Movin' Out to be Featured on 'Great Performances' in '07

PBS's "Great Performances" series will air the hit Twyla Tharp-Billy Joel dance musical collaboration Movin' Out next year.

According to a PBS brochure, the broadcast--which will feature a performance from the current national tour of Movin' Out--will be presented in either the winter or spring of 2007.

With music and lyrics by pop music icon Joel, Movin' Out is directed and choreographed by Tharp--whose The Times They Are A-Changin' recently opened on Broadway.

The tour, which is currently playing Detroit, stars Holly Cruikshank, Dylis Croman, Matthew Dibble, Laura Feig, David Gomez, Cody Green, Laurie Kanyok, Brendan King, Keith Roberts, Rasta Thomas, Darren Holden, and James Fox.

"Told through the choreography of Twyla Tharp and more than two dozen of Billy Joel's hit songs, "Movin' Out is the story of lifelong friends through two turbulent decades that change them and the world around them forever. Songs like 'It's Still Rock and Roll to Me,' 'We Didn't Start the Fire,' and 'Pressure' all come together to weave a musical backdrop which beautifully complements Tharp's innovative choreography. The songs and dance take audiences through a poignant narrative comprised of three main elements: post-World War II idealism, the Vietnam War and its subsequent unrest, and finally, survival," state earlier press notes on the show.

"Many will recognize Movin' Out's main characters, as they come straight from Joel's lyrics. There's Brenda and Eddie from 'Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,' Tony and Sergeant O'Leary from 'Movin' Out,' Judy from 'Why, Judy, Why,' and James from 'James'—and their story is told completely through dance, with no dialogue whatsoever."

Movin' Out received 2003 Tony Awards for Tharp's choreography, as well as for its orchestrations.

Visit www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf for more on "Great Performances."