Bruce Springsteen Takes to Broadway for a Run of Deeply Intimate Shows

Jordan Bailey

Bruce Springsteen, one of America’s most beloved musical storytellers, has now set his sights on Broadway for his next run of shows. From Oct. 12 to Feb. 3, The Boss will perform a series of one-man shows at the Walter Kerr Theatre in New York. “Springsteen on Broadway” will encompass the story arc of his life through intimate, acoustic songs and spoken word stories.

This idea came from Springsteen’s urge to play smaller, more intimate shows. He said of why he chose Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre, “I chose Broadway for this project because it has the old theaters which seemed like the right setting for what I have in mind. In fact, with one or two exceptions, the 960 seats at the Walter Kerr Theatre is probably the smallest venue I’ve played in the last 40 years. He went on to describe what the show will consists of which is basically a one-man performance of the life of The Boss through his music. “My show is just me, the guitar, the piano,” he said, “and the words and the music.” A simple premise from a simple man. There will also be readings by Springsteen from his acclaimed 2016 autobiography “Born to Run,” a book that detailed his career-spanning achievements.

According to a Rolling Stone review of one of the preview shows from this run, Springsteen ended his opening song, “Growing Up” from 1973’s “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.,” to give some enlightening, honest insight into his life. “I have never held an honest job in my entire life.” He continues, “I’ve never worked nine to five. I’ve never done hard labor, yet is all that I’ve written about.” An eye-opening kick-off indeed, as Springsteen dissects his own work before the audience’s eyes. The set list during the preview included tunes like “Thunder Road,” Born in the U.S.A.,” “The Rising” and of course closed with the fan favorite “Born to Run.”

Due to the immense demand for tickets, Springsteen’s team are selling tickets through Ticketmaster’s Fan Verified service which helps to eliminate bots and scalpers from reselling tickets at a substantially higher price. Once the tickets sell out, all others will be sold through a lottery system for a mere $75 each, allotting two tickets for each chosen individual.

“Springsteen on Broadway” begins Oct. 12, 2017 at the Walter Kerr Theatre in New York. Update: “Springsteen on Broadway” is now extended through Dec. 2018.