Movin' Out, the Musical Set to Billy Joel Songs, Comes to Eisenhower Auditorium in February
January 7, 2008
Movin' Out, the Tony Award-winning new musical conceived, choreographed and directed by Twyla Tharp and based on 24 classic songs by Billy Joel, makes its Centre County debut with three performances at 8 p.m. February 1 and 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. February 2 in Penn State's Eisenhower Auditorium.
Section one and two tickets for the Center for the Performing Arts presentation are $54 and $48 for an adult, $44 and $38 for a University Park student and $49 and $43 for a person 18 and younger. Buy tickets online at www.cpa.psu.edu or by phone at 814-863-0255. Outside the local calling area, dial 1-800-ARTS-TIX. Tickets are also available at three State College locations: Eisenhower Auditorium (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays), Penn State Tickets Downtown (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday) and Bryce Jordan Center (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays). The HUB-Robeson Center ticket location reopens Jan. 14 with its regular hours of 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays.
Movin' Out–told through Tharp's choreography and Joel's music performed on stage by a singer-pianist-fronted rock band–has dazzled audiences across the country. "So exhilarating and soul-stirring, it practically burst out of the theater," wrote a critic for Time. "Movin' Out is electrifying! The union of Tharp and Joel is one made in heaven," raved a Chicago Tribune reviewer.
Movin' Out is the story of lifelong friends through two turbulent decades that change them and the world around them forever. Songs such as "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," "We Didn't Start the Fire" and "Pressure" come together to weave a musical backdrop that 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.
Movin' Out's main characters 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 the title character from "James." Their story is told completely through dance with no dialogue whatsoever.
"The movement and the action tell the story," Tharp says. "The experience, the emotional resonance, comes from action rather than language."
The Broadway production of Movin' Out played for more than three years, closing on Dec. 11, 2005, after 28 previews and 1,303 regular performances. It joined the pantheon of great Broadway dance musicals when it surpassed the runs of Contact, Fosse and Bring in 'Da Noise/Bring in 'Da Funk. The show earned two 2003 Tony Awards–one for Tharp (best choreography) and one for Joel (best orchestrations).
AmeriServ Bank sponsors the presentation. WTAJ-TV 10 and 95.3 3WZ are the media sponsors. Artistic Viewpoints, an informal moderated discussion featuring a visiting artist, is offered in Eisenhower Auditorium one hour before each performance and is free for ticket holders. Artistic Viewpoints regularly fills to capacity. Seating is available on a first-arrival basis. Audio description, which is especially helpful to patrons with sight loss, is available for the 2 p.m. Feb. 2 performance at no extra charge to ticket holders. A grant from the Penn State Student Activities Fee Funds makes University Park student prices possible.
Contact: Laura Sullivan, 814-863-6379