Springsteen on Broadway (NYC) NYC Reviews and Tickets

"He’s like us: he struggles with his childhood, has father issues, and admits to stretching the truth at times. In this way, he is disarming as hell. That makes his Broadway show transcendent. And transplendent. And kind of magnificent. He’s not like us at all: he is a master showman, a gifted musician...A highlight of this show is 'The Rising,' written about 9-11. His face is different when he sings it. That’s when he transcends a night with a rocker on Broadway."
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"Another Springsteen—the serious, intense, introspective one—dominates this affair...Yet, as a musical experience—or even a theatrical experience—it was, I felt, not quite as satisfying as a typical Springsteen concert. It had its magical moments, of course...But it was not as consistently revelatory as I hoped it would be...There was a certain stiffness to the show: you were always aware that he was reading...That said, I still think 'Springsteen' is very good, and well worth seeing."
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"He communicates his words and music, and in between numbers, talks to the audience about his life and music, telling colorful tales from his childhood and his life as a performer. This can be tedious for all but the true Springsteen fan...Overall, the performance is what one would expect of a Springsteen concert. If you are a fan, this two-hour show is something you could dig your teeth into, but if you are not, you may get lost in the interposed conversation and storytelling."
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"'Springsteen on Broadway' is the anti-Broadway Broadway show. No sets, no effects, no dancing girls...In one respect it follows the Broadway formula exactly. 'Story and songs, integrated by a strong dramatic line'....The sound was notably excellent: Springsteen got incredible dynamic range out of a single instrument...This is another kind of excitement: the excitement of a familiar song becoming part of a larger narrative, the story of Bruce, his life, his soul, his vision of America."
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"Sorry to break the bad news, but Springsteen's choice to develop this residency by himself, without the help of a stage-savvy director, has proven a cavalier and foolish decision -- the arc of this disjointed production is saved only by its music and the exclusivity of its venue....Sure, there is an inherent intimacy many fans will never experience again, and sonically the show was brilliant...If you know Springsteen's life well or have read his new book, this performance offers nothing new."
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"It's quite a show, as Springsteen delivers two hours and 15 songs worth of memories, and revelations, and—for some—plenty of tears...Die-hards in the audience will recognize passages from his book, and acoustic interpretations that have been part of his live set for years...Dispenses with the exposition in its final stretch, and that’s when things get cosmic...If the tears haven't flowed earlier in the evening, have Kleenex ready for the show's ending, with a breathtaking pair of medleys."
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"This is nothing like a typical latter-day Springsteen concert...The intensity is, instead, emotional, as Springsteen digs hard into the bedrock of his life story...One of the most compelling and profound shows by a rock musician in recent memory...There's an incredible power to sitting so close from him while he strums a guitar...and tells his life story in rich detail...Each segment is designed for maximum emotional impact...A fresh, powerful artistic achievement in its own right."
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"Two hours of music and storytelling interlaced with a kind of warm intimacy...At such close range, Springsteen’s precision as performer is quite astounding, each moment deliberate yet effortless...He can conjure a crowd, too, pitching his tone somewhere between beat poet and baptist preacher...He pays respect to the transformative, ludicrous joy of what he does – and to its importance, too...Deep and joyful."
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