NJSO Welcomes Michael Cavanaugh for Classic Rock Program

Broadway star Michal Cavanaugh, of Movin' Out fame, joins the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra for a program of hits from Elton John and other classic rock legends, November 12-13 in Newark and New Brunswick. Cavanaugh performs Elton John hits like "Tiny Dancer," "Bennie and the Jets" and "Rocket Man," as well as classics like "Live and Let Die" and "Pinball Wizard," in a high-energy show led by frequent NJSO guest conductor and audience favorite Thomas Wilkins.

"Michael Cavanaugh with the NJSO: Greatest Hits of Elton John and More" is the first of five 2016-17 NJSO Pops programs. Performances take place on Saturday, November 12, at 8 pm at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark and Sunday, November 13, at 3 pm at the State Theatre in New Brunswick. The State Theatre co-presents the November 13 performance.

In an interview with Cavanaugh, Atlanta Magazine traces the multitalented singer, musician and actor's love of classic rock: "1979 was an important year for Michael Cavanaugh. It was when the seven-year-old taught himself to play piano, attended his first rock concert (Kiss), and first heard the music of Billy Joel and Elton John. 'I remember hearing 'Honky Cat' and thinking it was the coolest thing ever,' he says.

"While most musicians outgrow their childhood tastes, Cavanaugh kept playing classic rock staples-as a teenager in his brother's cover band and in his 20s at an Orlando piano bar. In 1999 he was asked to perform in Las Vegas, where he caught the attention of Billy Joel. The two became friends, and soon after Joel hand-picked Cavanaugh for the lead in the Broadway musical Movin' Out, featuring some of the Piano Man's best-loved songs."

Cavanaugh went on to earn Grammy and Tony award nominations for his three-year stint headlining Movin' Out, and he has garnered rave reviews for his symphonic performances of classic rock hits. "Regardless of what Cavanaugh is singing, you have to hand it to him because these songs are iconic, but he is careful to give them his own interpretations vocally while paying homage to the original vocalist," Maryland Theatre Guide writes. "For those of us that remember the classic versions of these songs, Cavanaugh has reinvented them into something that ... improves upon the originals."

The NJSO holds a sing-along-one of the Orchestra's signature NJSO Accent events-of classic rock hits beginning one hour before each performance. The events are free for ticketholders.

TICKETS

Concert tickets start at $20. Tickets are available from the NJSO online at www.njsymphony.org, by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or in person. The NJSO Patron Services office is located at 60 Park Place, 9th floor, in Newark; tickets are available by phone or in personMonday-Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, and concert Saturdays, 11 am to 5 pm.

Tickets for the November 13 performance are also available at the State Theatre New Jersey ticket office online atwww.StateTheatreNJ.org, by phone at 732.246.SHOW (7469) or in person. The State Theatre New Jersey ticket office is located at 15 Livingston Ave in New Brunswick-hours are Monday-Friday, 10 am to 6 pm; Saturday, 1 to 5 pm, and at least three hours prior to curtain on performance dates unless otherwise specified.

Full information on the NJSO's five-concert 2016-17 Pops series is available at www.njsymphony.org/pops.