Bruce Springsteen Eavesdrops on ‘Broadway’ Audience at Public Screening

Fans attending a free screening of “Springsteen on Broadway” at Monmouth University in West Long Branch Sunday night may not have noticed a familiar face in the audience: Bruce Springsteen.

According to the Asbury Park Press, Springsteen donned a red baseball cap and slipped in to view the film incognito. Springsteen arrived 10 minutes into the movie and took a seat in the back center section in the Pollak Theatre with director Thom Zimney and his co-manager, Barbara Carr.

Zimney was on hand to give a brief introduction to the movie.

The screening took place in the same theater where Springsteen held rehearsals for the Broadway show, which opened at the Walter Kerr Theatre on Oct. 3, 2017 and closed Dec. 15, 2018. The film is streaming on Netflix.

Springsteen has long been partial to the venue, having sat on that same stage for a Q&A promoting his book, “Born to Run.”

In a recent interview on SiriusXM’s E Street Radio, Springsteen hinted that the Broadway run may serve as a template for future shows. “It will find its purpose somewhere down the road,” he said.

He also praised Zimney for the directorial choice not to show the audience until midway through the performance. “You are just completely focused on the performance,” he said. “That is all a part of Thom’s mastery and I thank him for it.”

“Springsteen on Broadway” closed after 236 performances, earning in excess of $100 million and a special Tony Award.

The screening was presented by the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, which is located on campus, in conjunction with the university.

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