"The Million Dollar Piano" sounds more vibrant and broader than its predecessor and John has definitely not opted to create a sequel -- this is a wholly new show that owes more to music than the marriage of song and spectacle.
A half-hour longer than "The Red Piano" and oriented more toward John's personal history, "The Million Dollar Piano" was unveiled Wednesday night at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace to a crowd that was appreciative though not consistently enthusiastic. The piano, a Yamaha grand with its lid closed, required four years of construction and includes 68 LED video screens and its side becomes a screen for film footage, animation, decorative designs and bolts of color that complement the set. Like his five other pianos, it is named for a female performer, this one christened Blossom in honor of the late cabaret and jazz singer-pianist Blossom Dearie.
Nineteen songs, 10 of which were in "Red Piano," are performed in two hours in the new show, nearly all of them collaborations with lyricist Bernie Taupin. It is rich in '70s music and lore: The obscurities include "Better Off Dead" and "Indian Sunset" from the early part of the decade; a stream of Elton video images during "I'm Still Standing" celebrate his visits to quirky haberdasheries during the decade; and images of LPs and turntables assist in a few moments of time travel. All and all a great show.
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