Billy Joel News

Orange County, Calif.—Oct. 17, 2013—Praised as “the new voice of the American rock-and-roll songbook” (Billboard) with both Grammy- and Tony-award nominations, charismatic performer Michael Cavanaugh opens Pacific Symphony's 35th anniversary Pops season with crowd-pleasing pop and rock piano hits during his new show, “Michael Cavanaugh: Songs of Elton John and More.” Handpicked by another famous pianist, Billy Joel, to star in the Broadway musical “Movin' Out” in 2001, Cavanaugh quickly gained a reputation for his skillful talents on the piano and lead vocals rivaling those of the “Piano Man” himself. After the musical closed in 2005, he began touring on his own, reinterpreting the modern pop/rock songbook, and eventually bringing his “Songs of Billy Joel and More” to a full house at the Symphony's Fourth of July concert in 2009. Cavanaugh returns to bring his exuberant energy to the music of the “Rocket Man,” for a performance of songs such as “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Benny and the Jets,” “Daniel,” “Crocodile Rock,” “Candle in the Wind” and more—all backed by the lush sounds of the Symphony.

Il Divo, the record-breaking classical crossover group who has sold more than 26 million albums worldwide, releases their 6 th studio album A Musical Affair, on Syco/Columbia Records on November 5th. The album release will raise the curtains on a limited run of live Broadway performances at The Marquis Theater with special guest, Heather Headley, beginning tonight, November 7, 2013.

City Theatre will present a brand new production of the smash comedy 2 Pianos 4 Hands, a melodic adventure featuring music ranging from Bach to Billy Joel and Elton John. Co-written by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt and directed by Tom Frey, 2 Pianos 4 Hands is a City Events special presentation that will run on City Theatre's Mainstage from November 30 to December 22, 2013, with an Opening Night performance on Friday, December 6 at 8pm.

IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS, the stage adaptation of the beloved classic film, has announced casting for its National Tour visiting Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Fayetteville, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Des Moines, and Dallas during the 2013 holiday season.

Earlier today, popular Glee star and Broadway headliner Darren Criss generously participated in my ongoing InDepth InterView series and offered his candid perspective on many upcoming episodes of the hit musical dramedy series, also briefly commenting on the recent rumors of a re-positioned focus for Glee S5 and S6 or maybe even a full-blown New York City-set spin-off series centering on the characters of Rachel, Kurt and Santana - portrayed by Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Naya Rivera, respectively - coming up in the future and whether or not Criss could become a part of that mix, particularly given his character's long-established romantic affiliation with Kurt.

Recording artist and songwriter Paul Maged is pleased to announce a special two hour end of the year performance with his band, Paul Maged & The Strangers at Desmond's Tavern in New York City on December 7th. This show will feature songs from Maged's upcoming rock LP release, Diamonds and Demons, produced by multi-platinum producer, Sean Gill. Paul will also play songs from his debut album, In My Time. Combining elements of alternative and classic rock, Paul Maged's music announces an exciting new voice in modern rock. His songs lyrically explore concepts, social issues and universal themes that are very passionate to Paul, helping to create a unique vision through his music.

Il Divo, the record-breaking classical crossover group who has sold more than 26 million albums worldwide, is set to release their 6th studio album A Musical Affair, on Syco/Columbia Records today, November 5th. The album release will raise the curtains on a limited run of live Broadway performances at The Marquis Theater with special guest, Heather Headley, beginning November 7, 2013.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

Bill Brooks, Edd Clark and Steven Tharp return in December with A Three Tenor Christmas! There will be 2 shows, Friday, December 13th at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, December 15th at 3:00 p.m., at Don't Tell Mama, 343 W. 46th Street, NY, NY (between 8th & 9th avenues). There will be a $15 cover ($10 for MAC or Cabaret Hotline members) and a two drink minimum. Cash only. Reservations 212-757-0788 (after 4:00 PM daily).

Today we are talking to a Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist celebrated for his many impressive musical theatre scores since his astonishing debut in the 1990s with SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD and PARADE, the one and only Jason Robert Brown. Discussing the finer points of the vastly different scores for his two new stage musicals premiering this year, THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY and HONEYMOON IN VEGAS, Brown paints a vivid portrait of his composing process in creating both the serious romantic drama and bubbly musical comedy, respectively. Additionally, Brown outlines his experiences collaborating with theatre legends Harold Prince and Alfred Uhry on his first big Broadway musical, PARADE, and also reflects on the subsequent successful national tour which he himself conducted. Most importantly, Brown sheds some light on the sparkling new cast recording of his recent self-directed revival of his two-character cult mainstay THE LAST FIVE YEARS and how the last ten years have shaded his perspective on the piece, particularly as anticipation builds for the release of the highly anticipated feature film adaptation starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan, directed by Richard LaGravenese and set for release next year, which Brown confirms he has completed his scoring duties on this month and offers an enticing endorsement of the indie movie musical. All of that, a discussion of his solo album and specialty material penned over the years, astute observations on his sporadic collaborations with wife, songwriter and fellow InDepth InterView participant Georgia Stitt as well as much, much more in this quick catch-up chat with one of Broadway's busiest musical craftsmen.

This November, FOX rushes to the end zone with massive television events, series premieres and season finales, as well as all-new episodes with big guest stars, including the two-part season finale of MASTERCHEF JUNIOR

After spending ten years in San Fransicso, the RRazz Room has relocated to Bucks County in the heart of New Hope, PA. The RRazz room promises to continue their legacy. The RRazz Room 'promises to present to Bucks County the finest headliner performances from all genres of entertainment: Great American Songbook, Big Band, R&B, Funk, Blues, Traditional, Latin & Smooth Jazz, Rock & Pop, Doo-Wop, Comedy, Theatrical Drag, Performance Art, Las Vegas Spectacles and more.'

Now in its 16th season, Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook will continue to expand its scope celebrating the best in American singing and songwriting. New this year, the opening night concert will befree, in the David Rubenstein Atrium, on Wednesday, January 22, 2014. 'Live From Lincoln Center,' the Emmy Award-winning program broadcast nationally on PBS stations, will shoot four of the first week's American Songbook concerts in The Allen Room: by James Naughton, Lawrence Brownlee, Jason Isbell, and Patina Miller. These performances will be broadcast nationally beginning in Spring 2014. In addition, American Songbook concerts taking place in the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center will be live-streamed via http://watch.lincolncenter.org.

Described by The New York Times as 'two thirds Frank Sinatra and one third Billy Joel,' celebrated singer-songwriter-pianist Tony DeSare is one of the New York City cabaret scene's newest success stories. Presented in NJPAC's Chase Room on Saturday, November 2nd at 6pm & 8:30pm, DeSare backed by a swinging trio, glides seamlessly from standards by the likes of George Gershwin and Stephen Sondheim, to contemporary pop classics by Bruce Springsteen and Phil Collins, to his own retro-romantic original compositions. DeSare's take on classic standards and sophisticated original compositions has earned him a reputation as one of the country's hottest young singer-pianists. No matter what he performs, his music is hopelessly (and hopefully) romantic. 'Tony DeSare is, without question, one of today's most outstanding artists and performers,' raves Don Rickles. 'His superb piano artistry is a bonus!'

To celebrate the release of his first EP of original music, Gotta Get to You, Andrew Smith will present a release concert at Riverside Theatre Works in Hyde Park, Friday and Saturday evenings, tonight and tomorrow, October 25 and 26 at 8:00 p.m. The evening will be filled with popular jazz songs, standards, songs from his EP and much more. Pulling from major influences such as Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder, Andrew and his nine-piece are sure to provide an extraordinary evening of music.

Pioneer Theatre Company presents the Pulitzer Prize-nominated drama Other Desert Cities tonight, October 25 - November 9, 2013.

Hotel Nikko San Francisco and Michael Feinstein are thrilled to welcome singer, pianist and songwriter Tony DeSare to Feinstein's at the Nikko for two performances only - tonight, October 25 (8 p.m.) and Saturday, October 26 (7 p.m.). Located within Hotel Nikko (222 Mason Street, San Francisco), Feinstein's at the Nikko presents a wide range of entertainers from stage and screen all within an intimate 140-seat cabaret setting.

Fans of summer's top-rated TV show America's Got Talent will have an opportunity to experience their favorite Season 8 acts when the America's Got Talent Live Tour comes to the MGM Grand Garden Arena tonight, Oct. 23. Scheduled to appear in more than 30 cities nationwide, the tour will bring the acts that wowed America to Las Vegas, allowing fans to experience the very best talent from the TV show up-close-and-personal.