Piano duo brings lively show to Breckenridge’s National Theatre
By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan
On Saturday night, Feb. 15, at Breckenridge’s National Theatre, Christine Cochrane and Joel Henry with “New York, New York Dueling Pianos” encouraged audience participation from the beginning, kicking their two-hour show off with “Sweet Caroline,” a Neil Diamond tune that has become a well-known sing-along song for sports fans around the world. The crowd in downtown Breckenridge didn’t disappoint, singing along — and often dancing — to the opening song and the others that followed.
Joel Henry and Christine Cochrane with “New York, New York Dueling Pianos,” performed at the National Theatre in Breckenridge on Saturday, Feb. 15. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Many of those in the audience were happy to fill out the request forms stacked on the stage, and Cochrane and Henry were likewise happy to perform most of the requests. Most of the songs were from the 1970s and ’80s — from “Crocodile Rock” to “Living on a Prayer” — with a few songs from the 1950s and ’60s — including “All Shook Up” and “Mustang Sally.”
The performers and the crowd seemed to prefer the more lively rock/pop songs, but everyone also sang along to “Wagon Wheel,” “Friends in Low Places” and “Tennessee Whiskey.”
For a few songs, Cochrane and Henry brought some members of the audience up to the front of the theater to perform along with the music, such as “YMCA.” When they played “Hot, Hot, Hot,” a conga line danced around the room, picking up more audience members as they went.
The crowd also joined in to give a major concert feel to the performance, holding up their cell phone lights in the darkened theater, a tradition that has evolved from audiences holding up candles and lighters in the 1970s. Click here to see the Breckenridge Texan’s photo gallery from the concert.
The concert was part of the National Theatre’s 2024-25 Performance Series. The final act of the series will be Brandon Davis, who will perform on April 5. More details on that concert to come.
Father-in-law and son-in-law “Earl” and “Cletus” (“redneck” names made up by the “New York, New York Dueling Pianos” performers) dance to the song “Redneck Mother” during Saturday night’s concert at the National Theatre in Breckenridge. The men and their families came to the concert from Eastland. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Members of the audience hold up their cell phone lights during Saturday night’s concert. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Cutline, top photo: Several members of the audience joined “New York, New York Dueling Pianos” performers Joel Henry and Christine Cochrane for a rousing rendition of “YMCA” during the Feb. 15 concert at the National Theatre in downtown Breckenridge. Click here to see more photos from the event. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
