Opening of Spider-Man musical delayed until March

By Emanuella Grinberg, CNN

January 14, 2011 -- Updated 1118 GMT (1918 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The delay marks fifth time show's opening date has been postponed
• New opening night scheduled for March 15
• Producers say they want more time to "fine-tune" aspects of show, including new ending

(CNN) -- The opening of the Broadway musical "Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark" has been postponed for the fifth time, making the new opening night March 15, its producers said.

The scheduled opening of February 7 was pushed back to allow for more time to "fine-tune aspects of the show, including the new ending," producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris said in a statement Thursday.

Describing the $65 million production as "10 times more complicated" to technically rehearse than "anything else," Cohl said the preview schedule only allowed 12 hours a week for rehearsals.

"We simply need more time to fully execute the creative team's vision before freezing the show. I picked a date in March that allows me to ensure that this will be the final postponement."

Scheduled preview performances on January 18 and January 25 have been canceled, they said. Ticketholders for those performances will be offered refunds or exchanges. All other preview performances will go on as scheduled.

'Spider-Man' swings into action

'Spider-Man' a 'trainwreck,' critic says

The announcement is the latest setback in a series of delays, cast injuries and technical difficulties to beset the ambitious production, which involves the biggest budget in Broadway history, lots of aerial stunts and U2 front man Bono.

In December, actor Christopher Tierney became the third performer to suffer an injury while wearing a Spidey mask (nine actors play the role of Spider-Man while he's in full superhero costume). He fell more than 20 feet during an aerial stunt, leading to new safety measures for the production.

Earlier this month, an actress who suffered a concussion offstage during the first preview night was replaced.

But the high-profile troubles have not negatively affected the box office. The New York Times reported this week that the show had the highest weekly gross on Broadway, knocking "Wicked" out of its usual top spot.