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Michael Cavanaugh (born 1972) is an American actor and musician most famous for playing the piano and providing lead vocals in the band for the Broadway musical Movin' Out.^[1] Cavanaugh was handpicked by Billy Joel for this musical^[2][3] and appeared in the show for three years^[1] and over 1300 performances.^[3]

Cavanaugh is the youngest of four boys who all played instruments. When he was 7, his parents bought a piano and he began playing immediately.^[2][4] He played his first club show at age 12.^[4] His aunt brought him from Cleveland to New York City when he was 13 to see his first Broadway musical.^[3] By age fourteen, Cavanaugh was playing keyboard with bands at weddings and other events several nights a week.^[1]

His first full-time gig as a musician was an extended engagement in Orlando, Florida at a piano bar on International Drive called Blazing Pianos.^[1] In January 1999, Cavanaugh had the opportunity to play in Las Vegas at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino,^[3] where he happened to catch the attention of Billy Joel in February 2001.^[2][4] Consequently, Cavanaugh moved to New York City to work with Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp, who together shaped the Broadway musical Movin' Out.^[1] Billboard magazine called him "the new voice of the American Rock and Roll Songbook".^[5] While appearing on Broadway, Cavanaugh and his family lived in Glen Rock, New Jersey.^[4]

With the close of Movin' Out at the end of 2005, Cavanaugh began touring on his own, creating a show that reinterpreted the modern pop/rock songbook.^[4] Cavanaugh continues to perform worldwide for corporate and charity functions, as well as at sporting events including the Indy 500,^[3] the PGA Tour,^[1] and the US Open.^[3]

Symphony orchestras soon began booking Cavanaugh. His first orchestra engagement, a "Michael Cavanaugh — The Songs of Billy Joel and more" program, debuted in April 2008 with the Indianapolis Symphony. In October 2008, he signed with ADA/Warner to distribute his first CD, titled In Color.^[6]

Cavanaugh made his Boston Pops Orchestra debut on May 8–9, 2009, with Steven Reineke conducting.^[7] He returned to play another engagement with the Boston Pops in 2015, featuring music by Neil Diamond, Paul Simon, and James Taylor.^[8]

In 2010, he debuted a new orchestra production, his second, called "Generations of Rock", in which he plays Elton John and other artists who have inspired him.^[6]

In 2012, Cavanaugh performed with the Florida Orchestra, playing a mix of classical and contemporary music by composers including Billy Joel, Elton John, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.^[1] He created his third symphony show, "Singers and Songwriters: The music of Paul Simon, Neil Diamond and James Taylor" that year, and was still touring with the production as of July 2014.^[6]

In 2014, he performed with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra as part of its Pops! series, in a program called "The Music of Billy Joel & More".^[5] Later that year, he performed with the Houston Symphony as well.^[6]

In 2003, for his role in Movin' Out, Cavanaugh received both a Grammy nomination^[5] and a Tony nomination.^[3] That year's Tony went to Dick Latessa (who played Wilbur Turnblad in Hairspray).

When not on the road or recording, Cavanaugh resides in Las Vegas with his family.^[1] He and his wife Karin have a son, Matthew, and a daughter, Mikayla.^[2][4]

Cavanaugh has synesthesia. As he explained to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "When I hear a note of C, I see the color red in my mind's eye. A is blue, F is gray. Growing up I thought everyone was like this." He attributes some of his facility at learning songs quickly to his synesthesia.^[2]

• Official website
• View the original Movin' Out playbill at PlaybillVault.com