''Springsteen on Broadway'' is a concert residency by

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

held at the Walter Kerr Theatre and

St. James Theatre The St. James Theatre, originally Erlanger's Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 246 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, it was designed by Warren and Wetmore in a neo-Georgian style a ...

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. The original residency at the Walter Kerr Theatre consisted of Springsteen performing five shows a week, Tuesday through Saturday. Preview performances began on October 3, 2017 followed by the official opening on October 12, 2017. The run was originally expected to conclude on November 26, 2017; however, due to high demand for tickets and issues with scalpers, additional dates were added through June 30, 2018. The show was extended a second time on March 20, 2018, extending the run through December 15, 2018. On June 7, 2021, Springsteen announced a limited 31 show run of ''Springsteen on Broadway'' at the St. James Theatre beginning on June 26, 2021 with additional performances through September 4, 2021. The shows featured Springsteen, solo, playing guitar and piano, performing his music, restating incidents from his 2016 autobiography, '' Born to Run'', and performing other spoken reminiscences written for the show. Springsteen's wife,

Patti Scialfa Vivienne Patricia Scialfa ( ; born July 29, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Scialfa has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 and has been married to Bruce Springsteen since 1991. In 2014, Scialfa was inducted into ...

, also appeared at most shows. The residency at the Walter Kerr Theatre grossed over $113 million from a total of 236 shows.

Background

On June 16, 2017 information leaked that Springsteen would be performing an eight-week run on Broadway in New York City at the 960-seat Walter Kerr Theatre in the fall of 2017. On August 9, 2017, the performances were made official by Springsteen's website. "Bruce has had this specific idea in mind since last December. It came into focus slowly and then all at once last January," Springsteen's manager

Jon Landau Jon Landau (born May 14, 1947) is an American music critic, manager, and record producer. He has worked with Bruce Springsteen in all three capacities. He is the head of the nominating committee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and recei ...

said in a statement. Springsteen said of the performances "I wanted to do some shows that were as personal and as intimate as possible. I chose Broadway for this project because it has the beautiful old theaters which seemed like the right setting for what I have in mind. In fact, with one or two exceptions, the 960 seats of the Walter Kerr Theatre is probably the smallest venue I’ve played in the last 40 years. My show is just me, the guitar, the piano and the words and music. Some of the show is spoken, some of it is sung. It loosely follows the arc of my life and my work. All of it together is in pursuit of my constant goal to provide an entertaining evening and to communicate something of value." The creative team for ''Springsteen on Broadway'' includes Heather Wolensky (scenic design), Natasha Katz (lighting design) and Brian Ronan (sound design). On September 19, 2017, Springsteen performed a rehearsal show at

Monmouth University Monmouth University is a private university in West Long Branch, New Jersey. Founded in 1933 as Monmouth Junior College, it became Monmouth College in 1956 and Monmouth University in 1995 after receiving its charter. There are about 4,400 ful ...

that was invitation only and attended by around 200 family members and close friends. During episode 3 of the '' Renegades'' podcast he co-hosted with former president

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

, Springsteen revealed the initial inspiration for the show came from a private concert he performed at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. preside ...

during the final month of the Obama Presidency. According to Springsteen, President Obama and First Lady

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...

both encouraged Springsteen to turn the performance into a show. Springsteen announced an additional limited run of performances at the St. James Theatre from June 26 to September 4, 2021. He said, "I loved doing Springsteen on Broadway and I’m thrilled to have been asked to reprise the show as part of the reopening of Broadway". Proceeds from the opening night were to be donated to a group of local New York and New Jersey charities including the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Food Bank For New York City, Fulfill (Monmouth & Ocean Counties Foodbank), Long Island Cares, NJ Pandemic Relief Fund and Actors Fund of America. Springsteen said that Landau and Jordan Roth, owner of Broadway's Jujamcyn Theaters, pitched him the idea, however it was a "friend" who came to his home and talked him into doing more shows. "It gives me something to do this summer so I won’t be lazying around on the beach. I knew we were going to tour with the

E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...

next year so I said I'll take some time off” Springsteen said. He also said that he would like to present the show as it was originally when it debuted in October 2017 saying “I'd like to tighten it up a little bit, if anything. I would like to sort of get it closer to what it was when I initially debuted it on Broadway than the way it was toward the end.”

Tickets

In response to major issues with scalping and resales as seen on previous Springsteen tours, tickets were made available exclusively through Ticketmaster Verified Fan, a system put into place by Ticketmaster in February 2017. Ticket prices range from $75-$850. Despite Ticketmaster's efforts to eliminate bots and resellers, tickets immediately appeared on resale sites such as

StubHub StubHub is an American ticket exchange and resale company. It provides services for buyers and sellers of tickets for sports, concerts, theater, and other live entertainment events. It is the world's largest ticket marketplace. While the compa ...

minutes after they went on sale. Several hundred tickets were available on StubHub with prices ranging from $1,800 to $6,700. Due to scalper issues and the original run of dates selling out in minutes, Springsteen announced the residency would continue until February 3, 2018 with tickets for the newly announced dates going on sale September 7, 2017. A second extension to June 30, 2018, was later announced, with no new registrations being taken. Instead, people who had previously registered but were unable to get tickets would be contacted to give them the opportunity to purchase seats. Tickets for the second run of limited performances in 2021 went on sale June 10, 2021 through the show’s official ticketing provider SeatGeek. Audience members will be required to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination to enter the theatre.

Program

Songs are interspersed with spoken word passages. The program below reflects the most common set of songs performed during the residency; see notes below for changes to the program made over the span of the residency. # " Growin' Up" (from '' Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.'') # " My Hometown" (from '' Born in the U.S.A.'') # "My Father's House" (from ''Nebraska'') # "The Wish" (from ''Tracks'') # " Thunder Road" (from '' Born to Run'') # " The Promised Land" (from '' Darkness on the Edge of Town'') # " Born in the U.S.A." (from ''Born in the U.S.A.'') # " Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" (from ''Born to Run'') # " Tougher Than the Rest" (from ''Tunnel of Love'') # " Brilliant Disguise" (from ''Tunnel of Love'') # "

Long Walk Home "Long Walk Home" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It first appeared on his Sessions Band Tour of that year, in folk guise in the European leg of the tour in London for one performance only. Reworked with different and short ...

" (from '' Magic'') # " The Rising" (from ''The Rising'') # " Dancing in the Dark" (from ''Born in the U.S.A.'') # " Land of Hope and Dreams" (from ''Wrecking Ball'') # " Born to Run" (from ''Born to Run'')

Changes to program

* "

The Ghost of Tom Joad ''The Ghost of Tom Joad'' is the eleventh studio album, and the second acoustic album, by American recording artist Bruce Springsteen, released on November 21, 1995, by Columbia Records. It reached the Top Ten in two countries, and the Top Twenty ...

" was performed during previews, placed before "Long Walk Home," in place of "The Rising." * "Long Time Comin'", from ''

Devils & Dust ''Devils & Dust'' is the thirteenth studio album by American recording artist Bruce Springsteen, and his third acoustic album (after ''Nebraska'' and ''The Ghost of Tom Joad''). It was released on April 25, 2005, in Europe and the following day i ...

'', has been paired with "The Ghost of Tom Joad" for instances in which

is unable to perform in the show, replacing "Tougher than the Rest" and "Brilliant Disguise," respectively; the first instance of this was on December 26, 2017, due to Scialfa catching the flu, and has occurred sporadically thereafter. * On June 19, 2018, Springsteen deviated from the show's script after "Brilliant Disguise" to condemn the

Trump administration family separation policy The United States family separation policy under the Trump administration was presented to the public as a " zero tolerance" approach intended to deter illegal immigration and to encourage tougher legislation. In some cases, families follow ...

, and performed "The Ghost of Tom Joad" in place of "Long Walk Home," retaining this change for every show thereafter. * On July 10, 2018, Springsteen performed an encore consisting of "This Hard Land" from his

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

to make up for a shortened show that did not feature Scialfa, where only "Long Time Comin'" was performed in place of "Tougher Than the Rest" and "Brilliant Disguise," as "The Ghost of Tom Joad" was already in the set. Springsteen allowed fans to take photos and film the encore performance. * For the 2021 run, Springsteen changed three songs. " I'll See You In My Dreams", from his latest album '' Letter to You'', replaced "Born to Run," "

Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

" replaced "Brilliant Disguise," and " American Skin (41 Shots)" replaced "The Ghost of Tom Joad" after some remarks about the ongoing civil unrest.

Netflix special and soundtrack album

''Springsteen on Broadway'' premiered on Netflix in the early morning of December 16, 2018, just hours after the final Broadway performance closed. Filming for the concert special took place July 17 and 18, 2018, with a private audience in attendance. A soundtrack album was released on December 14, 2018, to widespread acclaim from critics, including

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

, who said "the Springsteen orkthis most recalls isn't like any earlier album but the 2016 autobiography he called '' Born to Run'' for better reasons than you might imagine. Like that fast-reading 508-pager, its aim is to simultaneously depict and demythologize the

Jersey shore The Jersey Shore (known by locals simply as the Shore) is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May P ...

and poke major holes in an

authenticity Authenticity or authentic may refer to: * Authentication, the act of confirming the truth of an attribute Arts and entertainment * Authenticity in art, ways in which a work of art or an artistic performance may be considered authentic Music * ...

it reconceives at a truer level of complexity".

Critical reaction

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'' said "as portraits of artists go, there may never have been anything as real – and beautiful – on Broadway". ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' noted "it is one of the most compelling and profound shows by a rock musician in recent memory". ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'' observed "there's a fragility and a new light cast on the songs and his relationship with Scialfa, as if he stands in her emotional shadow". '' Variety'' reported the show "is as much a self-made monument to its master's vision and hurricane-force ambition as it is to his life and career, and it bears the mark of a

self-made man "Self-made man" is a classic phrase coined on February 2, 1842 by Henry Clay in the United States Senate, to describe individuals whose success lay within the individuals themselves, not with outside conditions. Benjamin Franklin, one of the Foun ...

who’ll write his own history". On June 10, 2018, Springsteen received a special

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for ''Springsteen on Broadway''.

Awards and nominations

Personnel

* Bruce Springsteen – lead vocals,

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a musica ...

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica in ...

* Patti Scialfa – backing vocals on "Brilliant Disguise" and "Tougher Than the Rest"

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control Bruce Springsteen concert tours 2017 concert residencies 2018 concert residencies Concert residencies on Broadway Netflix specials 2021 concert residencies