Bruce Springsteen on Broadway to Require Audiences Be Vaccinated

Bruce Springsteen is taking his show back to Broadway—and the Boss is asking that audiences be vaccinated. “Springsteen on Broadway” will begin performances on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on June 26, at full capacity. It will run through Sept. 4. 

“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,” said Springsteen in a statement. The show will effectively be the first to reopen on Broadway since the industry shut down last March.

“Springsteen on Broadway” is also requiring all audiences to submit proof of vaccination to enter the theater, becoming the first Broadway show to do so. Audiences need to be fully vaccinated, meaning two weeks after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two weeks after the final dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The show is only accepting the three vaccines approved by FDA (a disappointment for any Springsteen fans that have the Astrazeneca vaccine). 

Audiences can show a photo of their vaccine confirmation card, or a physical copy, or they can present proof via the New York Excelsior Pass app. 

“Springsteen on Broadway” first ran in 2017, earning Springsteen a special Tony Award. It was also adapted into a concert film for Netflix. 

Every Broadway show is required to follow New York State’s health and safety guidelines, but they can set their own policy regarding whether or not audiences will need to be vaccinated or tested for COVID-19. 

 

Jujamcyn, which owns the St. James Theatre, also owns the theaters that house “Hadestown,” “Pass Over,” “Moulin Rouge!”, and “Book of Mormon.” Those shows have not put in place specific COVID-19 procedures for audiences, though the Jujamcyn website says ticket holders will be notified of any protocols prior to their show date. Jujamcyn has also installed a new air ventilation system within its theaters.

That means health and safety guidelines are still fluid for audiences and for artists. The Broadway League, Actors’ Equity Association, and the various other theater unions are still negotiating what safety protocols and working conditions will look like for theater workers. “Hamilton” is the first Broadway show to require that its actors and workers be vaccinated for COVID-19 but that is not yet an industry-wide standard. 

Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin did tell the Daily Beast that although the League hasn’t taken a position on mandatory vaccinations, “my personal position is that anybody who doesn’t get vaccinated is an idiot.”