Darren Holden: the new Piano Man

Kilkenny-born singer Darren Holden has landed the lead role in the Broadway musical, Movin' Out.

The musical, which is based on the life and songs of Billy Joel, is the No.1 musical of the year in the US, having only last week secured no less than 10 Tony nominations. Billy Joel is best known as the writer of 'Piano Man', a worldwide hit for the diminutive Long Island singer that has gone on to become a modern standard.

Movin' Out tells the story of six teenagers from Long Island, and is narrated by the main character, clearly based on Joel, and to be played by Holden. Over the coming month Holden will work with Billy Joel, who will coach him into the lead role at his home in New Jersey. The band from the show is led by Billy Joel's guitarist, Tommy Byrne.

Holden's stint with Movin' Out goes live in December on Broadway, and after that he will be touring cities in the U.S. for the remainder of the initial one-year contract period. The show requires Holden to sing 26 songs a night, six days a week, for the duration of his involvement.

From Mooncoin, Co. Kilkenny, Darren Holden has previously worked on Broadway with Riverdance, one of the biggest worldwide theatrical hits of the past decade. He has been writing songs and playing the piano from an early age and, at sixteen, began touring with various bands, including a two-year stint with the showband Tweed, who toured in the US and Britain as well as Ireland.

Along the way, Darren has taken part in two Eurosong competitions, releasing three singles and touring with Boyzone on their first major UK and Ireland tour. In 1998, he released his debut album Suddenly, which contained all three top twenty singles, as well as a cover of the Crystal Gayle classic 'Talkin' In Your Sleep'. He was also a participant in the IMRO songwriters' festival in Clifden, Co. Galway, where a number of American artists travelled to Ireland to collaborate with Irish songwriters.

Darren wrote 'It Will Always Be You' with R'n'B singer Montell Jordan and also collaborated with country star Rodney Crowell on a song titled 'Wendy's World'.

Holden got his breakthrough into theatre when he was asked to perform in the Kieran Cavanagh vehicle Rhythm of the Dance, which hit the road in March of 1999. A two-hour dance and music spectacular, combining traditional Irish music and dance with contemporary stage technology, it was the ideal preparation for the role in Riverdance that followed.

In 2001, Holden hooked up with US writer/producer Don Di Nicola, who produced his US debut, the contemporary country album Live And Learn. The single 'Blood And Smoke' was released in September 2002. The 29 year-old Holden is now being managed by Di Nicola, and looks set to make an even greater impact in his new US base over the coming years.