'Spider-Man' musical to open in Feb. 2010

NEW YORK, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Julie Taymor's stage musical "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" is slated to open on Broadway next February, show representatives said Tuesday.

Opening night is scheduled for Feb. 18, 2010, at the Hilton Theatre, and preview performances are to begin Jan. 16, 2010.

The show is to be co-written by Taymor and Glen Berger and directed by Taymor, who is best known for heading up the stage musical "Disney's The Lion King." The music and lyrics for "Spider-Man" are by Bono and The Edge from the Irish rock band U2.

"Drawing from over 40 years of Marvel comic books for inspiration, 'Spider-Man' spins a new take on the mythic tale of a young man propelled from a modest rowhouse in Queens to the sky-scraping spire of the Chrysler Building, the bustling offices of the Daily Bugle, through the dizzying canyons of Manhattan, to new vistas never before seen," representatives for the show said in a news release. "The musical follows the story of teenager Peter Parker, whose unremarkable life is turned upside-down -- literally -- when he's bitten by a genetically altered spider and wakes up the next morning clinging to his bedroom ceiling."

The musical is to feature an original story and "new characters, as well as familiar faces," the news release said.

Casting for "Spider-Man" is expected to be announced soon.