There is only one night left of a special 2-night-only musical tribute at Stage West.  Presented by Ronnie and the Jets, band leader Ron Camilleri gives an animated performance as Sir Elton, alongside Rick as a convincing Billy Joel.

Both impersonators start the show with some high powered numbers before Elton John hands the stage over to Billy Joel to take us through numbers like Movin’ Out, You May Be Right, Honesty, Just the Way You Are.  My favourite song of the night, It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me, was even more fun through some audience participation.

After a brief intermission, Elton kicks off the second set with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road before moving on to the irresistible song choices: The Bitch is Back, Rocket Man, and Candle in the Wind.  During some between-song banter he mentions Levon is most requested by audiences, though I much preferred the livelier Crocodile Rock.

Riled up from frequent opportunities to participate in singing Elton lyrics, the audience cheered mercilessly even after Camilleri left the stage.  But this dramatic pause was merely to mess with us, as both John and Joel returned to finish the show as a duo with Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me and Piano Man.

Despite this enthusiasm, there seemed to be people at both extremes.  Many offered the show a standing ovation, while a few stayed only for the all-you-can-eat buffet and snuck out during the concert.  Personally I enjoyed the live music despite knowing only a small handful of the songs from either artist (yes, revoke my gay card), but likely didn’t appreciate it as much as a hardcore Elton or Billy fan might have done.

Nevertheless, great food and a fun live performance is nothing to thumb your nose at.

Only one night left, and one last opportunity to see Ronnie and the Jets pay tribute to classic songs by some legendary artists.  Call the Stage West box office immediately at (403) 243-6642 to book your tickets.