Back in October, I was extremely fortunate to experience what could have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Springsteen On Broadway. My post about that show appears further down in this blog. I won’t rehash all of the details about how fantastic the show is. Feel free to read that post for a spoiler-free review of my first Springsteen On Broadway experience. Because the October 2017 show was such a magical night, when the third round of ticket sales took place, I decided that I would do everything in my power to try to get tickets to the show again. I could not afford StubHub prices, so my best shot was using the Ticketmaster Verified Fan process. While that didn’t work for me, I always have multiple backup plans. My good friend, Joe, had received a code to buy tickets and I asked him to try for May 16, my birthday, and see if we got lucky. Not only did we get lucky, but the most affordable seats in the house ($75 balcony seats) came up. Thanks to Joe, my wife and I spent my birthday seeing Bruce.
Having sat in the last row (Row H) of the Right Mezzanine back in October, Row A of the Right Balcony seemed significantly higher to me than the Mezzanine. I’m nervous about heights, but adjusted pretty quickly, especially once the show began. If you’re considering Mezzanine seats over Balcony seats and you can afford the price difference, I would highly recommend the Mezzanine seats. If you can afford the floor level, even better. Having seen the Ghost of Tom Joad Tour from the second row in Philly at the Tower Theater, I can imagine how fantastic the floor of The Walter Kerr Theatre must be, but that’s a dream for another day.
I enjoyed the show just as much as the first time and was fascinated to see that although the show is essentially the same every night, Bruce continues to add improvised extra details to the stories and has even sharpened his delivery in some sections. There were also additional nuances in his musical performances. Having seen him many times, I am still in complete awe of his masterful command of the stage, the audience, and his craft. Just when I think I’ve seen it all, he keeps pulling new magic tricks out of his hat. With the show extended through December, I truly hope that everyone who wants to go gets to experience this show somehow.
Above: The view from Balcony Right, Row A, Seats 18-20.
Above: My wife and I on the Floor Level after the show.
Above: Bruce during his curtain call.
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