Movin' Out Still Moving: The Billy Joel - Twyla Tharp musical returns to Boston

“Movin’ Out” is difficult to categorize. It is commonly known as the Billy Joel musical or the Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp musical. But it is not quite a musical. Nor is it a concert. Or a ballet. The most appropriate word might be a tribute – to a generation gone, to the war, and to Joel himself.

The show consists of 24 of Joel’s songs, set to choreography by Tharp, set around a loosely structured story of five characters. There are minimal props and no dialogue. The music and dancing speak for themselves, and they do so remarkably well. The vocals for the show are provided by Darren Holden, who plays the piano and sings from a platform above the stage, accompanied by a small band.

To Joel fans, the characters may be familiar. Brenda and Eddie, from “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” Anthony and Sergeant O’Leary from “Movin’ Out,” Judy from “Why, Judy, Why” and James from “James” are all old friends from Long Island. The show is their story, set against the background of Vietnam.

The show opens with the song “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” as the dancers enter the stage. Dressed in decade-appropriate wear, the boys flex and strut, the girls wiggle and shake. They are filled with exuberance and joy. They are confident, eager - and young.

But these teenagers are forced to grow up too quickly when the boys are drafted for the Vietnam War. The boys go to fight, while the girls wait at home, wondering about their lovers’ well-being.

There is much more to the show than the seemingly gravity-defying dancers and their accompanying love stories. The story is a tribute to the veterans of Vietnam and it details the post-war shell-shock more clearly and accurately than the scores of other artwork that resulted from the war. “Angry Young Men” and “Goodnight Saigon” were written by Joel specifically for those reasons, and the other songs fall easily into the loose plot that Tharp created.