Pop role a big leap for dancer

Pop role a big leap for dancer Akron Beacon Journal Fri, 28 Apr 2006 10:03 PM PDT It's not often that a classically trained dancer gets to combine ballet, modern dance, jazz, karate, yoga, boxing, break dancing and just about every other kind of movement imaginable to tell a brand-new story, let alone set to the hits of Billy Joel.

 

`Movin' Out' tour opens Twyla Tharp/Billy Joel work in Akron Tuesday

Kerry Clawson

Beacon Journal

It's not often that a classically trained dancer gets to combine ballet, modern dance, jazz, karate, yoga, boxing, break dancing and just about every other kind of movement imaginable to tell a brand-new story, let alone set to the hits of Billy Joel.

That's what lead dancer/actor Keith Roberts has been doing since 2002 as Tony in the acclaimed Twyla Tharp/Billy Joel musical Movin' Out. Roberts, who created the role of Tony on Broadway and closed the Broadway run in December, is reprising the role for the musical's national tour, which comes to Akron's E.J. Thomas Hall Tuesday.

(Shows will run 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through May 4, 8 p.m. May 5, 2 and 8 p.m. May 6, and 2 and 7:30 p.m. May 7. Cost is $30-$57.50. Call 330-972-7570 or 330-945-9400.)

The dancer, who had never done a whole show of pop music before Movin' Out, joined American Ballet Theatre at age 17, and danced there for 13 years. As a principal ballet dancer, Roberts performed numerous famous roles that many dancers had done before him.

Not so with Movin' Out: ``The challenge was creating a character from scratch,'' he said.

The musical, conceived, choreographed and directed by acclaimed choreographer Tharp, follows a group of five friends, beginning in Long Island in the 1960s. War takes the three men away from home but only two return, broken. As the vets try to put their lives back together, character Eddie struggles to overcome the war's nightmares, and Tony learns how to rediscover his love with Brenda.

Tharp uses dance as the narrator in this tale of love, loss and redemption. The musical, which has no spoken words, weaves together 28 of Joel's songs, sung by pianist/vocalist Wade Preston.

Researching role

To prepare for the role of Tony, Roberts studied music, TV, radio, books and clothing from the Vietnam era. His research into Tony's cool-guy persona also included watching everything from Saturday Night Fever to Happy Days to create how Tony would move and walk.

``I also put Marlon Brando in there, and James Dean,'' to develop moves distinct to Tony's personality, Roberts said.

Tony starts out at age 18 with a naivete and youthfulness that say ``everything out there is for my taking.'' That innocence is lost after Vietnam.

The war research that gripped Roberts the most was a documentary called Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam, which showed soldiers playing football and volleyball, doing night patrol, and being blown up. He and the other male cast members also worked with a drill sergeant to prepare for the musical's war scenes.

In the most hellish war number, Goodnight Saigon, Roberts said he's going on sensory recall, drawing from the devastating documentary footage he studied.

The results seem to be quite real for Vietnam vets who see the show.

``They stay around afterwards, and they're in tears, and they're like, `Thank you very much. This is exactly what we went through,' '' Roberts said.

Even growing up as an Army brat couldn't prepare Roberts for being screamed at for two hours by a real drill sergeant, which was part of his research.

``I don't have the patience for this. I felt too old for it, first of all,'' he said.

Working with Tharp

The dancer has worked with Tharp since 1988, when Twyla Tharp Dance merged with American Ballet Theatre. He said Tharp challenges him in every sense.

``She's amazing. She's someone that I've clicked with. She's extremely demanding and extremely intellectual.''

Whether they get together for rehearsal or dinner, Tharp's constant catch phrase is, ``So, what did you learn? What do you know?''

``Ballet is one thing: You're given steps A, B and C,'' Roberts said. ``Twyla comes in and says, `A, B and C is nice, but how about the rest of the alphabet? How do we push our bodies to the limits?' ''

The dance is so physically demanding in Movin' Out, injury is a fact of life. Roberts' character goes from an idealistic boy to an angry young man who finally heals.

``Tony's turned into the prince finally, and can be the classical dancer,'' Roberts said of his character's final, romantic pas de deux with Brenda in Shameless.