The crowd at the opening night of “Springsteen on Broadway” made the Walter Kerr Theatre look more like the Vanity Fair Oscar party than any usual Great White Way debut. And afterward, Ralph Lauren even shut down his Polo Bar for its first private party ever to celebrate.
Before the lights even went down, schmoozing in the aisles were Lauren, Steven Spielberg, David Geffen, Jimmy Iovine, Ron Meyer, Les Moonves, Richard Plepler, CAA’s Rob Light, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tommy Mottola, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Tina Fey, Brian Williams and Christy Turlington.
Sen. Chuck Schumer yelled over to Democratic rainmaker Geffen, “I am here because of you!” — and it wasn’t clear if he meant the show or his political career. Also in the crowd were E Street Band members “Little” Steven Van Zandt and Max Weinberg.
Nathan Lane — who last week alleged he was physically attacked by Harvey Weinstein — talked to Jon Stewart about the sexual harassment scandal and discussed the sanctimonious stars who’ve claimed they had “no clue” about the behavior. “They’re all like Claude Rains in ‘Casablanca!’ ” Lane was overheard saying before dramatically quoting a line from the famous movie’s scene when Rains tells Humphrey Bogart, “I’m shocked . . . shocked! . . . to find that gambling is going on in here!”
When the Boss arrived onstage, even the power brokers bellowed, “Bruuuuce!” After closing with “Born To Run,” Springsteen dashed to an after-party at the Hard Rock Cafe to hang with VIPs including his manager and producer Jon Landau, Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer, Jujamcyn Theaters president Jordan Roth (in a haute-rock blood-red leather McQueen suit), Daryl Roth, Richie Jackson and “Hunger Games” producer Jon Kilik.
Later, Springsteen was at Lauren’s Polo Bar for another bash where well-wishers also included Edward Norton, Laura Linney, Bob Woodruff and Julie Chen.
Stewart summed up the night by impersonating Larry David: “Pretty good! Prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ay good!”