By: Hellen Zaboulani
News Update!! The “Boss” is back. Yes, folks, the legendary New Jersey born rocker Bruce Springsteen has re-emerged and this time he is ushering Broadway back to life.
On Saturday night at 8 p.m., Bruce Springsteen graced the stage at the St. James Theatre. The performance was the first show to launch in the theatre district after the 15-month shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The long awaited return to Broadway was also the New Jersey rocker’s personal return for another limited run of ‘Springsteen on Broadway’. “It’s been a long time coming,” said Springsteen, seemingly referring to both returns.
Hundreds of attendees flocked to the sold-out performance, saying that the reopening signaled the true return of New York City, which was finally starting to wake up after months in a deep slumber during the pandemic restrictions. “Everything is busier and busier. A year ago, it was so sad,” said Corey Hendrickson, an enthusiastic 40-year-old theater fan, who said he also has tickets for several other upcoming Broadway shows, including ‘Hadestown’ and ‘The Lion King’ which are slated to return in the coming months.
Springsteen’s one-man show, which earned him a Tony Award, is scheduled to run with a steady schedule through Sept. 4. ‘Springsteen on Broadway’ had an extremely successful run from October 2017 to December 2018, raking in a total of about $113 million from some 236 performances. The nearly 2½ hour show was almost identical to the pre-pandemic version, with the rocker singing songs and telling stories of his humble upbringing and path to stardom.
He sang many of his famous hits, including “Born in the U.S.A,” and “Dancing in the Dark”. His wife, the singer Patti Scialfa, also joined him on stage for a couple of numbers. Mr. Springsteen also acknowledged and spoke briefly about his arrest last year at the Gateway National Recreation Area for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, and other charges. He made light of the incident and joked about appearing in what he called “Zoom court.” Earlier this year, the charges against Mr. Springsteen were dropped.
To attend the theatre, attendees were required to show proof of vaccination against the Covid-19 virus. That requirement had sparked a protest in front of the theater on Saturday night, with dozens of people showing up to oppose the restriction. Beginning Sept. 17, David Byrne’s American Utopia will be playing at the St. James Theatre in place of Springsteen’s show.
