Spring Break
Theater Interview: Movin' Out lead says play perfect for newcomers
Stephen Greenwell
Issue date: 11/28/06 Section: Entertainment
11/28/06 - The music of Billy Joel will rock the Providence Performing Arts Center, as the Broadway production of Movin' Out starts tonight.
Dancing to the music of Joel tells the story of five friends as they progress through two decades. The play was nominated for 10 Tony awards in 2003, winning for Twyla Tharp's choreography and the orchestration work of Joel and Stuart Malina.
David Gomez plays the role of Tony, who is based on Anthony from the Joel song "Movin' Out." In the play, Tony falls in love with Brenda (Laurie Kanyok), but their relationship becomes strained when he must fight in the Vietnam War.
In a phone interview with Gomez, he said he the show is a good beginner for people not familiar with Broadway productions.
"I think it's a good show for people who have never seen a Broadway show before," he said. "In general, it's an exciting show and it's a great show to introduce people."
Gomez had some familiarity with Joel's music before he became part of the cast.
"I have four older brothers, and a lot of them listened to it, so I knew all his music before I did the show," he said, adding that "Shameless" is his favorite Joel song.
But when Gomez started dancing, a different kind of music was popular.
"I started off dancing when I was 12, in the whole break dancing era," he said, laughing. His first classes covered jazz and ballet.
While growing up in Dayton, Ohio, Gomez danced with a professional company, which allowed him to stay in Dayton through high school.
"I was very fortunate to have them there," he said.
After graduating high school, Gomez studied and performed at Hubbard Street Dance in Chicago for about 10 years. He then moved on to Broadway, where he has been performing for seven years.
Gomez has played the role of Tony for about five years, first as an alternate for the Broadway version, then sharing the role during the London and current touring production.
"We have eight shows a week, and I do four," he said.
The physical preparation for a Broadway show is intense, according to Gomez. "A lot of us will do a ballet class two days a week," he said, adding that this is on top of daily regiments of performances, rehearsing, sit-ups, push-ups and stretching.
Gomez said he was especially excited to work with Tharp, who he called "an amazing choreographer," and to utilize the music of Joel.
"You don't realize how many horn sections and rhythm are in Billy Joel's songs," he said. "Dancing on stage to that music, [it is] just pounding and high energy ... It's not just a musical revue of Billy Joel."
Movin' Out runs from today to Sunday, Dec. 3 at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Ticket prices range from $43 to $70, and can be purchased at www.ppac.org.
Dancing to the music of Joel tells the story of five friends as they progress through two decades. The play was nominated for 10 Tony awards in 2003, winning for Twyla Tharp's choreography and the orchestration work of Joel and Stuart Malina.
David Gomez plays the role of Tony, who is based on Anthony from the Joel song "Movin' Out." In the play, Tony falls in love with Brenda (Laurie Kanyok), but their relationship becomes strained when he must fight in the Vietnam War.
In a phone interview with Gomez, he said he the show is a good beginner for people not familiar with Broadway productions.
"I think it's a good show for people who have never seen a Broadway show before," he said. "In general, it's an exciting show and it's a great show to introduce people."
Gomez had some familiarity with Joel's music before he became part of the cast.
"I have four older brothers, and a lot of them listened to it, so I knew all his music before I did the show," he said, adding that "Shameless" is his favorite Joel song.
But when Gomez started dancing, a different kind of music was popular.
"I started off dancing when I was 12, in the whole break dancing era," he said, laughing. His first classes covered jazz and ballet.
While growing up in Dayton, Ohio, Gomez danced with a professional company, which allowed him to stay in Dayton through high school.
"I was very fortunate to have them there," he said.
After graduating high school, Gomez studied and performed at Hubbard Street Dance in Chicago for about 10 years. He then moved on to Broadway, where he has been performing for seven years.
Gomez has played the role of Tony for about five years, first as an alternate for the Broadway version, then sharing the role during the London and current touring production.
"We have eight shows a week, and I do four," he said.
The physical preparation for a Broadway show is intense, according to Gomez. "A lot of us will do a ballet class two days a week," he said, adding that this is on top of daily regiments of performances, rehearsing, sit-ups, push-ups and stretching.
Gomez said he was especially excited to work with Tharp, who he called "an amazing choreographer," and to utilize the music of Joel.
"You don't realize how many horn sections and rhythm are in Billy Joel's songs," he said. "Dancing on stage to that music, [it is] just pounding and high energy ... It's not just a musical revue of Billy Joel."
Movin' Out runs from today to Sunday, Dec. 3 at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Ticket prices range from $43 to $70, and can be purchased at www.ppac.org.
