'Spider-Man' opening night delayed to Feb. 7

The creators of the much-delayed "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" have set Feb. 7 as the new opening date for the problem-plagued $65-million musical. In a statement Friday, lead producer Michael Cohl confirmed that the show, directed by Julie Taymor with music by U2's Bono and The Edge, would not be ready to open Jan. 11 as planned.

"The creative team is implementing truly exciting changes throughout the preview process," said Cohl, who also noted that setbacks like the injury of principal cast member Natalie Mendoza made it clear "that we need to give the team more time to fully execute their vision." Mendoza, who plays the lead role of Arachne, was back in the show this week after being injured during the first preview on Nov. 28.

Calling the show an "extremely ambitious undertaking," Cohl said, "I have no intention of cutting a single corner in getting to the finish line."

The show has had a rough go since that first preview, when the performance was stopped five times to fix flying and other technical problems. In addition to Mendoza, who suffered a concussion when she was hit in the head by a rope, a dancer broke both wrists during rehearsals and another injured his foot during the same flying trick.

The delayed opening also means more time for Bono and The Edge to work on musical revisions. They have been with U2 on a tour of Australia and New Zealand since Thanksgiving and are expected to be back working on the show before Christmas.

A company spokesman said previews will continue until opening night at the Foxwoods Theater. People who bought tickets to performances after Jan. 11 expecting to see a finished production rather than a preview can request refunds or exchanges, which will be handled on a "case-by-case basis," according to the spokesman.