A recent visit to the Keller Auditorium in Portland found Twyla Tharp's setting of 28 great Billy Joel hits, Movin' Out, this is a magnificent study of how America changed during the Vietnam conflict and of the difficult couple of decades that a nation suffering from post-traumatic stress faced while recovering. It's a work of art seemingly mined from somewhere deep in a collective psyche.
During the overture and 24 vignettes, Tharp illustrates the myriad raw but honest emotions that affect men and women during periods of adolescent and young-adult strife. She also says plenty about maturity. The episodes she covers include the body-and-soul-searing damage done during battle and on the distressed home front ("We Didn't Start the Fire," "She's Got a Way") and the joy expressed when mental balance has been restored ("River of Dreams," "Keeping the Faith"). she demonstrates how aggression and frustration affect parted lovers seeking to reconnect ("Shameless").
There where times throughout the show when I had to look twice at the band hovering above the stage to make sure Billy Joel himself wasn’t up there singing. The band was right on and flawless. I have to admit, between the live music, unforgettable dancers, and the raw emotion itself, I left the show with a new respect for Broadway dance musicals all together.
I just have to throw in how nice it is to be treated so kind by a venue like Keller. These folks always go out of there way to make us in the press feel appreciated, it seems to be so rare to find these days.
