Movin' Out at NJPAC: Twyla Tharp's Dance Interpretation of Billy Joel's Music...A Spectacular Show for Roxy, Rex, and the Girls!

As my loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives readers know, Rex and the girls and I went to see Movin' Out last night at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, New Jersey. I've already tipped you off that the show was spectacular, but our entire Thursday night was truly the perfect start to an extended Father's Day weekend.









We started off our night out in Newark, NJ, with a perfect Spanish/Portuguese dinner at Adega Grill on Ferry Street. We sat in our very own throne banquet quite near the two king & queen throne chairs pictured above. The four of us shared several appetizers: two different preparations of chorizo -- Chorizo Españhol, Spanish chorizo sausage thinly sliced and sauteed with garlic ($9.75) and Chouriço Português Assado, Portuguese chouriço sausage flambé at tableside ($9.75)--as well as two different renditions of clams -- Ameijõas Casino, baked clams on the half shell stuffed with crabmeat and bacon ($10.50) and Ameijoas em Molho Verde, clams in a garlic and parsley broth ($9.50).

Then I had the Rabos de Lagosta em Molho Verde -- baby lobster tails simmered in green sauce, served with saffron rice ($32.95), which came with eight (8) baby lobster tails split in half so that there were sixteen little tails, too much for Roxy...so I shared with Rex, who had luckily ordered a simple salad. London and Maddie shared the Bife da Saia na Brasa -- charcoal grilled skirt steak, served with crisp Spanish style potatoes and saffron rice ($24.95), which was plenty for the two girls, with enough left over to provide steak sandwiches for lunch today for Rex and me! Rex and I shared a perfect bottle of fruit-forward Portuguese red wine, and we left Adega Grill stuffed and ready for the big show.

Now for the show...
For someone who is virtually the last of the pre-MTV generation (even if you were in high school when MTV was launched in 1981, it counts if your parents STILL don't have cable), Movin' Out represents the kind of music video story that's been running through my head since I was an 8-year-old kid listening to Fernando (the first "45" single I ever bought with my allowance) and the Bay City Rollers ("Rollin', which includes "S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night," was the first album I ever bought with my allowance). Twyla Tharp has created and choreographed a dance interpretation of much of Billy Joel's music.

Apologies, dear readers who have made it this far, but it's already 12:15pm on Friday the 13th and I really need to pack my bags for the beach, so I will continue this review tonight from our beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey. As I mentioned in an earlier post, if you live in or near New Jersey and can get tickets for the last performances of Movin' Out at NJPAC -- Friday, June 13th; Saturday, June 14th; and Sunday, June 15th -- do it! It's a Father's Day gift Dad will never forget.