Broadway theater, shuttered for 471 days, is resoundingly back, putting to rest the early speculation about reopening, and if anyone would indeed return when shows finally opened their doors again. Springsteen on Broadway opened at the St. James Theater on Saturday, June 26 to a packed (vaccinated) house of 1,721 seats.
Broadway’s closure has been historic. Never before has a shutdown exceeded a few days or weeks. The simplicity of Springsteen’s show—essentially one man alone onstage, made an early reopening relatively easy to accomplish. Following will be Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s Pass Over scheduled to have a first preview date on on Wednesday, August 4, and the reopening of Hadestown on Thursday, September 2, with Hamilton, The Lion King and Wicked opening on Tuesday, September 14 and many more shows scheduled to follow.
Springsteen greeted his starry opening night audience with “I am here tonight to provide proof of life,”—a line from his original show, which ran for 236 performances in 2017 and 2018. More than a carbon copy of the original, however, there were new additions in soliloquies and stories, plus reference to his new record, “Letter to You” and new film of the same name, and a new song, “American Skin (41 Shots).”
Of course, it wouldn’t be the Boss without commentary on current events. About the pandemic, he said, “In 71 years on the planet, I haven’t seen anything like this past year.” About the civil unrest in country he spoke of “the survival of democracy itself, not just who is going to be running the show for the next four years, but the survival of democracy itself is deeply threatened.”
“Springsteen on Broadway” is part concert, part conversation—personal, literate, emotional, inspirational, funny, celebratory and a deeply felt memorial to those lost, it’s entirely what’s needed now.
Springsteen on Broadway has a limited run, through Saturday, September 4.
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