Bruce Springsteen’s already bulging awards cabinet will be groaning under the weight of another gong after his Springsteen On Broadway show won a special Tony Award, at the celebration of the best of Broadway theatre.
The Boss’ concert residency at the Walter Kerr Theatre in New York has seen the ‘Born To Run’ hitmaker perform five shows a week. The show was originally scheduled to run until November of last year, but high ticket demand for the relatively intimate shows have seen the show extended until December 2018.
His award was presented by singer-songwriter Billy Joel last night (10 June) who said: "It is my pleasure to present a special Tony Award to my good friend Bruce Springsteen. It's all about the man and his music, not to mention his heartfelt stories behind 40 years of incredible songs.
“This extraordinary event began as an eight-week limited run, but by the time it wraps up in December, he will have played 236 performances. The Boss is working hard. So for bringing hundreds of thousands of theatergoers to Broadway, it's my pleasure to present the Special Tony Award to my good friend Bruce Springsteen."
Accepting his award, Springsteen acknowledged his gratitude to the theatre community.
“Being a part of the Broadway community's been a great thrill and an honour for me," he said. "It's been one of the most exciting things I've probably ever experienced. I've got to thank Patti Scialfa, my beautiful wife and artistic partner, for her love and inspiration every night."
Not that everyone was thrilled. Actor Neil Patrick Harris, star of sitcom How I Met Your Mother and four-time presenter of the Tonys, expressed his displeasure via social media.
“How was [Once on This Island star Alex Newell] not nominated for a Tony?” Harris asked on Twitter. “[Springsteen] won, and he uses teleprompters. I don’t get the logic…”
“Using a teleprompter is just not being willing to memorize your lines,” he went on. “The director should have said something. Oh wait.”
Robert De Niro then caused his own rumpus. Introducing Springsteen’s of ‘My Hometown’, the Taxi Driver star said, "First, I wanna say, ‘Fuck Trump.' It's no longer ‘Down with Trump,' it's ‘Fuck Trump.'"
Go Bob!
