"Movin' Out" is a Broadway musical based on the music of piano icon Billy Joel. The show is now on a nationwide tour, and its current stop is Washington. The brainchild of Twyla Tharp and Joel, "Movin' Out" incorporates dance and music in a unique way that has never been done before.
There is no dialogue in the show. The story is conveyed strictly through dance and the Joel songs performed by a band on a balcony above the stage.
Tharp took 25 of Joel's songs and created a storyline based on his lyrics and the characters that are featured in them. The show follows the lives of Brenda and Eddie from "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant," Tony from "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," James from "James," and Judy from "Why, Judy, Why" and how the Vietnam War affects them all. The time period is set in the second scene during "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" when the lyrics are changed from "the summer of '75" to "the summer of '65."
The costumes reflect the time period well. The show starts with typical 60s attire: belly shirts with high-cut skirts for the girls and tight pants for the guys. They evolve over the course of the show, especially when the war becomes more central to the story, by including hippie-style clothing.
Tharp makes it easy for the audience to tell the three guys apart by having Tony and James wear "varsity jackets" with their names embroidered on the back. Eddie wears a mechanic's shirt with his name on the front.
The musical begins with the story of Brenda and Eddie's tumultuous relationship, which ends after the second scene. James and Judy, the most stable couple in the musical, are engaged soon after Brenda and Eddie's breakup. Tony begins to like Brenda, and their relationship begins right before the three guys go off to war.
Holly Cruikshank reprises her role as Brenda from the lead Broadway matinee cast. Her experience shows through her attitude and her chemistry with David Gomez as Tony and Ron Todorowski as Eddie. Both Todorowski and Gomez were in the Broadway casts of "Movin' Out."
Todorowski especially shines as the rebel of the show. His dance sequences are energetic and passionate. From his never-ending spins in "Captain Jack" to his triumphant moonwalk in "River of Dreams," Todorowski knows best how to work a crowd.
Julieta Gros, a ballerina from Argentina, portrays the mild-mannered Judy well through her ballet and point sequences. She, along with the other main characters, has great acting ability in addition to superior dance talent. During the scene in which Judy is projected as Eddie's guide through his nightmares, Gros' dramatic side is prominently displayed.
The only scene with questionable effectiveness is the scene when Eddie gets high during "Captain Jack." This scene features S & M characters that reflect the ridiculousness of the scene. However, it becomes too comedic when Eddie realizes one of the people he is dancing with is a drag queen. The scene is meant to show what many Vietnam veterans did to cope with their pain, not to provoke laughter from the audience.
Unlike the Broadway production, the balcony on which the band performs does not move up and down. Despite the musicians' detachment from the audience, the dancers include them in the action early on in the production. During the scene in which Brenda breaks up with Eddie, Cruikshank climbs up to the balcony to throw the ring he gave her down to the stage. She then dances around the band to include them in the spectacle of the show.
The pianist and lead vocalist, Darren Holden, tries too hard at times by belting notes that should not be held for so long. He also sounds too "country" at times for the rock and roll songs he is singing. Despite this, the band does a fantastic job of adapting Joel's music to a theatre setting. All of the band members are rock musicians because Joel believes rock musicians can best play his gritty style.
The Washington production of "Movin' Out" proves to theatre goers that not all shows have to be performed in New York to be praiseworthy and moving. This show appeals to all types of people, from adults to senior citizens to students.
Tickets range from $40-$85 and are available by calling (800) 447-7400, as well as through Telecharge.com or the National Theatre Box Office.
