By Christy Scannell
SDUN Senior Editor

A budding 7-year-old pianist in 1979, Cavanaugh became enamored with Billy Joel songs because his father listened to them in their Cleveland home.

“I just really liked his music,” he said. “But I think I was too young to know why.”

Suffice to say he does now. After years as a professional musician but yet to hit it big, Cavanaugh was playing Joel’s music at Las Vegas’ New York, New York casino in 2001 when Billy Joel himself came to see the show. Joel took him to Broadway, where Cavanaugh played more than 1200 performances of “Movin’ Out,” Joel’s hit musical based on his own songs, until the show closed in 2005.

“Billy was my biggest (musical) influence and here I was playing his music every night,” Cavanaugh said about his run in “Movin’ Out.” “It was amazing.”

Another chance encounter led to Cavanaugh playing Joel’s music with the Indianapolis Symphony. The show, entitled “Michael Cavanaugh Sings the Music of Billy Joel,” became a touring success, pairing Cavanaugh with 40 symphonies around the country over two years.

And then Indianapolis came calling again.

“I said, ‘The next obvious choice is to do a show featuring the music of Elton John,’” he said. “I mean, these guys tour together. And most people who like Billy Joel really like Elton John.”

Cavanaugh is one of those people.

“Billy was my biggest influence but Elton was pretty much right there next to him. He is one of my musical heroes,” he said. “We put this (show) together, and once again I definitely think we’ve got a winner here.”

Cavanaugh will bring “Michael Cavanaugh Sings the Music of Elton John…And More” to the San Diego Symphony’s Bridgepoint Education Summer Pops series on July 23 and 24 at 8 p.m.

Choosing from John’s 40-year catalog for the right songs required some trial and error. Cavanaugh originally thought the piano-centric “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” medley from the “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” album was an obvious selection.

“We did a request section (at a concert) in Indianapolis,” he said. “One guy screamed out ‘Funeral for a Friend’ and I was all excited and said, ‘How many people want to hear “Funeral for a Friend?”’ and … it wasn’t crickets but it was close. That (song) would be amazing with an orchestra but people don’t know what it is.”

Instead, Cavanaugh said, “We’re going after the hits. We’re doing the really big, epic Elton John songs.”

For the San Diego audience, that means “Your Song,” “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fightin’,” “Bennie and the Jets,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” “Philadelphia Freedom,” “Crocodile Rock” and “Candle on the Wind,” to name a few.

Cavanaugh said he did manage to slot a less popular Elton John song, “Honky Cat,” onto the play list.

“That might be the most fun for me because it’s got this really cool honky-tonk piano and I kind of go off and do a solo at the end where everything stops but me and I have a lot of fun with that,” he said.

That enjoyment is genuine, Cavanaugh said.

“When people saw me do the new (Elton John) show they said, ‘Man, you look like you’re having the time of your life,’” he said. “And I am. Not that I don’t love those Billy Joel songs but it’s fun to do some new stuff. I’ve been singing most of these Elton John songs my whole life but it’s new to do them with an orchestra.”

Don’t expect the evening to be all Captain Fantastic and no Piano Man, though. Cavanaugh said the “And More” aspect of the show’s title allows him to sample from other artists, including Joel.

“I’m not trying to be an impersonator,” he said. “I try to channel the song more than I try to channel Billy Joel or Elton John. But then again, I’ve been listening to these songs for so long, they probably come out the same way they went in. People say, ‘I closed my eyes and it’s Elton John’ and that might be true but when you’re surrounded by the song kind of the way you’re used to hearing it but a bigger version of it, it kind of just falls into that place.”

“Michael Cavanaugh Sings the Music of Elton John…And More”
San Diego Symphony’s Bridgepoint Education Summer Pops
July 23 and 24
8 p.m.
Embarcadero Marina Park South
Tickets $17-$76
sandiegosymphony.org
235-0804