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"Troubled 'Big Shot' Who Can Do No Wrong On LI"
By: Braden Keil
(February 2nd, 2003)

Billy Joel would be considered a big shot anywhere, but nowhere more than on Long Island, where he was born.

And out on the exclusive East End where he now owns a home, under the protective wings of the locals whom he has immortalized in song and who revere him in return, he has been able to go on a wild ride lately, sources say.

Some are concerned the situation is too comfortable for a man who has cracked up two Mercedes-Benzes in about six months, checked himself into a rehabilitation center and admitted he is - more than anything else - simply lonely.

Since January 25th, 2003, a cold, crisp night when Joel smashed his sedan into a tree on a windy stretch of Route 114 at about 10:30pm, police in Sag Harbor have been on the defensive in light of mounting suggestions that Joel was treated with leniency after the accident.

Despite Joel's history of problems with alcohol, Sag Harbor Village Police Chief Tom Fabiano told the Southampton Press it was impossible to administer a breath test to Joel at the scene of the crash because his face was bloodied and bruised.

Instead, a police officer was assigned to accompany Joel on the helicopter flight to University Hospital at Stony Brook, but the cop couldn't establish probable cause for a DWI charge.

Fabiano said, "No one gets a free ride around here.... How can there be a free ride when I sent someone to go with him to see if he was intoxicated?"

Still, the Southampton Press reports, "Two sources who were at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor on Saturday evening said that Mr. Joel drank several glasses of wine."

That day, Mr. Joel had spent time with his daughter, Alexa, driving around. Later, he had dinner at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor with ex-flame Carolyn Beegan and local real-estate agent Biana Stepanian. Sources said it was a long dinner.

After dinner, Joel got back into his car and en route back to East Hampton, hit the tree.

Regarding the brouhaha over a breath test, Joel's publicist, Claire Mercuri, said, "I'm sure his other dinner companions were drinking, but he was not. He abstained."

But many Hamptonites say Joel gets a blind eye from the police because the Long Islander is a local hero.

Says a local businessman, "He's a big deal out here and nobody wants to ruffle any feathers."

But the whole world has witnessed Joel at loose ends lately.

The public was first made aware that all was not well in Billy-ville when he and Elton John took their "Face 2 Face" Tour to Madison Square Garden last March. During the show, Joel verbally took issue with the Garden for its high-ticket prices, randomly called out the names of famous military battles, slurred his words, then nearly passed out.

Although the audience was informed that Joel was fighting a cold, a New York Times reviewer reported that the angry middle-aged man "seemed to have ingested something quite a bit stronger than cough syrup."

Joel then postponed the remaining tour dates with Elton until September, citing an inflamed vocal cord, a chest infection and laryngitis.

"I pushed it more than I should have," he said at the time.

Three months later, on June 12th, 2002, Joel was traveling in his 1999 Mercedes-Benz in East Hampton when, according to a police report, he cut the wheel sharply while making a turn and slammed into a pole and fire well. His air bag inflated, but his face was swollen and bruised. A breath test was not administered and he refused medical attention.

Soon after the accident, Joel checked in for a 10-day stay at Silver Hill Hospital, an exclusive rehab center in Connecticut, for alcohol abuse.

Joel himself blames his woes to a lack of companionship. On the "Today" show he admitted the one aspect of his life that's lacking is "a long-term successful relationship with a woman."

Not that he hasn't sought one. Following a nervous breakdown after a bad breakup at age 21, Joel met his first wife, Elizabeth Weber - an older women for whom he wrote "Just The Way You Are.

She was the guiding force in his early career and, by the time Joel and Weber divorced in 1982, he was an international superstar who would eventually produce 35 Top 40 hits and win five Grammy Awards.

While his first marriage was unraveling, he met supermodel Christie Brinkley on the chic island of St. Barts. She inspired the tune "Uptown Girl." They were married in 1985 and had a daughter, Alexa.

By 1993, the model and the music man were separated, and they divorced the next year.

Joel found comfort with Long Island artist Carolyn Beegan, then Long Island reporter Trish Bergin in 2000. Joel's relationship with Bergin fell apart after she spurned his marriage proposal.

Following Joel's check-in to Silver Hill, acquaintances said they were surprised that he was abusing alcohol, saying his drinking didn't seem out of control. Friends said he'd drink sake at a local sushi restaurant and was a connoisseur of fine wines and food, dining at high-profile places like Nick & Toni's and Della Femina.

But other friends noted in reports that Joel would freely indulge while out with his buddies.

However, at the time, they also added that Joel never drank when he was with his 17 year-old daughter, Alexa.

"He's a great father," a source said.

Nonetheless, the passenger seat where Alexa had sat on January 25th, 2003, just hours before the accident, was shredded in the crash, and Brinkley has lashed out at Joel over the future safety of their daughter.

Joel has not been seen or heard since the incident. But locals say he is not, again, alone.

"Surveillance"
By: George Rush & Joanna Molloy
(February 5th, 2003)

Billy Joel and daughter Alexa, 17, got together Sunday even though her mom, Christie Brinkley, has said she doesn't want her driving with the accident-prone "Piano Man." Dad and daughter shopped for gourmet goodies at Citarella in East Hampton. No word on whether Alexa rode in Joel's car...

"PBS' 'Theater Talk' Salutes 'Movin' Out' On February 7th, 2003"
By: Andrew Gans & Robert Simonson
(February 7th, 2003)

The Broadway production of "Movin' Out" will be spotlighted on the February 7th, 2003 broadcast of "Theater Talk."

"Theater Talk," the New York City PBS talk show that offers interviews with top theatre celebrities and writers, will feature chats with dancers Elizabeth Parkinson, Keith Roberts and John Selya. All three star in the new Billy Joel musical "Movin' Out," which features direction and choreography by Twyla Tharp. The program will also include an interview with Katherine Oliver, Mayor Bloomberg's new Commissioner of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting. Olivier will discuss how she and her office are trying to promote New York theatre.

"Movin' Out," a collaboration between pop legend Joel and choreographer Tharp, plays Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre, 226 West 46th Street. The bookless show moves seamlessly from Billy Joel hit to Billy Joel hit, using the lyrics and Tharp's rigorous, demanding choreography to trace a tale about five friends and lovers across three decades. The story follows the travails of Brenda, Eddie and Tony, names familiar to any owner of Joel's breakthrough 1977 album, "The Stranger."

Hosted by New York Post theatre columnist Michael Riedel and producer Susan Haskins, "Theatre Talk" airs late Friday nights at midnight on WNET/Thirteen. Check local listings for air times in Boston, Hartford and Washington, DC.

"Scene & Heard: How Much Are You Willing To Spend On A Concert?"
By: Thomas Dimopoulos
(February 7th, 2003)

The day tickets went on sale for the Elton John/Billy Joel concert at the Pepsi Arena in April, a Saratoga Springs deli hung a sign in the window that read: "Special - 3 Pickles for $2.50."

With ticket prices for the John-Joel concert topping off at $176 each, it makes you wonder which is the better deal.

It was 30 years ago this week that Elton John reached the top of the American charts for the first time.

Since the days of "Crocodile Rock," John has sold more than 60 million records in the United States.

Billy Joel, meanwhile, has had 33 American Top 40 hits in his storied career.

John and Joel have joined forces once again, reviving the dynamic touring tandem first begun in the mid-1990s.

This year's model - dubbed the "Face 2 Face" Tour - pulls into the Pepsi Arena April 24th, 2003, and a lot of the buzz has been about ticket prices.

The three-tiered ticket price at the Pepsi Arena is $46, $86 and $176. Who would pay $176 for a ticket?

Well, lots of people, apparently. The show sold-out in a matter of days, and a second show, scheduled for April 26th, 2003, has been added. Tickets for the April 26th, 2003 show go on sale at 10am Saturday at all the usual locations.

As for the high ticket costs, don't blame the Pepsi Arena. The way I see it, they're charging what they need to in order to offer area fans the option of seeing their musical heroes. Consider yourself lucky.

If you lived in Cleveland and wanted to attend the duo's concert, a top ticket would set you back $195.

Strangely enough, at an average of about $100 per person, the John/Joel show is not the highest concert admission of the season. For sheer bucks alone, this one falls in between Paul McCartney's $129 average per ticket and Bruce Springsteen's $75 a ticket.

You can make a case for inflation over the years, but the bucks for thrills in the music industry just don't add up.

In 1973, the year that John released "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and Joel was becoming an FM station favorite with his song "Piano Man," you could have seen either singer in concert for about $3 or $4.

In comparison, a loaf of bread cost about a quarter and a dozen eggs cost about 60 cents. And a visit to a movie house or the purchase of a record was about $2 to $3.

These "bread-and-butter" items will cost you about four times more today.

The same for going to see a movie, which is pretty much in line with the median home income of the early 1970s and today. Basically, four times more salary equals four times more expense.

To compare, in the world of music, a new release today will cost you about eight times more than it did in the '70s. A top-shelf concert ticket costs 40 times more.

Retailers will tell you that the "entertainment dollar" has been stretched thinner with each passing year and with every new development of technology.

Gone are the days of three TV channels, rabbit ear antennas and an occasional movie or two.

Today, cable TV, pay-per-view movies, VHS and DVD, video games, computer games, the internet - are all competing for that dollar. All this, mind you, while the music industry cries poverty and looks around for a scapegoat. Right, it must be all that song downloading.

If the music industry is looking for someone to blame, it ought to look inward.

When you start putting creative decisions into the hands of financial planners - as has happened in the profit-driven merger-and-takeover world we live in - nothing new of creative merit is conceived.

Will there ever be another influx of new bands to take pop-music to the next level? Not at the rate things are going. All the children are leaving for the land of prettier and more promising digital fields. And an industry stands by, scratches its head, and charges as much money as it can.

Soon, all that will be left of the music will be the memories. Which of course, will always be available - for a price.

Now you and I know you can blow $176 pretty quickly and make a pretty decent night of it at any number of restaurants and clubs.

To put things in perspective, let's look at in small details. Here's what $176 will get you:

About four dozen new movie release rentals from the video store - enough footage to keep you company for a month and a half.

Ten pizzas and a decent tip for the delivery person.

100 gallons of gas - enough to get you to warm, sunny Florida for the winter or, if you prefer, from Saratoga to the Pepsi Arena in downtown Albany 30 times, round-trip.

You can spread the wealth and get annual memberships at places like Caffe Lena and The Saratoga Film Forum and still have enough left over for your favorite PBS station to keep Elmo alive for the next generation of kids.

You can buy 293 chocolate bars from The Saratogian's vending machine.

Or you can enjoy some healthier indulgences like a visit to a spa and have money left over to buy enough tofu and veggies to make your soy-dependent friends green with envy.

And that's just for one ticket.

All things considered, however, one of the great things about the whole deal is this: Whether you're talking pickles or pianos, everyone gets to choose what he or she believes is the sweetest deal.

"Impugn Police Conduct"
By: Amanda Star Frazer
(February 7th, 2003)

In the days since Billy Joel totaled his second Mercedes-Benz in seven months, speculation that he received preferential treatment from the police each time continues to be heard.

An anonymous letter, signed by "Concerned Citizens Against the Drunk Driving Habits of Billy Joel," was received last Thursday by the Sag Harbor Village Police Department, Sag Harbor Mayor Lauren Fortmiller, and local newspapers.

The writer claimed that Mr. Joel, who on January 25th, 2003 crashed a 2002 Mercedes-Benz S600 into a tree on Route 114 in Sag Harbor, was "so drunk even strangers urged him not to drive" on the night of the accident. The author concurred with reports that the singer had had drinks at the American Hotel, where he had dined earlier that Saturday night with two female companions. His publicist, however, has said he had abstained.

The letter charges that police "let him off the hook," warning "he will someday kill someone with his wreckless [sic] behavior," continuing, "you will have blood on your hands for not charging him."

East Hampton Town police, who responded to Mr. Joel's June 2002 collision with a fire well stanchion, were also implicated in the letter. In that incident, the celebrity refused medical treatment, although the police report said he had received a head injury and showed minor bleeding. The report did not indicate whether he had been wearing his seat belt.

Shortly after the crash, Mr. Joel, who is sometimes called Long Island's Ambassador, checked himself into Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut, a substance abuse facility.

On the morning after the more recent crash, one of the 75 members of the Sag Harbor Fire Department who were at the accident scene, and who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed the police "should hang their heads in shame" because they did not charge the celebrity with anything. He alleged that Mr. Joel had not been wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Last week's collision occurred at 10:30pm on a winding stretch known as "Dead Man's Curve." Mr. Joel, who was alone in the car, was airlifted by a Suffolk County medevac helicopter to Stony Brook University Medical Center, where he was treated for head wounds. He was released nine hours later.

Breathalyzer Issue

While some local residents and media reports have questioned why police did not give Mr. Joel a Breathalyzer test, Captain Anthony Tanaglia of the Southampton Town Police Department explained that before doing so a driver must first be arrested and brought into headquarters. In the case of an accident where someone requires medical treatment, the number-one priority is "the safety of the patient," he said.

"How are you going to give someone a Breathalyzer who's going to the hospital?" he asked. "You're talking about a tough situation."

According to Sag Harbor Village Police Chief Tom Fabiano, Mr. Joel had had surgery on a deviated septum a week earlier and was bruised and bandaged even before the crash. The chief also reported that a police officer accompanied Mr. Joel in the medevac helicopter to ascertain whether he was intoxicated, but could not establish probable cause for charging him. Once Mr. Joel entered the hospital, medical details became confidential.

Although police have another breath screening device that measures alcohol content, called "Alert," which can be used at accidents, Mr. Joel's bloodied state after impact prevented its use, according to Chief Fabiano. Captain Tanaglia concurred that in a situation when "there's blood around the mouth, you can't use it."

Dan Rosette, a spokesman for Stony Brook University Medical Center, said that new federal regulations, which will take effect in April, prohibit hospitals from releasing personal information, such as whether a patient's blood was tested for alcohol. "Our hands are really tied," he said.

Even if a hospital test showed that the alcohol content of Mr. Joel's was above legal limits, the evidence would not be admissible in court, Captain Tanaglia said. Once a driver has entered a hospital, he said, police could administer a blood test using their own blood kits - but the results would only be obtainable when someone else was injured.

A familiar person on the East End who has promoted local baymen's causes, Mr. Joel owns houses in Sag Harbor and on North Haven, the latter of which is for sale. He sold his East Hampton house to Jerry Seinfeld a few years ago for $32 million and recently bought another in Centre Island, closer to his native Hicksville.

Mr. Joel's ex-wife, the former model Christie Brinkley, was seen taking pictures of the vehicle at the Sag Harbor Firehouse on the morning after the crash. She also released a statement of concern for their daughter, Alexa, who is 17.

"Yellow Journos"
By: Richard Johnson
(February 9th, 2003)

The editors of the East Hampton Star are a pack of cowards. They apparently believe that Billy Joel was drunk when he crashed his car last week and that local police have a habit of covering up for the troubled singer. But instead of coming right out and saying it, they're running a front-page story about an anonymous letter that makes such allegations. Signed "Concerned Citizens Against the Drunk Driving Habits of Billy Joel," it charges he was "so drunk even strangers urged him not to drive," the paper reports. It also charges that cops "let him off the hook." Joel's rep maintains he abstained during his dinner before the crash.

"Dance With Me"
"Movin' Out" Cast Finds Love Offstage
By: Barbara Hoffman
(February 10th, 2003)

They're hooking up, stepping out and making-out at "Movin' Out" - and we're not just talking about what's happening onstage.

The show - which follows several friends through their teen years, Vietnam and their descent into decadence and recovery, all set to Billy Joel songs - has become Sweetheart Central.

Dancing together, though not necessarily with each other, are at least five real-life couples (only four of whom felt comfortable enough telling us about it).

"It's a pretty sexy show, so it's not difficult to fall in love," says Elizabeth Parkinson, who plays Eddie's "Uptown Girl" but goes home every night with Sergeant O'Leary - her husband of three years, Scott Wise.

As another dancer points out, the Richard Rodgers Theatre has a lot of long stairways and nooks and crannies to canoodle in.

"We have one couple - a newer couple - and they didn't tell anyone they were dating, but we'd always see them sneaking a kiss in the wings," she says.

She's probably referring to ensemble members Philip Gardner and Jill Nicklaus, who've been dating about six months.

"Sparks began to fly on the stairwell," Philip recalls of the six-flight walk up to Jill's dressing room.

And it's not just because Jill wears a skin-colored unitard and does a headstand in the show that made him fall head over heels for her:

"It's the conversations," he says, firmly. "We're both over-analytical, we both go to therapy and we have coinciding issues."

Given the make-up of "Movin' Out" - 28 dancers, 10 musicians, nearly all of them in their 20s and 30s and cute, to boot - it can't be too hard to, well, make-out.

For their part, David Gomez and Holly Cruikshank, who play the lead lovers on matinee days, thank Twyla Tharp for playing Cupid, whether she intended to or not.

Though the two became friends when they did "Contact" together, it was Tharp, the show's director and choreographer, who first noticed the sparks.

"I have the hardest time finding guys to partner me," says Holly, who's 6 feet tall, an inch or two shorter than David.

"Luckily, Twyla put us together. She kept saying, 'You guys have this chemistry!'"

But it wasn't until the show's tryout in Chicago last June that David finally made a move.

"I had a car and asked her to Taco Bell one night," he says. (Dancers eat at Taco Bell?)

"I didn't know if she wanted to eat tacos or be with me, but it worked out."

Apparently. When they dance together as Tony and Brenda, they get to kiss three times - and the attraction is obvious.

"We're not faking it," David says. "It's definitely a real kiss, and it's been a real kiss from the beginning."

At least they get to kiss each other: John Selya and Ashley Tuttle have been a couple for seven years - they were dancers at American Ballet Theatre, and share an apartment on the Upper West Side - but in "Movin' Out," their characters (he's Eddie, she's Judy, his best friend's girlfriend) love someone else.

"Jealousy is definitely an issue for me, but we're not at the "Othello" stage yet," John says.

"I can't say I love watching Ashley kiss another guy, but I understand duty calls. And I'm pretty confident in my own kissing, so I'm not that threatened."

As far as Ashley's concerned, whatever kisses and sweet nothings her stage lover whispers into her ear are nothing compared to that bar scene John has in the second act.

"OK, so John has to see Ben [Bowman] and me kiss a lot," she says. "I have to see all those girls hanging over him with whips in the "Captain Jack" scene."

She does, however, enjoy another scene - when Judy gets to kick Eddie around.

"It's great because I don't get so mad at him at home," she says. "If he forgets to put the milk away or doesn't put the dishes in the dishwasher, at least I have that outlet!"

"'Movin' Out' Across the Country, Joel-Tharp Musical To Tour In 2004"
By: Ernio Hernandez
(February 12th, 2003)

"Movin' Out," the new Broadway musical collaboration between pop legend Billy Joel and choreographer Twyla Tharp will launch its national tour in February of 2004, a spokesperson confirmed.

Dates and its extensive list of tour stops will be announced shortly. The tour is expected to hit major cities across the country. Producers of the Broadway run - James L. Nederlander, Hal Luftig, Scott E. Nederlander, Terry Allen Kramer, Clear Channel Entertainment and Emanuel Azenberg - will also present the tour.

The bookless show, currently residing at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre, uses Joel's song lyrics and Tharp's choreography to tell the story of five friends and lovers across three decades through love, war and loss. There is no dialogue and all songs are performed by pianist-singer Michael Cavanaugh, who sings non-stop and heads an on-stage band during the show.

Following a try-out at Chicago's Shubert Theatre, the show officially opened on The Great White Way October 24th, 2002, following previews since September 30th, 2002. Recently dubbed a new musical (by the Tony Awards Administration Committee), the production that topped many end-of-the-year lists will vie for the top Tony prize for Best Musical.

The song-list includes many of Joel's hit songs and even interpolates some of his classical work. "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me" functions as a sort of overture, introducing the characters. The story kicks off with "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" and moves through other songs as the popular "We Didn't Start The Fire," "Big Shot," "Uptown Girl" and "Captain Jack," as well as more obscure early work like "James," "Summer, Highland Falls," and "Prelude/Angry Young Man." As a final curtain coda, Cavanaugh belts out the apropos "New York State of Mind."

The Broadway cast, all highly experienced dancers, is headed up by leads Elizabeth Parkinson as Brenda, John Selya as Eddie, Keith Roberts as Tony, Benjamin G. Bowman as James and Ashley Tuttle as Judy.

The designer team includes Santo Loquasto (sets), Suzy Benzinger (costumes), Donald Holder (lighting) and Brian Ruggles and Peter Fitzgerald (sound).

"'Rocket Man' vs. 'Piano Man': 'Face 2 Face' - Fact To Fact"
Comparing Notes On The Two Pop Superstars
By: Mary Colurso
(February 14th, 2003)

Elton John

False: Not his real name; he was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight.

Digits: He's 55.

Astrological Sign: Aries (The Ram).

Three-Part Hometown: Pinner, Middlesex, England.

Ahoy, There!: Sometimes called "Captain Fantastic" because of that tune.

Grammys: Five.

Pennsylvania City In A Song Title: "Philadelphia Freedom."

On Broadway: "Aida" & "The Lion King."

First Band: "Bluesology."

Road Warrior: Discography of more than 40 albums includes "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."

Troubles: Has struggled with a weight problem, depression, bulimia and a failed marriage to studio engineer Renate Blauel. Has a pacemaker because of a heart problem.

Treatment: Started rehab for alcohol and drug addiction in 1990, now 11 years into recovery and proud of being clean and sober.

Hair Club: Partially bald, appears to have a very artful and (we assume) expensive hair weave.

He Cares: Has been a continual and ardent supporter of the fight against acquired immune deficiency syndrome; heads the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Documentary: Profiled by his partner, director David Furnish, in the 1997 film "Tantrums & Tiaras." The inside look at John's life shows him at his flamboyant best and temperamental worst.

Top 10 Singles: 36.

In His Closet: Is a notorious fashion plate who loves designer clothes, eyeglasses and accessories.

Rock Royalty: Was a close friend of Princess Diana, reworked "Candle In The Wind" in her honor and performed it at her funeral.

Behind The Music: "Daniel," about a blind Vietnam veteran, was inspired by TV news coverage of the war seen in the 1970s by John's lyricist, Bernie Taupin.

He Says of Joel: "People said, 'He's just America's Elton John.' I never got that. I always thought he sounded perfectly like himself. And anyway, anybody who plays piano has got my vote."

Billy Joel

True: That's his real name; he was born William Martin Joel.

Digits: He's 53.

Astrological Sign: Taurus (The Bull).

Three-Part Hometown: Hicksville, Long Island, NY.

Ahoy, There!: Sometimes called "Captain Jack" because of that tune.

Grammys: Five.

Pennsylvania City In A Song Title: "Allentown."

On Broadway: "Movin' Out."

First Band: "The Echoes."

Road Warrior: Discography of about 20 albums includes "Streetlife Serenade."

Troubles: Has struggled with a weight problem, depression and failed marriages to Elizabeth Weber and Christie Brinkley.

Treatment: Entered rehab for alcohol abuse in 2002 after crashing his Mercedes. Slammed another car into a tree January 25th, 2003, was treated and released, was not tested for alcohol but his spokeswoman says drinking wasn't a factor.

Hair Club: Partially bald, doesn't wear a toupé.

He Cares: Has raised money for commercial fishermen on Long Island and marched in protest with them against laws that endanger their livelihood.

Documentary: Appears in "The Joel Files," a 2001 film by Austrian Beate Thalberg, about his Jewish grandparents, Karl and Meta Joel, whose German textile business was ruined by the Nazis during the 1930s.

Top 10 Singles: 22.

In The Closet: Was married to a notorious fashion plate, supermodel Brinkley.

Rock Royalty: Daughter Alexa Ray, 17, is queen of his heart.

Behind The Music: "Big Shot," about an egotistical female, was inspired by an extremely bad date with Bianca Jagger.

He Says of John: "It's always a kick to work with Elton because you know, I've been doing this professionally for over 32 years, and if I had been a band at this point, I would have split up."

"'Piano Man' In Tune Again With New Love and Tour"
By: Kieran Crowley & Adam Miller
(February 16th, 2003)

Gal pal's a grad student.

Billy Joel is singing a happier tune these days: He's making sweet music with his gorgeous new gal pal and is set to get back on the road.

The troubled "Piano Man," who wrapped his car around a Long Island tree on January 25th, 2003 - his second smash-up in eight months - has fallen for a stunning young West Virginia native named Kate.

The pop-star's spokeswoman, Claire Mercuri, confirmed the love match but refused to reveal the brunette beauty's last name, saying, "Joel didn't want to talk about his private life."

And sources say Joel's girlfriend, a grad student, will likely be with the singer when he resumes his "Face 2 Face" Tour with Elton John next Friday night in Alabama.

Joel, 53, had been singing the blues recently. He escaped serious injury in a car crash in East Hampton on June 12th, 2002. A cop at the time was quoted as saying, "There were no signs of alcohol."

Days later, Joel checked into a Connecticut substance-abuse and psychiatric center.

He told The Post he went into rehab because, "I was on a bender. I was drinking too much, and I said, 'This is stupid.'"

And last month, he smashed his Mercedes-Benz S600 in Sag Harbor. Because there was no smell of alcohol on Joel or in the car, cops did not give a Breathalyzer test.

After the crash, Joel's supermodel ex-wife, Christie Brinkley, said she's "worried" about the accident-prone musician driving around their daughter, Alexa, 17.

"I'm worried about Billy, but, like any mother would be, I am alarmed and concerned about my child's safety by this frightening pattern of accidents," she said in a statement.

"Joel's Gal Pal Looks Familiar"
By: Richard Johnson
(February 17th, 2003)

Billy Joel's new girlfriend bears a striking resemblance to the other love of his life - his daughter Alexa. As reported in yesterday's Post, the "Piano Man's" gal pal is a 25 year-old brunette post-graduate student from West Virginia named Kate.

When Joel and Kate were spotted together at Citarella recently, the bleary-eyed scouts for the Daily News misidentified the young beauty as none other than the pop-star's own offspring. But they weren't the only ones who can't tell the difference between Joel's lover and his daughter.

"Apparently, his new girlfriend looks enough like Alexa that even the locals are confused," says a Hamptons spy.

The News says it stands by the story. But Joel's publicist tells The Post's Kieran Crowley, "It wasn't Alexa. It was Kate."

A new romance is just what Joel needs. He's been at loose ends since Carolyn Beegan dumped him last year. Then, the red-haired painter turned down a 10-carat diamond reconciliation ring he offered her. His last girlfriend, Boston public relations exec Anne Maxwell, is said to have put him "on hold" until he tamed his drinking.

But drinking and loneliness seem to go hand-in-hand for the entertainer. Beegan dropped him when she found out he'd been sneaking around with newswoman Trish Bergin. Shortly after, it was Bergin's turn to ditch Joel, who promptly checked himself in for 10 days of alcohol rehab.

And just before his recent run-in with a tree, Joel had been dining with Beegan, who's currently on a five-week vacation in Belize.

We hope Joel's new relationship works out, because he's just no good at being single. "The happiest times in my life were when my relationships were going well when I was in love with someone, and someone was loving me," he told New York Times magazine last September. "But in my whole life I haven't met the person I can sustain a relationship with yet. So I'm discontented about that. I'm angry with myself. I have regrets."

Success is no consolation. "You don't sleep with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," Joel said. "You don't get hugged by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and you don't have children with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

"Review: 'Movin' Out: Original Broadway Cast'"
By: Nikki Tranter
(February 17th, 2003)

Incompatible

Twyla Tharp's dance spectacular based on the music of Billy Joel, "Movin' Out," is truly an explosive experience. The marvelous visual emotion created and charged by Tharp's dancers - to her choreography and direction - are wondrous to behold. The talented cast is in top form, the stage production is flawless, the very concept incomprehensibly ambitious.

These combined elements may make for a great night at the theatre, the soundtrack, on its own, lacks the kind of punch that can only come with the actual, live experience.

Tharp's mistake when putting her show together is that she didn't convince the "Piano Man" to sing his songs throughout. Instead, that role has been given to two men, Michael Cavanaugh and Wade Preston, with only Cavanaugh featuring on the soundtrack.

There is no denying Michael Cavanaugh's talent - he really does have an exceptional voice seemingly ready-made for the Broadway stage. But, with a slick, obviously school-taught vocal that rarely exceeds its known limits, Cavanaugh voice just is not suited to the kind of uncompromising, raw energy that makes Joel's songs so utterly compelling - this just is not the kid you want belting out hard-edged classics like "We Didn't Start The Fire" or "Prelude/Angry Young Man" and he's certainly not the right guy to inject much-needed fervor into "Shameless" or to amplify the emotional subjugation of "An Innocent Man". Cavanaugh's lack of vocal force is hard to miss during the 20-odd songs featured on the soundtrack.

The album takes some of the most popular and recognizable Joel tracks, weaving them together to create the story of five friends each taking that leap of faith into adulthood around the time of the Vietnam War.

All the better-known, Joel-created characters are there - Brenda and Eddie from "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant", Tony from "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," James from "James" and Judy from "Why Judy Why" - and "Movin' Out" loosely builds a story around them based on the songs in which they are featured and others.

The youngsters all graduate from high school with big plans and even bigger dreams - some are dating, some aren't, others are breaking up and getting engaged, all in the name of growing up (this taking place to the sounds of "Just The Way You Are", "The Longest Time" and "Uptown Girl" among others). That is until the war take