Biography
It was his starring turn as singer and pianist in Twyla Tharp’s 2002 Billy Joel jukebox musical Movin’ Out that first brought Michael Cavanaugh widespread attention. Tharp both conceived and choreographed the production, while Joel personally chose Cavanaugh to serve as his onstage stand-in. The role propelled Cavanaugh into public view, securing him nominations for both a Tony and a Grammy; once the Broadway engagement concluded, he assembled his own touring productions built around Billy Joel songs and other classic-rock staples. By the 2010s he had become a regular presence on the corporate-event circuit and began shifting his energies toward original songs.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Cavanaugh was the youngest of four siblings. He started piano lessons at age seven and developed an immediate affinity for the instrument. While still a teenager he was already performing regularly, and upon reaching adulthood he turned to music full time, beginning with engagements at piano bars in Orlando, Florida. In 1999 he moved to Las Vegas and took up residence at the New York New York Hotel and Casino.
During the pre-production period for Movin’ Out, Joel caught a 2001 Cavanaugh set at New York New York, liked what he heard, and offered him the lead role of the Piano Man. Cavanaugh remained with the show for its entire Broadway run and received a 2003 Tony nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical.
After Movin’ Out closed in 2005, Cavanaugh launched a touring revue spotlighting classic-rock hits and booked primarily at corporate functions and sporting events. He issued the Miles Away EP in 2007 and followed it the next year with the full-length album In Color. Also in 2008 he introduced the symphonic program Michael Cavanaugh: The Songs of Billy Joel and More, which was documented on a 2011 live album. A second symphonic production, Generations of Rock: The Songs of Elton John and More, arrived in 2010, and in 2012 he premiered a third revue, Singers and Songwriters: The Music of Paul Simon, Neil Diamond, and James Taylor. Cavanaugh’s first collection of original material, The Way I Hear It, appeared in 2017.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Cavanaugh was the youngest of four siblings. He started piano lessons at age seven and developed an immediate affinity for the instrument. While still a teenager he was already performing regularly, and upon reaching adulthood he turned to music full time, beginning with engagements at piano bars in Orlando, Florida. In 1999 he moved to Las Vegas and took up residence at the New York New York Hotel and Casino.
During the pre-production period for Movin’ Out, Joel caught a 2001 Cavanaugh set at New York New York, liked what he heard, and offered him the lead role of the Piano Man. Cavanaugh remained with the show for its entire Broadway run and received a 2003 Tony nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical.
After Movin’ Out closed in 2005, Cavanaugh launched a touring revue spotlighting classic-rock hits and booked primarily at corporate functions and sporting events. He issued the Miles Away EP in 2007 and followed it the next year with the full-length album In Color. Also in 2008 he introduced the symphonic program Michael Cavanaugh: The Songs of Billy Joel and More, which was documented on a 2011 live album. A second symphonic production, Generations of Rock: The Songs of Elton John and More, arrived in 2010, and in 2012 he premiered a third revue, Singers and Songwriters: The Music of Paul Simon, Neil Diamond, and James Taylor. Cavanaugh’s first collection of original material, The Way I Hear It, appeared in 2017.
Albums
