Reviewed 9/6/05
)Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out is an anomaly similar to such recent Broadway creations as Contact. This is no book musical, although it does have a semblance of a plot. The characters never speak, but they definitely have character arcs. This is a dance show that attempts to revitalize the genre by infusing it with modernity and scoring it to a rock beat. That score is provided by classic rocker Billy Joel, Long Island’s favorite son, and features such hits as “The Stranger,” “Big Shot,” “Pressure,” “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” and the titled tune as sung on alternate evenings by Darren Holden and James Fox. Running from 1965 to sometime in the 1980s, the show follows the exploits of five friends, Brenda and Eddy, Tony, James, and Judy, all characters featured in Joel’s various tunes. But Tharp calls this a story without language. Her medium is high-octane dance that edges on gymnastics, and her dancers divulge their characters with theatrical movement that is as expressive as it is spectacular to watch.
However, for those who have seen the original on Broadway, this tour is a bit of a disappointment. The leads are generally on a par with the currently running production in terms of talent, especially local product Holly Cruikshank as temptress Brenda and Ron Todorowski as the angry young Eddie. What’s missing though is the pinpoint precision of presentation. The dancing is a sight, full of energy, and expressive, but it lacks the stark synchronization of the original. There’s just a hint of sloppy timing that detracts only for those familiar with Tharp or this show in particular.
Still, the audience can easily fall under the spell of Tharp’s distinctive choreography. Cruikshank (in a role alternately played by Whitney Simler) is a more lithe version of the kinds of women I knew in my days in New York. Her work seems effortless, an amazing achievement. What Todorowski’s Eddy (alternately played by Brendan King) lacks in facial expressions (he seems to have two, one that only shows up near the end of the evening), he makes up for in dance prowess. His character’s extended spins and back flips draw applause every time he executes them. David Gomez’s Tony (alternately played by Corbin Popp) is amiable in character and movement, and works well with Cruikshank. Julieta Gros’ Judy does an excellent job of performing her character’s classically oriented choreography.
The ensemble is solid in their offering. It is here more than other areas where they don’t seem to be as precise in their timing, but it does little to detract from the overall excellence of the evening. Holden, on a platform above Santo Loquasto’s gritty urban-inspired set, has a wonderful and expressive voice and strong piano skills.
While the plot is nothing we haven’t heard before about the collapse of the American Dream and personal redemption, it is given its freshness in its medium. Tharp’s offering is a great coming together of classic movement and modern sensibilities. Has anybody set up a meeting between her and Springsteen yet?
