Review: Movin' Out at Miami Beach's Gleason Theatre Jan. 24-29

Dear Reader, Following is the review we ran of Movin' Out when it opened in South Florida a few weeks ago at the Broward Center. It returns to South Florida for an engagement at the Jackie Gleason Theater, January 24-29.

Photo provided by: Manny Hernandez/MH PIXS

Movin' Out is a musical that does not begin. It explodes. This show is often thrilling theater that is welcome to Move Into our town for as long it wishes; or as long as the impossibly hard working performers can survive.

There are two companies of leads to handle the rigors of this dance extravaganza. Tonight's "leads" and the Olympian ensemble were cheered very loudly and longly by the opening night audience. The cheering had commenced even before the show's composer, rock legend Billy Joel, surprisingly appeared onstage. Then the audience reaction to Mr. Joel (and his show we had just seen) became rather surreal. After making sure that the onstage performers received another round of well earned bravos, Billy Joel performed "You May Be Right." Then, after he jokingly twisted his own arm, he slew us again with "Only The Good Die Young."

I loved Billy Joel's Glass Houses album. It was amazing, the amount of great songs on that one LP. I had also loved his Piano Man and especially the song, Just The Way You Are. Just The Way You Are is elegantly performed in Movin' Out. Alas, Piano Man, is not. And I wish it had been. Which leads to why I am not completely in love with Movin' Out.

Much has been written about jukebox musicals and those shows woven together using great songs from the trunk of a composer such as Mr. Joel.

In this show a conglomeration of Billy Joel songs is strung together. Apparently the songs were chosen, at least in part, to form a serviceable plot to drive a musical. The plot is about three young American men during the Viet Nam war era. Their lives, loves, service to their country and their drugs. Frankly, I found the plot element a bit difficult to follow or it was so flimsy that my mind "easily lost the plot?" Book, plot and dialogue are not what this show is about.

Ultimately, Movin' Out is about the choreography and directing mastermind of Twyla Tharp. Candidly speaking, I wish I had been able to select my favorite 24 Billy Joel songs, and then have Ms. Twarp choreograph them employing tonight's dancers. Then I wish she had staged them on Santo Loquasto's exquisite set designs, and directed it all to glimmer and shine in the brilliance of Donald Holder's own theatrical light and magic.

As the show progresses, you find yourself looking forward to a "Billy Joel Favorite" of yours being performed onstage. The plot has become irrelevant. The direction, the music being played, the words being sung, the "dances being danced by the dancers dancing them" and the "special effects" in abundance are the elements that make this show take flight. Ms. Tharp, keep your Viet Nam era boy/girl story concept. Give us your directing and choreographing gifts and apply them to Billy Joel's most beloved top ten hits. This is what the audience truly hungered for. Twyla Tharp's genius and the performances she gets from her cast make us greedily thankful, even to gratefully watch the production of songs way down on our Billy Joel "favorites" list. Ms. Tharp, I simply wish you had dissolved the plot and stuck to the show.

Bursting with exciting, thrilling, athletic dance and some fabulous songs, MOVIN' OUT is likely the most dance driven musical since WEST SIDE STORY. Indeed, this show makes no apologies for not having a Pulitzer Prize winning storyline or dialogue. It is too busy assaulting us with mesmerizing dance and theatrical fairy dust.

Darren Holden as the "Billy Joel" of the piece, the main singer and main piano man, performs with an excitement level that shook every member of tonight's audience. The exuberance of his piano artistry along with his beautiful sounding and sincerely acted singing make his, a lovely and audience favorite, performance. At evening's end Mr. Holden performed an encore 'of his own,' Mr. Joel's "New York State of Mind." It was enthralling. I wonder if Mr. Holden and his alternate, James Fox, do this unscheduled encore at each performance. I hope so. It is one of my most cherished Joel songs and I hope all future audiences get to see and hear it performed, live and in person.

Twyla Tharp's dancers? They perform feats that most humans are incapable of conceiving, yet alone accomplishing; and this they do on a regular basis. Simply astonishing. The dancers in MOVIN' OUT are athletes, artists, workhorses and shining stars. Roses, and flowers of even greater expense must be thrown at the feet of tonight's leading ladies, Holly Cruikshank and Julieta Gros. Their physical beauty is only possibly overshadowed by their grace and craftsmanship.

The male dancers? One wonders, if it is intentional that they are all, well, these guys are gorgeous. Stud cutlets each and every one. Not an easy task finding male dancers who are not feminine, who are dripping with sexuality and possess performing skills decades beyond their years. Matt Dibble and Joshua Bergasse give steady support to the star performances of Tony and Eddie. Tonight, Tony (remember, Anthony who worked in a grocery story?) was played by swing, Sam Franke. Let's cut to the chase. Anyone would want Sam Franke swinging in their back yard or their front yard for that matter. Obviously, Ms. Tharp is not going to cast any performer in this show who is not incredibly talented. Mr. Franke's dancing and the depth of his performance were only matched by his "It" factor. Sam Franke smoldered tonight. Brendan King as Eddie is the essential "star" of act two. His charisma, charm, and smile, heck, even his sweat, were beguiling to watch. The athleticism of his dance kept building in act two until this powerhouse champion, dancing impossible dances, literally popped the champagne cork before we had a chance to.

This show which starts out with a startling force, builds to a truly org*smic climax led by the superlative Mr. King. Yes, these words were carefully chosen.

Movin' Out is an excellent time at the theater. Especially when your favorite and perhaps most beloved Billy Joel songs are being presented onstage.

At times, many times, the melding of Mr. Joel's songs and Ms. Tharp's majesty bring the life of Movin' Out to dizzying heights.

Movin'Out is at the Jackie Gleason Theater, January 24-29.

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