The piano bar anthems and stadium-filling hits of Billy Joel are about to get a magnificent makeover when Piano Man: The Music of Billy Joel hits Hamer Hall this November. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will join Australia’s finest vocal talents to reinvent Joel’s catalogue with sweeping orchestral arrangements that promise to make familiar songs feel brand new.
Following its triumphant Adelaide premiere, the two-night concert event on 15-15 November will feature show-stopping performances by musical theatre heavyweights including Phil Burton (Human Nature), Alinta Chidzey (Moulin Rouge!), genre-blending singer Jess Hitchcock, and Josh Piterman (Phantom of the Opera).
Director Mark Sutcliffe and conductor Leonard Weiss helm this celebration of Joel’s five-decade career, featuring Nicholas Buc’s critically acclaimed arrangements.
The setlist spans Joel’s greatest moments – from the tender Just the Way You Are to the raucous Only the Good Die Young and, of course, the iconic title track – Piano Man.
This is a rare chance to experience pop’s greatest piano man through the power of a full symphony orchestra. After selling 160 million albums worldwide, Joel’s songs have never sounded this grand.
Tickets go on sale on 2 June.
