Bruce Springsteen will reopen the first Broadway theater after the pandemic in the return of his show “Springsteen on Broadway.”
Springsteen will play the St. James Theatre starting June 26 for performances through Sept. 4. Audience members must provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination to enter the theater.
Broadway theaters are currently allowed to reopen at 100% capacity with a fully vaccinated audiences. While the option is there, most productions are aiming to resume performances closer to the fall, with “Pass Over” starting Aug. 4, “Hadestown” beginning Sept. 2 and “Hamilton,” “The Lion King,” “Wicked” and other productions on Sept. 14.
When productions do reopen, producers and theater owners are agreeing to follow the government protocols in place at the time of performance, which could include a fully vaccinated audience or other measures, depending on the case rate at the time. “Springsteen on Broadway” is the first to formally adopt a vaccination policy.
While the St. James is requiring proof of vaccination from adults, attendees under 16 must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult and provide proof of a negative rapid test within six hours of the performance or a negative PCR test within the previous 72 hours.
The theater will use assigned and staggered entry times and contactless payment methods. Ventilation systems in the theater have been upgrade to MERV 13 filters and cleaning protocols have been increased. Guests must complete a COVID-19 health screening before entering theater.
The St. James Theatre hosted a pop-up event in April — the first Broadway theater to open to the public following the shutdown — which tested out many of these protocols.
Springsteen returns to Broadway after a sold-out run at Jujamcyn’s Walter Kerr Theatre from Oct. 2017 to Dec. 2018. The show is based on Springsteen’s memoir “Born to Run” and features Springsteen playing guitar and piano, at times accompanied by his wife, Patti Scialfa. In between numbers, he shares his own personal stories.
Springsteen earned a Special Tony Award for his Broadway run, which was later adapted into a film and an album.
Tickets for the new engagement go on sale June 10. Proceeds from opening night will be donated to local New York and New Jersey charities.
“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,” Springsteen said in the press release.
