Elton John musical ‘Rocketman’ blasts off at Troubadour party
LOS ANGELES – The legendary Troubadour rock club went back to when rock was young Monday night, as star Taron Egerton showed off the first 20 minutes of footage from the Elton John musical “Rocketman.”
The club location was historically appropriate. It’s the same stage that a then-unknown John first rocked 50 years ago in a show so epic that it propelled him into superstardom.
“His entire life changed when he broke America,” producer David Furnish, who is married to John, said from the stage.
The footage-reveal party showed all the energy around the musical opening May 31. Not only does “Rocketman” chronicle one of the most enduring, charismatic performers in rock history with a catalog of hit songs, but the film’s expectations have been boosted by the giddy success of the Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Monday’s audience included journalists, music-industry shakers and stars such as Patrick Stewart and “Glee” standout Darren Criss, who stopped by to catch the first glimpse.
“Oh, my God, it’s Patrick Stewart,” a surprised Egerton said as he took the microphone onstage. “Good to see you.”
Egerton introduced the footage featuring young British piano prodigy Reginald Dwight, who works his way into playing rock music, changing his name to Elton John and landing his first overseas gig at the Troubadour. The clip featured a stylized remembrance of the concert with Egerton’s John crooning “Crocodile Rock” to wow the crowd, even partially levitating over his piano as the song takes off.
There were further glimpses of rock success and then drama, drinking, tantrums and self-destruction in John’s life with manager John Reid (played by Richard Madden) and collaborator Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell).
Egerton, who voiced the soulful gorilla in the animated musical “Sing,” showed he has the pipes to handle John’s music and glimpses of the dramatic range to pull off the story. He said afterward that it was a wild ride to step into the Troubadour where it all began.
“It was weird but a lovely bit of symmetry in showing off the first footage,” Egerton said. “It’s been surreal.”
Standing in the same room as such people as Stewart watched the work, even as director Dexter Fletcher was too busy to attend the event, was not easy.
“I wouldn’t describe this as a ‘relaxing experience,’” Egerton said. “But I believe in the movie, I have faith in everyone except for me.”
Furnish insists that Egerton has captured John on screen.
“He has the sensitivity, and the masculinity. Elton is quite a blokey guy. Taron has both his cheekiness and the sensitivity,” Furnish said. “It just feels like Elton, and it’s not a mimicking performance.”
As for vocals, Furnish says Egerton has the same tone with his own style.
“Elton said, ‘Don’t mimic me. Don’t copy me, do it your way,’ ” Furnish said. “It was really interesting watching Taron evolve as a vocalist and a performer.”