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TODAY IN THEATRE HISTORY: In 2011, following the longest preview period in Broadway history — performances began Nov. 28, 2010 — Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark officially opens at Broadway's Foxwoods Theatre. Over the course of its 182 previews, original director/librettist/designer Julie Taymor is replaced by creative consultant Philip Wm. McKinley and librettist Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who make changes to the musical during a monthlong hiatus in April/May 2011. Reeve Carney stars as the superhero with the powers of a spider in the show which cost a reported $75 million, by far the most expensive in Broadway history.

For more on Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, including photos, videos, and a look inside the show's opening night Playbill, visit PlaybillVault.com.

TODAY IN THEATRE HISTORY: In 2009, Alice Ripley plays a suburban woman battling mental illness in Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s musical, Next to Normal, which opens on Broadway at the Booth Theatre. Directed by Michael Greif, the cast also includes J. Robert Spencer, Aaron Tveit and Jennifer Damiano. Ripley will win a Tony Award for her performance, and the musical will win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

For more on Next to Normal, including production photos and a look inside the show's opening night Playbill, visit PlaybillVault.com.