Movin' Out is a Slice-Of-Life Jukebox Musical about a bunch of people growing up in the 1960s, dealing with their experiences as they grow from teenagers into adults and live through (and beyond) the Vietnam War. The music was written by Billy Joel, though none of it was composed specifically for this show. Rather, his previous works were rearranged into a coherent narrative, with only enough changes to form a story from the otherwise unrelated pieces of music (for example, a line in "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" was changed to "Brenda and Eddie were still going steady in the summer of '65" to fit the timeframe). The show was conceived, directed, and choreographed by Twyla Tharp.

The show can actually best be described as a "rock ballet", as the dancers only provide the visual aspects of the performance. All singing is done by the band, from a platform suspended over the action. There is no spoken dialogue; the story is told entirely through song and dance.

Tropes used in Movin' Out include: