You oughta know by now: 'Movin' Out' all about soul

You oughta know by now: ‘Movin’ Out’ all about soul
Boston Herald - United States
By Robert Nesti. When “Movin’ Out” opened in Boston two years ago, the evening was upstaged with an impromptu concert by Billy Joel. ...
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When “Movin’ Out” opened in Boston two years ago, the evening was upstaged with an impromptu concert by Billy Joel. Who better than the Piano Man to top a theatrical construct of his songs?

    There was no such celebrity sighting at last night’s opening at the Opera House; there was no need to. “Movin’ Out” can stand on its own as a spectacularly entertaining synthesis of theatrical forms. (If it needs to be pigeonholed, it is best called a “jukebox dancical.”)

  It even had a star turn or two of its own. First, there’s vocalist Darren Holden, who sits on the platform above the stage where he sings more than two-dozen Billy Joel songs that range from the familiar (“Just the Way You Are” and “Uptown Girl”) to the lesser known (“Angry Young Man” and “Big Shot”).

    Holden, who provided similar duties two years ago, has a full-throttled rasp perfect for Joel’s songs, and he’s assisted by top-notch musicians. They could have played all night if the audience had its way.

    Second, there’s dancer Brendan King, who plays Eddie, the high school heartthrob whose experiences in Vietnam nearly ruin his life. Whether it besomersaulting across the stage or (incredibly) dancing on his hands, he commands the stage with his athletic prowess and nearly steals the show from his fellow cast members.

    I say nearly, because the true stars of “Movin’ Out” are director/choreographer Twyla Tharp, who conceived the show, and this amazing company of dancers, who do her proud with their every move. Her exacting, Tony- winning choreography is a thrilling mix of elements as diverse as classical ballet and MTV music videos, which she uses to tell a period narrative that follows the coming of age of five high school friends in the late 1960s.

    Tharp’s lean narrative follows their romances, breakups and involvement in the Vietnam War. One of them is killed, while the survivors are tainted by their experiences.

What is most surprising is how well Joel’s songs work within this narrative context, providing the evocative soundtrack for this emblematic baby boomer story.

Billy Joel serenades convocation
ChronicleHerald.ca - Halifax,Nova Scotia,Canada
SYRACUSE, New York (AP) — Pop singer Billy Joel got a standing ovation from nearly 5,000 Syracuse University graduates after he serenaded them and urged them ...