OREM — Tentatively reaching across a barrier of protective, velvet cords, Myrna Gentner caressed the side of an instrument that is as flamboyant as the famous man who inspired it.
The scarlet piano seems a bit shocking at first, but its image matches the intensity of the Rocket Man, Elton John. And like the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, it's a fan magnet, snagging attention with its outrageousness.
"Do I dare reach over and touch it?" Gentner asked her son, her fingers apparently itching to tickle the ivories.
Like many other fans of the British sensation, the Gentners stopped by an Orem furniture store Friday to see the famous piano for themselves. One of only several dozen Signature Red Pianos in the world, the instrument is an exact replica of the piano played by Elton John in his "Red Piano" Las Vegas show.
A Utah Valley family bought the piano last September for $54,000. The cherry-colored grand piano took center stage at a party held in its honor Friday at Steve Peterson's Interiors Unlimited, 727 N. 1500 West.
The family who bought the piano could be Elton John's biggest fans in the state.
"They're huge fans of Elton John, and they just loved the idea of (having) the piano," said Terry Ann Olsen, partner/president of Steve Peterson's Interiors Unlimited. "It's a collector's piece."
Before taking the beauty home to enjoy, though, the family, who wanted to stay anonymous, agreed to let the furniture store showcase it for a day.
"This gave them a great opportunity to share the fun," said Olsen, who wrapped a red feather boa around her neck for the party.
The piano's music rack bears a golden autograph penned by Elton John. And, most impressive by far, is the piano's ability to play original recordings of some of the musician's most popular songs.
The keys replicate Elton John's exact finger movements as an invisible hand plays "Tiny Dancer," "Your Song," "Rocket Man," "Candle in the Wind" and "Take Me to the Pilot."
"The piano itself has a recording mechanism in it that utilizes laser fiber optics," said Aaron Huntsman, marketing director of The Piano Gallery, the store that sold the piano. "It can measure 256 velocity levels on each key per second."
When Elton John recorded the pieces at a studio in Spain, a laser shot across the keyboard, recording which keys he pressed down and when. That recording, which can not be found anywhere else in the world, was then transferred to each of the red pianos, said Huntsman, who was dressed in a bright-red tuxedo for the occasion.
Elton John fans came to admire the piano, eat red velvet cake and chat about the star.
"To me, it's more like a piece of art than a piano," said John Johnson, who brought several of his children to see the instrument. "I'm a BYU fan, but this makes me appreciate red."
Johnson's Elton John T-shirt makes his admiration of the musician evident, as do his stories about the man. When Elton John came to West Valley City's E Center last September, Johnson bought 12 tickets — one for every member of his family.
"I've loved him since the '70s," Johnson said, after relaying a story about the time his wife met the celebrity. "He was just larger than life."
E-mail: rwestenskow@desnews.com