"There are lots of similarities [between Peter Parker and myself]. He grew up in Queens. We grew up on the north side of Dublin — fairly humble origins. He falls in love with the girl next door. I married the girl next door. He starts to put on a silly costume ... yes. I think Peter Parker's more The Edge. I'm more the Green Goblin, at least on a Friday night."
-U2 frontman and "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" co-writer Bono, discussing the similarities between himself and the fictional teenager who parlays a radioactive spider bite into a life of fighting crime and avenging evil in New York City. Alongside fellow co-writer and bandmate the Edge, Bono sat down with MTV News to discuss the troubled-but-ambitious production of "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," which just began preview shows on Sunday (November 28).
The $65 million production has been beset with technical issues and injuries to actors, which has caused it to miss a number of preview and opening dates (the most recent delay having come just a few weeks ago, when they couldn't get some of their stunts cleared). The show finally got off the ground on Sunday night, although it was not without its glitches. The show had to be stopped several times to rescue actors from wires that left them floating above the stage, and writers eviscerated the show both for its story and its pomposity.
However, most people agree that the music is roundly excellent, and Bono and the Edge have managed to blend their own musical sensibilities with traditional Broadway tropes. Perhaps it's because the pair relate to the characters in the comic book world so well. "[H]e's a superhero; he can do loads of stuff, but when he comes home, he's put back in his place," the Edge explained. "There's nothing that he does out in the world that means anything when he's with his loved ones."
By Benjamin Wagner
By Sarah Maslin Nir
Washington, D.C.