“Sex in a dance is in the eyes of the beholder. I never thought my dances sexy. I suppose that’s because I see myself with my face washed, and to me I look like a rabbit.”
Gwen Verdon
Fosse/Verdon on FX
I would guess that you are watching it too.
Michelle Williams is playing Gwen Verdon; Michelle has four Oscar nominations, Gwen won four Tony awards. Sam Rockwell is playing Bob Fosse, Sam has one Oscar and Bob has one Oscar and eight Tony Awards. Stars playing stars, for sure, but one can never forget that Gwen and Bob changed dance forever.
I love this show, though I’ve only seen two of the eight episodes so far. Who knew that for Damn Yankees Gwen wanted Jerome Robbins for a choreographer but instead got Bob Fosse?
Producer Guy: C’mon, you’ll like Bobby.
Gwen: He’s the guy with the hats?
Producer Guy: He does a lot more than hats.
Gwen: Whatever.
The episodes are loaded with little bits for the theater fan. There is one quick scene where two producers are rolling their eyes at a new show on Broadway about a single man with married friends. Well, we perk up and know that is Company by Stephan Sondheim!
Is it hard to believe that a choreographer loves to manipulate people? Not at all! Is it hard to believe that a director is selfish and a liar? Not for a moment. Fosse was all that times ten. Some of it is tough to take but I believe it all happened. We have Fosse up on a pedestal but his life with a train wreck. Jazz hands!
I think that Michelle really embodies Gwen, it is so her! Watching Michelle Williams play Gwen Verdon makes me want to go find her movie Damn Yankees and to try not to be depressed that I was not working Broadway in the 60s and 70s. And, I’ll say it, she should’ve gotten Sweet Charity instead of Shirley MacLaine.
I’m looking forward to the episode that covers 1973. Bob Fosse was on a hot streak winning a Tony for Pippin, an Oscar for Cabaret and an Emmy for Liza with a Z.
I’m also looking forward to when Bob choreographed Gwen in Chicago in 1976. I used to own that album of the original Broadway cast recording until I wore it out. How did they feel when A Chorus Line steamrolled through the Oscars and the box office and crushed Chicago? I can’t wait to see the episode!
The Profound Bartender 