voice-mail system. Apparently the Green Goblin is a baby boomer, too.)
While walking the red carpet, Taymor was bombarded with questions, including this one: “Do you miss being a part of this?†She replied, pretty poignantly, “I am part of this.â€
As ‘Spider-Man’ Opens, Its Former Director Shows Up. And a Former President.[NYT]