"ALL THAT JAZZ" MOVIE DVD ABOUT FOSSE'S LIFE.
"A CHORUS LINE" MOVIE DVD ABOUT FOSSE'S SUCCESS ON BROADWAY AND THEN THE SUBSEQUENT MOVIE.
"CHICAGO" WHICH I HAVE ALSO SEEN THREE TIMES ON BROADWAY AND NOW THE MOVIE DVD.
FOSSE FAN, OUT IN TINY WHEATLAND WYOMING:)BEN EMBARASSES HIMSELF !!! Let me say that since FOSSE! was filmed live on Broadway and is the only archive of these Fosse numbers in existance (other than the original numbers performed in the various movies), it's certainly worth having in any collection, however, Ben Vereen's pitiful performance (singing and dancing) proves once again how rare it is to see people well past their prime unable to see what the rest of the world sees, namely that they are indeed past their prime and should step aside and let dancers and singers who are in their prime do justice to the material. Now I know that Ann R. and Ben V. were simply stupendous in THEIR prime, but sadly, that time is long past. If they had been in the production strictly as a conduit to the Bob Fosse years and been limited to stories told about Bob Fosse, then that would have been welcome, but sad to say I was literally embarassed whenever Ben V. sang or danced. Obviously, the production numbers were downsized and re-choreographed to allow him to be a part of the numbers (he must have been in his 50's when this was made). And that is THE problem. He certainly was one of the greatest dancers ever in his PRIME, but those days are long gone for him, and I wish that he and Ann R. would have realized this. I did enjoy all the numbers with the young dancers who were in their prime, and I felt that were very good, but not great (they were a little sloppy in their movements in several numbers) as they most certainly would have been had Bob Fosse himself been in charge of this production. This production proves yet again that YOU CANNOT GO BACK to what was!!! If you want to see these brilliant Fosse numbers performed the way he envisioned them and performed by dancers in their prime, then you have but one option: Get the DVD movies themselves and enjoy!
FOSSE records a live-audience performance of the musical, which is a compendium of selections from various other Broadway productions which Bob Fosse choreographed: "Big Deal", "Liza with A Z", "Dancin'", "Sweet Charity", "Kiss Me, Kate", "Damn Yankees", "Pajama Game", "Chicago", "Pippin", "Cabaret", and "All That Jazz". I've never seen any of them performed live on stage, but only the screen versions of DAMN YANKEES (1958) AND CHICAGO (2002). Obviously, I need to get out more.
The musical "Fosse" was, by the way, not choreographed by the great man himself. He's dead. Rather, the dance numbers were re-choreographed by Ann Reinking, Fosse's protege and girlfriend, with the participation of an aging Ben Vereen, one of Fosse's favorite performers. Between acts, the two are interviewed about Bob's style and work ethic.
The only production I've ever seen in which Bob Fosse had a hand was the excellent 1979 film ALL THAT JAZZ, an autobiographical piece which he directed. From it, and the Reinking and Vereen recollections, I gather that Fosse was a hard-driving perfectionist, and infer that the musical "Fosse" would not have come up to his exacting standards. In many instances, the dance numbers seemed, to my inexpert eye, sloppily done. Vereen's presence in several of them, while appealing to the nostalgia of the audience, did him no particular credit. But, that's show biz, folks.
Two songs from "Chicago" were included in the FOSSE program: "Razzle Dazzle" and "Hot Honey Rag". As performed in "Fosse", both were disappointingly anemic versions of their exuberant equivalents in the blockbuster, Oscar-winning film CHICAGO. This perhaps suggests that a new film version of "Damn Yankees" being produced by Miramax, which released CHICAGO, will be well-worth seeing even if the cost of movie tickets doubles.
I'm being wishy-washy and awarding three stars to FOSSE. I suspect it's but a pale reflection of Fosse's original choreography, but I may be wrong. I guess you had to be there.
