Pianist Michael Cavanaugh’s rise to stardom reads like a movie script.
He is discovered playing the music of Billy Joel in a Las Vegas night club. Joel himself catches a performance and encourages him to audition for his Broadway musical, “Movin’ Out.” Cavanaugh gets the role and is seen in over 1000 performances, with both Tony and Grammy nominations. Then, as a hot new artist, he takes his act on the road.
But this is not a script.
The road brings Cavanaugh to the Meyerhoff this week where, together with a rock band and the orchestra, he will be the featured performer in the 2008-2009 season SuperPops opener, “The Music of Billy Joel.”
But don’t call him a impersonator. Cavanaugh prefers to think of himself as an interpreter of Joel’s musical style.
“Some people say I sound like him, but I think it’s just because I’ve always been such a huge fan,” Cavanaugh said. “I’m trying to deliver [a song] the way he would deliver it.”
Under the vivaciously innovative conducting and programming of BSO Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly, the evening’s presentation will include such chart toppers as “Uptown Girl,” “Piano Man” and “The River of Dreams.”
Along with a few surprises.
“I believe our audiences will be surprised to hear two of Billy, er, William Joel’s piano compositions as they have been rethought for the BSO,” Everly teased. “One is a waltz and the other is ‘Air (Dublinesque).’ Both are gems and rather unexpected to many who might know only his biggest hits.”
Everly, who has always gravitated to melody, sees in Joel’s music that rare combination of great melody with profound thought by way of the lyrics. As for the music, working with the BSO and the Cavanaugh musicians will create an environment of mutual understanding as both have such a high level of musicality.
“Jack is amazing,” Cavanaugh said. “He really taught [me] and my band how to pull it all together with the orchestra.”
If you go
BSO SuperPops: “The Music of Billy Joel”
- Venue: Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall; 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore
- When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday
- Venue: The Music Center at Strathmore; 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda
- When: 8:00 p.m. Thursday
- Tickets: $25 to $80
- Info: 410-783-8000 or bsomusic.org
