Review: Dancing's great, music's pop-edgy, story's too slender in 'Movin' Out'

By Marcus Crowder - Bee Theater Critic - (Published November 5, 2004)

Singing and dancing are separate but equal parts in "Movin’ Out," the latest Broadway Series production at the Community Center Theater. The musical, mashed together from creations by songwriter Billy Joel and choreographer Twia Tharp, has been dubbed a "dansical" by some. Actually, there's nothing but dancing and 30 of the Long Island Piano Man's melodic narrative pop songs strung together around a thin story line.

It's certainly a stretching of genre boundaries, and the spirited opening-night performance Wednesday had enough early drama and sensational dancing throughout to easily survive a rushed, perfunctory ending.

Tharp conceived and directed the production, which is both a sensual pop ballet and an elaborate tribute-band concert. She used existing songs by Joel, who didn't write any new material for the production, which opened on Broadway in 2002. Tharp won a Tony Award for her choreography, and Joel won one for his orchestrations of the material.

Joel's songs have always had guts, drama and a certain anger driving them, even if they may have seemed a little histrionic coming over the AM radio. Vocalist Matt Wilson's responsive and confident readings of the tunes recalled Joel's versions without being slavish reproductions. Wilson, at the piano while flanked by an eight-piece band, performed on a raised platform supported by metal girders at the back of the spare set overlooking an otherwise empty stage.

Tharp filled the space with her impressive dancers, who combine potent physicality with expansive acting skills in telling the dramatic story. The choreography encompasses modern and classical dance styles, and the fine leads and strong ensemble moved effortlessly through the demanding routines. Tharp doesn't try to literally portray the songs but instead allows her dancers' movements to dramatically interpret the words.

Opening with "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," Tharp fashions a story about five Long Island high school friends (three guys and two girls) who come of age during the Vietnam War, grow apart in the aftermath of early adulthood and eventually come together again. The second-act reconciliation is the weakest part of the production, which stages a moving narrative built early on as the characters and their relationships develop.

Led by Ron Todorowski's troubled Eddie and Laurie Kanyok's revealing Brenda, the principal dancers were frequently spectacular. Todorowski seemed capable of endless, stunning variations from classical leaps to a Michael Jackson-like moonwalk. One moment, he hurled himself head over heels like a Cirque du Soleil soloist. The next he leapt like Mikhail Baryshnikov in "La Bayadere."

Kanyok, too, not only had a graphic visual physicality but her facial expressiveness gave Brenda a significant emotional range.

Corbin Popp, who danced locally with the Sacramento Ballet, was a powerful dramatic presence, moving well from comic foil to sensual lover as Tony, Eddie's best friend. Julieta Gros as Judy and Matthew Dibble as James are the ill-fated young lovers who round out the quintet. Sacramento Ballet alums Charles Hodges and Whitney Simler are also in the ensemble.

Familiar Joel tunes "For the Longest Time" and "Uptown Girl," where Kaynok comes alive, set up the early story line and emerging conflicts, while "This Night" and the romantically poignant "She's Got a Way" detail Tony and Brenda's relationship.

Joel's list-song of social activism, "We Didn't Start the Fire," becomes a montage of the Vietnam War overseas and the war at home with a marvelous solo by Todorowski.

Excessive pace and the episodic song-to-song nature of the staging undercut the already fragmented emotional momentum during the second half. But there were standout moments during a stunning pas de deux by Popp and Kanyok on "Big Shot" and on the beautiful "Shameless," with the same duo pushed by a stinging guitar solo from Denny Blake.

The roles of Brenda, Eddie and the lead vocalist/piano man are double cast, and Holly Cruikshank, Brendan King and Darren Holden will also be performing them during the show's run here.