Fosse/Verdon

[Gideon58]

https://assets.fxnetworks.com/cms/prod/2019/02/19/web_detailhero_series_dsktp_fosse-verdon_1280x600.jpg

Just finished watching the first episode of the FX miniseries about this legendary Broadway team whose offstage life often upstaged what they were doing onstage. This elaborate and intimate look at questionably, Broadway's greatest choreographer and his greatest muse opened with a look at Fosse directing the film version of Sweet Charity and the hell he went through getting Cabaret to the big screen. Oscar winner Sam Rockwell has clearly done his homework in his interpretation of this Broadway/Hollywood legend but it is really Michelle Williams as the four time Tony Award winner that made the first episode sparkle the way it did. I loved the way she played Gwen not being disappointed about losing her Broadway role of Charity to Shirley MacLaine. I loved the scene where Fosse calls her from Germany asking to come look at his work on Cabaret and her diligence at finding the perfect gorilla costume for "If You Could See Her." Every time Williams says "Nicole", (Fosse's daughter), it was spooky how much she sounded like Verdon. If I'm allowed to nitpick a bit, I was a little disappointed with the scenes where Fosse staging "Mein Herr" for the movie Cabaret. Kelli Barrett was fine as Liza Minnelli, but I was a little disappointed with the casting of the girls playing the Cabaret girls in that number because as anybody who has seen the 1972 film knows, at least three of the kit kat girls in that number were men. It's a minor nitpick though because this miniseries is off to a pretty dazzling start, with work from Michelle Williams that is going to make her the darling of the next award season.

[gbgoodies]

I haven't had a chance to watch the first episode of "Fosse/Verdon" yet, but I have my DVR set to record the whole miniseries. I'll probably wait until it's over and watch it as a marathon.

[Gideon58]

Make sure you come back here when you do. I'll probably write a full review on my thread when it's over.

[gbgoodies]

Make sure you come back here when you do. I'll probably write a full review on my thread when it's over.


Okay. I'm looking forward to seeing the whole miniseries. I know a lot of their work, but I don't know much about their personal lives, (other than some very well known stuff about Fosse), so it should be interesting to watch.

[Gideon58]

I know a lot about them, but I don't want to spoil the miniseries for you. On the other hand, I will clarify any blatant falsehoods that appear.

[gbgoodies]

I know a lot about them, but I don't want to spoil the miniseries for you. On the other hand, I will clarify any blatant falsehoods that appear.


I appreciate both that you won't spoil it before I see it, and any additional info that you know about them that won't spoil it. Thanks. :)

[Gideon58]

Breathless after watching Ep 2...this miniseries is going to be THE event of the television season. I lam loving that the teleplay is not shying away from the kind of man Fosse was, particularly in the way he treated women and I'm also loving that Sam Rockwell understands and is embracing this aspect of the character. I was a little worried about him after Ep1, but he is easing into the role quite nicely, bring some complicated layers to Fosse that weren't present inEp 1. The scene at their very first private dance rehearsal for Damn Yankees sizzled with sexual tension. I loved the way they both pretended not to know anything about each other's work, while secretly they knew everything. The little snippets of "Who's Got the Pain?" were chilling in their authenticity, pretty much producing the original choreography, though I have to admit I was a little disappointed that Sam didn't dance the number with Michelle but I remembered that Fosse only danced the number in the movie. Big shout out to Susan Misner as Joani McCracken too. I am loving the attention to detail here and the obvious commitment to telling this story right. Loving this.

[Gideon58]

Episode 3 actually brought some fantasy elements to the production as the story continues with Fosse beginning to edit Cabaret, Verdon getting her first role in a straight play, and Bob trying to figure out how he can make viable entertainment out of a musical he originally passed on called Pippin. Sam Rockwell's understanding of this man deepens with each episode and Michelle Williams continues to bring us a Verdon that I still say is going to make her the darling of next award season. The episode did start off rather strangely with a fantasy dance number outside the Cabaret editing room that was staged to the tune of "Willkommen" but the dancers were costumed in dresses that resembled the costumes fro another show Fosse choreographed, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. This episode also brought into focus Fosse's love for daughter Nicole and her love for him, even though he was unable to spend the time with her that he would have liked. Joe Gideon spent more time with Michelle in All that Jazz than Fosse does with Michelle here. but the story is entering the busiest part of Fosse's career. He was about to win an Oscar for directing Cabaret, a Tony for directing Pippin, and an Emmy for directing Liza with a Z and I can't wait to see if this miniseries is going to accurately showcase how Fosse must have been on the verge of exhaustion and madness at this time.

[Gideon58]

Brilliant...it's the only adjective to describe ep 4, easily the best episode so far. If this thing gets any better, I don't know if my heart can take it. The show is now beginning to tap into Fosse's suicidal tendencies and his obsession with death that he so brilliantly explored himself in his movie All That Jazz. I loved during the scenes at the Pippin rehearsals where he hated the ending and preferred to see Pippin set himself on fire than settle for life with Catherine. Also loved the scene of him choreographing the vaudeville routine during "Glory" where he replaced the dancer who kneed him in the crotch with Ann Reinking. Really enjoyed the overall theme of this episode which seemed to be that no matter how successful Fosse got, he was never satisfied and was terminally unhappy. Michelle Williams shined in that scene backstage during her play and her visit with Joan Simon in the hospital. Williams is often frightening in her recreation of Gwen Verdon...the voice sounds EXACTLY like Verdon...it's just spooky. Loved the way they incorporated the score from Pippin into Fosse's sex scenes and the final scene was amazing, the absolute antithesis of the Fosse/Verdon relationship. Bravo!

[Gideon58]

Had some issues with ep 5, but it still delivered the goods. I was a little troubled over the fact that this story sort of skipped over the actual end of Bob and Gwen's legitimate marriage. As ep 5 opened. he's already with Ann Reinking and Gwen is with a character who seems to be composite of several people, and that bothered me too...up to this point, this mini-series has not been concerned with changing names and protecting the innocent, why have Gwen appear in this episode with an alleged fictional romantic interest in an episode that featured Bob, Gwen, Neil Simon, Ann Reinking, and Paddy Chayefsky? Speaking of which, there was problematic casting here too...Margaret Qualley was terrible as Ann Reinking and as talented an actor that he is, Norbert Leo Butz just seemed miscast as Chayefsky. Loved Nate Corddry as Neil Simon though and I liked the idea of the occasion of Joan Simon's death bringing these characters together in a single setting gave the proceedings a very Edward Albee quality. I was not thrilled that Liza with a Z was barely mentioned...Kelli Barrett was very good as Liza and it would have been interesting to see Bob working on that show since it won Fosse an Emmy. This was the first episode that painted Gwen Verdon in a very unflattering light, giving Michelle Williams the opportunity to do her best work of the mini-series so far....this is the episode she should submit for Emmy consideration. She doesn't make a false move here, Gwen's attempted manipulation of Bob and Ann Reinking to get him to do Chicago instead of Lenny was an actress' dream and Williams was more than up to the task...can we just give this girl an Emmy and a Golden Globe now?

[Gideon58]

Wasn't sure they could keep up the quality established in ep 5, but ep 6 was riveting, thanks primarily to a really superior editing team and the artist that is Sam Rockwell. The juxtaposing of Fosse with Lenny Bruce was extremely smart...I think this was the first time I ever heard Fosse that he should have played a part instead of the actor playing it, it made a perfect segue into the Lenny fantasy routine...loved that one joke about the difference between sex and applause. Kind of chilling. Verdon is still coming off like a complete bitch...all she cares about is Chicago...I wanted to slap her when she brought Nicole to the hospital and insisted that she give her father the card from the cast of Chicago. The scenes in the strip club were almost identical to the same scenes in All That Jazz...it was a little spooky. I originally thought Rockwell was fading into Williams' shadow but Rockwell is displaying a real understanding of Bob Fosse. I'm actually upset that there are only two episodes left.

[Gideon58]

Well, the letdown I was expecting last week happened this week. This episode moved at snail's pace and almost felt like other people were responsible for producing it than the people behind the first six episodes. The whole thing just seemed haphazardly put together. I really didn't understand why, with only two episodes left, would we need to flashback to Bob and Gwen finding out they're pregnant with Nicole. It seems that if this was something they really wanted to address, it should have been done around ep 3 or 4, not now. Gwen in the tux doing the opening narration from Chicago didn't work for me, but I did love watching when Gwen got sick and learned Bob asked Liza Minnelli to fill for her while Gwen had surgery. I remember when that happened. You couldn't buy standing room for Chicago for a million bucks. It is kind of sad watching Gwen at this point though, because she knows this is her last hurrah on Broadway and she keeps saying she's doing it to make sure Nicole is set for her life, but she's really doing it for herself. I loved when Bob told her that he put some of his original choreography back in the show when Liza stepped in. I'm curious about the final episode, there's still a whole lot of ground to be covered with Fosse's life and there's no way they're going to get to it all in an hour...of course to properly showcase the life and career of Bob Fosse, you'd need a lot more than 8 hours, which this mniseries has proven.

[Gideon58]

Well, as expected, there was no way that ep 8 could include everything that was left in Fosse's career, but it was still a worthwhile and riveting conclusion to this landmark mini-series that I hope a lot of people watched and learned what an impact these two people had on the the art of musical comedy. I liked that in this episode we saw that Gwen Verdon was no saint and was just as much of a workaholic as Fosse was. It was fun seeing her trying to talk boyfriend Ron into leaving New York forever in one scene and the next scene jumping at Bob's offer to go on tour with Chicago. Also loved the juxtaposing of Bob's scene at home with Nicole and then watching him recreate the scene for All that Jazz while Nicole was on the set watching. Ironically, Nicole still agreed to do a cameo in All that Jazz. It was also great Lin Manuel Miranda playing Roy Scheider in the "Bye Bye Love" sequence and the final moments that Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams spend onscreen together are heartbreaking. I think they both should be remembered at Emmy time for their work here, though I doubt it will happen. Bouquets to all involved in the mounting of this wonderful mini-series that I thoroughly enjoyed. 4