The 2025 Tribeca Festival kicked off with the world premiere of the HBO documentary Billy Joel: And So it Goes, but its subject was unable to attend the celebration.
Joel announced last week that he had been diagnosed with brain disorder Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH), leading him to cancel his upcoming concerts and prompting concern from fans.
In keeping with that focus on recovery, Joel wasn’t on hand for the Tribeca Festival opening night celebration, but the directors and producers of the two-part film, echoing comments made yesterday from Joel friend Howard Stern, indicated there’s no reason to be too concerned about the “Piano Man” performer.
“He’s going to be fine,” co-director Susan Lacy told The Hollywood Reporter before Wednesday night’s screening. “He just needs to recover. He needs to do the physical therapy, which he’s doing — the doctors were telling him yesterday he’ll be fine.”
Lacy and co-director Jessica Levin added, “He’ll be back,” sharing a message from the performer in their opening remarks in which he made light of his condition, showing his sense of humor is still intact.
“Getting old sucks, but it’s still preferable to getting cremated,” Joel said via a message read by Lacy onstage.
Joel’s longtime lighting director and And So it Goes executive producer Steve Cohen shared that he spoke to him that day.
“He’s doing great. He’s working on his healing and recovery,” Cohen told THR before Wednesday night’s premiere. “He’s bright; he’s happy; he’s thrilled for us. He called me and said, ‘I’m so proud of the work you’ve done. I didn’t expect you to get there,’ and just great stuff. He’s a good guy, that’s what he is. I think he’s going to be spending time with the family. He’s going to be doing what he needs to do to heal from this condition and the prognosis is good. At least he’s happy. He’s my boss; he’s my collaborator. At the end of the day, he’s my best friend and I don’t give a shit about anything else except him being healthy and enjoying this part of his life. We have done everything. He has climbed the highest mountain. He’s accomplished anything anyone could ever want.”
Still, the team behind the film said it was “bittersweet” that they were premiering it without him.
“We wanted him to be here and hoped he would be here, and he wanted to be here,” Lacy said.
Producer Emma Pildes added, “This is hard, but this is what our bodies do to us. But this is a celebration of him and his artistry and everything that he’s done. And we just wish that he was able to share that with us and be here with us.”
Though Joel didn’t make it uptown for the premiere at New York’s Beacon Theatre, the event was attended by such stars as Whoopi Goldberg, Mariska Hargitay, Mira Sorvino and Tom Hanks, who executive produces the And So it Goes with his Playtone partner Gary Goetzman.
And Tribeca co-founders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal were on-hand for the opening night gala, even reciting some lines from Joel’s hits like “Movin’ Out,” “Only the Good Die Young,” “New York State of Mind” and “You May Be Right” during their opening remarks.
In a statement when Joel’s brain disorder was announced, De Niro and Rosenthal shared their “love and full support” for the musician, wishing him a “healthy recovery.”
“Our hearts are with Billy Joel and his family following today’s announcement. As a New York icon and global music legend, he has profoundly shaped the cultural fabric of this city and touched audiences around the world. We send our love and full support and wish him strength and a healthy recovery,” the pair said at the time. “We’re deeply honored that this year’s opening night celebrates his remarkable legacy and enduring influence on New York’s cultural landscape. This is the perfect moment to recognize a creative force whose work reflects the very soul of our city — and the heart of Tribeca.”
Though only the first part of the two-part And So it Goes was screened Wednesday night, both installments will premiere on HBO and Max this summer.
