Not everyone will be able to afford the $2,500 front-row seats for the Billy Joel/Elton John "Face to Face" concert this summer at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park. A lot of folks can't even afford the "cheap" seats at $108 a pop.
American Music Theatre brings the legendary entertainers, who have been performing "Face to Face" gigs on-and-off since 1994, together again, minus the sky-high ticket prices and, well, OK, minus the men themselves. The theater's new original production, "Rocketmen," written, directed and choreographed by Andrea McCormick and Carl Rajotte, gives its audience six singers, four dancers, 20 Billy Joel songs, 22 Elton John songs and a six-piece orchestra.
This is pure musical revue, sans any background info on the two music legends, Joel, soon to be 60, and John, 62. Both started their careers in the 1970s, had substance abuse problems, got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, announced retirements and didn't retire. These across-the-pond composer buddies gave us numerous contemporary standards such as "Uptown Girl," "Just the Way You Are" and "She's Always A Woman" (Joel) and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," "Crocodile Rock" and "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" (John).
As with past revues created for the AMT stage, this one delivers musical magic with little in the way of scenery. In fact, AMT musical director and keyboard wizard Charles Ancheta provides most of the set with his band's onstage presence. This time out, Ancheta also sings for the first time, opening the show with Joel's "Piano Man" and delivering a powerhouse take on the show's namesake tune, "Rocket Man."
Dancers Travis Patton, Melanie Gaskins, Samantha Mitchell, and Andy Mills prove to be a cut above AMT's usual dance stylists, leaping gymnastically and purring around the stage as cats to the strains of "Honky Cat."
AMT regular Michael Minor gives heart to Joel's "Goodnight Saigon" as images of U.S. soldiers from that fruitless conflict flash by on a screen at the rear of the stage. This number, to my surprise, brought me to tears.
But that rear screen and the two flanking screens could use an upgrade. In the high-definition 21st century, the muddy images AMT projects of the performers on stage look like something out of an early color-TV variety show.
Wess Cooke, another AMT regular, rocks the house with "We Didn't Start the Fire," while Minor stokes "Candle in the Wind."
Great voices and great songs provide all the voltage here. If you want bona fide star power, start saving for those $2,500 seats in Philadelphia this summer. If you just want the music you love, AMT is the ticket.
"Rocketmen" runs through June 6 at American Music Theatre, 2425 Lincoln Highway East. For ticket information, call 397-7700. 
