Bruce Springsteen Previews Marathon B’way Run

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Tickets were going for as much as $850 officially and four times that through secondary sellers, but the 960 fans who got to see Tuesday night’s (Oct. 3) first preview of Bruce Springsteen’s 18-week Broadway run—there will be a total of 79 shows in all into early February—didn’t seem to be complaining. According to articles published by several news outlets, the Boss delivered an intimate two-hour show that included solo acoustic versions of some of his best-loved songs, and filled in the spaces between them with stories from his life.

The show opens officially on Oct. 12.

Watch an attendee’s spoiler-free, instant recap

Springsteen reportedly played both guitar and piano, opening the show with his early composition “Growin’ Up” and following it with 14 other tunes, among them “Thunder Road,” “Born in the U.S.A.,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Dancing in the Dark” and a finale of his most popular anthem, “Born to Run.”

Patti Scialfa, Springsteen’s wife, reportedly joined him onstage for two songs. Another E Street Band member, Steve Van Zandt, Bruce’s childhood friend, was in attendance at the show.

Springsteen dedicated the opening show to Tom Petty, who died Oct. 2.

The “Springsteen on Broadway” shows all sold out within minutes, but last week Springsteen announced that a lottery would make available 26 tickets per show at a cost of $75 each. Reportedly an additional 25 tickets were sold at the box office prior to the show.

SiriusXM broadcast from the side of the Walter Kerr Theatre but inside. Cell phone usage was not allowed but at least one fan managed to sneak in a minute’s worth of “Born to Run” at the Oct. 5 show.

“Springsteen on Broadway” Opening Night Set List
1. “Growin’ Up”
2. “My Hometown”
3. “My Father’s House”
4. “The Wish”
5. “Thunder Road”
6. “The Promised Land”
7. “Born in the U.S.A.”
8. “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”
9. “Tougher Than the Rest”
10. “Brilliant Disguise”
11. “The Ghost of Tom Joad”
12. “Long Walk Home”
13. “Dancing in the Dark”
14. “Land of Hope and Dreams”
15. “Born to Run”

Watch Springsteen perform “Growin’ Up” acoustically from a 2013 show in Paris