— by Bonnie Squires
The National Constitution Center is the only venue to host the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s must-see exhibition, From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen, outside of Cleveland, where the exhibit has been housed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. The first major exhibition about the American songwriter will run at the Center from February 17 to September 3, 2012.
The opening reception attracted 1100 friends and supporters of the Center, including the Honorable Joan Specter, who serves as Director of Major Grants for the Center, and her husband, Senator Arlen Specter. Mayor Bob Johnson, of Asbury Park, New Jersey, was also in attendance and greeted the guests from the bandstand.
The B Street Band entertained party-goers with rousing Springsteen renditions, and the food was typical boardwalk-seashore variety, including hot dogs, pop corn, cotton candy, and hamburgers.
More after the jump.
“It is fitting that the Center – the only museum dedicated to America’s constitutional freedoms – is the first and only venue in the nation to host this exhibition from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum,” said National Constitution Center President and CEO David Eisner. “We are certain that our visitors, from the most devoted Springsteen fans to those experiencing his music for the first time, will be inspired by his commitment to illuminating the struggles and triumphs of `We the People.’”
“I worked very closely with Bruce and his organization to put this exhibit together,” said Jim Henke, vice president of exhibitions and chief curator at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. “It’s a comprehensive look at Bruce’s entire career and contains numerous items that have never been seen by the public. The exhibit was a huge hit when it was at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and I am very happy that even more people will be able to see it now that it’s at the National Constitution Center.”
From Asbury Park to the Promised Land takes a comprehensive look at Springsteen’s career and catalog, from such early bands as Child, the Castiles and Steel Mill through his work with the E Street Band and as a solo artist. Throughout the 5,000-square-foot exhibition, visitors will have the rare opportunity to view more than 150 items, including:
- Family photos of Springsteen’s childhood in Asbury Park, N.J.
- Scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings, photos and handbills from Springsteen’s early music endeavors
- Handwritten lyrics from all phases of Springsteen’s career
- Saxophone used by the late Clarence Clemons to play the solo in “Jungleland” from Born to Run
- Springsteen’s 1960 Chevrolet Corvette
- Springsteen’s Fender Esquire from the cover of Born to Run
- The outfit Springsteen wore on the cover of Born in the U.S.A.
- Springsteen’s 1993 Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Streets of Philadelphia”
The exhibition also features several listening stations where visitors can hear never-before-released songs by the Castiles; Springsteen’s successful 1972 audition for Columbia Records; and interviews with Springsteen on topics such as his songwriting process, his first recording session, and some of his best known albums. Video footage throughout the exhibition includes archival performances, an edited version of Wings for Wheels: The Making of Born to Run, and clips of Springsteen’s appearance on MTV Unplugged in 1992.
To complement the exhibition, the Center’s public programming staff is developing a variety of interactive programs and activities for students, teachers and families about the importance of free expression. The Center also is planning a series of special events celebrating the music of Bruce Springsteen.
Admission to From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen is $24.50 for adults, $23 for seniors and students and $12 for children ages 4-12. Group rates also are available. Admission to the Center’s main exhibition, The Story of We the People, including the award-winning theater production Freedom Rising, is included. For ticket information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org.
CBS 3 and The CW Philly are the local media partners for the exhibition. CBS 3 (KYW-TV) and The CW Philly 57 (WPSG-TV) are part of CBS Television Stations, a division of CBS Corporation.
