William Joseph in Concert at Capitol Theatre in Clearwater Florida

“It’s moments like this that make me glad to be a city council member,” said John Doran as he stepped outside the newly-renovated Capitol Theatre, just after the opening night performance from classical pop pianist William Joseph.

Following the purchase of the Royalty Theatre by Ruth Eckerd Hall and the City of Clearwater, the venue has had a thorough cleaning and been officially renamed the Capitol Theatre. Its opening performance was on Saturday, April 4th — a performance from a very talented artist, William Joseph.

William is a dynamic and passionate classical pianist whose pop twist gives a fresh and youthful burst of energy to the genre. His music is emotional, dramatic and engaging. Discovered by David Foster in his native Phoenix, Arizona, he has gone on to release two remarkable albums and perform for the likes of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. “I’m very emotion-driven,” he says of his music. “I only write from feelings that I’m having. It’s not a story, it’s raw feeling.”

He has recently released his phenomenal second album, Beyond. At his Capitol Theatre performance, he played music from the album as well as new songs, such as the touchingly-quaint “Once Upon a Christmas.”

His appearance at The Capitol Theatre marked his second trip to Clearwater. “I was excited to come back, and it’s been an even greater return than I thought.” Before the performance he expressed his appreciation for the town and its beauty, specifically the beaches. “Honestly, I don’t know how anyone gets anything done around here,” he jokes. “It’s really nice here. I’m coming back!”

Regarding being the opening performance at the newly-renovated venue, he states, “I feel so privileged to be a part of this. This is a really cool little spot and I’m just excited to be the first.”

The experience and atmosphere of sitting in the theatre itself was very pleasant. The theatre is clean, cozy and intimate, with comfortable seats and a strong vintage presence and sense of history. It was perfect for such an affable performer as William Joseph. Between songs, he spoke to the audience and shared the stories behind some of his songs, and then proceeded to knock the audience’s socks off with some of the best piano playing Clearwater has ever experienced.

William Joseph brought the house down. Afterwards, the audience was invited to a VIP reception at Planet Café where Mr. Joseph signed autographs for fans. His tour will take him next to western Canada, including Vancouver and Edmonton, before he returns to the States. Hopefully, we will see him here again in the Clearwater Capitol Theatre.

For those who missed William Joseph at The Capitol Theatre, and those who didn’t get enough of him there, his CD Beyond is available in stores and is highly recommended.

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