'Movin' Out' is a powerful piece of work

"MOVIN' OUT," BROADWAY IN UTAH, Capitol Theatre, additional performances Thursday-Sunday (355-2787). Running time: two hours (one intermission).

Twila Tharp and Billy Joel's "Movin' Out" has joined the ranks of Paul Taylor's "Company B" and Antony Tudor's "Echoing of Trumpets" with regard to making a contemporary dance statement about war.

Those were about World War II. Tharp's choreography and Joel's songs take aim at the Vietnam War.

"Movin' Out," which was choreographed and directed by Tharp, is set to the rock and classical music of Joel, the Piano Man himself. And despite the lack of dialogue, the sights and sounds are every bit as potent as traditional musical theater.

Backed by a band that played on a floating riser above the stage, the dancers move to Joel's sometimes brash yet poignant lyrics.

Act one follows childhood chums Eddie, Tony and James and their romantic entanglements.

Eddie and Brenda (Ron Todorowski and Elizabeth Parkinson) are just out of high school and breaking up. James and Judy (Utah native Troy Edward Bowles and Laura Feig) are planning to marry. Tony (David Gomez) has set his eye on the newly single Brenda.

From the start, the dancing is high-energy leaps, pirouettes and straight-legged high kicks blending ballet, jazz and modern-dance forms, with a bit of gymnastics, hip-hop and cheerleading moves.

The first act ends with a haunting depiction of war. While there are no prop guns used, the dancers' gestures do the job. Smooth scene transitions and strong character development move the story along, and tears will fall during a funeral service set to Joel's heart-breaking "Elegy (the Great Peconic)."

Act two opens with the returned vets trying to cope with drug addiction, post-traumatic stress syndrome and anger. Eddie and James withdraw into their own worlds, and find themselves facing new challenges and nightmares, dancing to the hard-hitting tunes "Angry Young Man" and "Big Shot."

With the only narration coming from the songs, the message comes across crystal clear — time heals, but there's no going back.

One of the more emotional segments is "Eddie's Journey Back," done to "Goodnight Saigon," Joel's ode to Vietnam vets. The dancing is done in flashback style with James as a dancing corpse.

Parents may not want to bring children due to a sexually suggestive vice number called "Eddie Gets High," done to "Captain Jack," which depicts images of mild sado-masochism, scantily clad dancers, simulated sex and intravenous drug use.

Still, "Movin' Out" is a powerful work of theatre and rings in sync with current events in the Middle East.

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E-mail: scott@desnews.com