Taking turns at an onstage piano, the dual tribute artists of the Billy Joel/Elton John Face 2 Face Tribute Show conjure the beloved songsters in both sound and image. Backed by his band The Stranger, Levittown, NY native Mike Santoro’s fingers flash up and down the keys before he jumps up to grab the mic to belt out such high-energy Billy Joel classics as “Uptown Girl” and “Only the Good Die Young.” For the second half of the roughly three-hour show, Ronnie Smith dons the iconic sunglasses and bedazzled suits of Elton John as he charts his style from the ‘70s to the present. Bittersweet anthems such as “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)” mix with more whimsical material such as “Crocodile Rock” and the fictional rock-group narrative “Bennie and the Jets.” During each engaging, interactive show, both acts aim to channel the spirit of their originals so well that audiences will forget they’re a tribute!
