Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Thanks to Michelle Williams’ uncanny performance, the stylish FOSSE/VERDON makes for sensational, if uneven, television

• By drediman
• August 28, 2020
• No Comments

Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams in “Fosse/Verdon” on FX.

Ever since Fosse/Verdon premiered on FX more than a year ago, the stylish “limited” television series has been high on my list of things to watch. Thankfully, over the last two days, I finally got the opportunity to binge-watch – better late than never! – the eight episodes that comprise the uneven but still sensational biographical series, the brainchild of a couple of creative talents with some rather eye-catching theatrical resumes, namely Steven Levenson (Dear Evan Hansen, bookwriter) and Thomas Kail (Hamilton, director). Based on Sam Wasson’s biography Fosse, the FX series depicts the turbulent, decades-spanning relationship between two Broadway legends – Tony-, Emmy-, and Oscar-winning director and choreographer Bob Fosse and his muse Gwen Verdon, one of the great hoofers in Broadway history.

The nostalgia-soaked series is clearly the work of theater practitioners and aficionados of Broadway lore. In addition to Mr. Levenson and Mr. Kail, the omnipresent Lin-Manuel Miranda and dynamic choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (both of Hamilton), among others, were brought on as executive producers. As a musical theater buff myself, I savored Fosse/Verdon‘s tasteful interpretation – thanks largely to Mr. Blankenbuehler’s respectful yet fizzy choreographic renderings for the small screen – of iconic moments from some of Fosse’s biggest hits for stage and screen, including Sweet Charity, Damn Yankees, Cabaret (film), Pippin, Chicago, and All That Jazz (film). Personally, I found the recreation of the staging of “Who’s Got the Pain?” from Damn Yankees especially satisfying and thrilling, perhaps because it sticks rather closely to Mr. Fosse’s original blueprint for the number. Although Mr. Kail is primarily known as a theater director, he shows a natural knack for shaping storytelling for television, as well. He handles the often-nonlinear, cameo-heavy saga with studied but aggressive flair (thanks in part to the series’ impeccable and inspired art direction). In fact, Mr. Kail’s ample and fluid use of flashbacks and insistently theatrical incorporation of the aforementioned musical numbers – which function both literally and as surreal commentary on the proceedings – almost overpower the show’s central relationship. But not quite.

Both Sam Rockwell and the astonishing Michelle Williams give haunted and haunting performances as the titular couple. Ms. Williams (who deservedly won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her performance here), in particular, all but disappears into the person of Ms. Verdon. She beguiled me with her consistently uncanny portrayal of the four-time Tony winner at every stage of her storied career. As Fosse, Mr. Rockwell translates the brooding, unstable demeanor of the troubled director/choreographer perfectly. But despite his fine performance, I had issues with the show’s conception of Fosse and its concerted attempts to explain the relentlessly despicable behavior of the manipulative, self-destructive womanizer (e.g., via flashbacks to an abusive childhood). And although the series tries to make a serious case for Ms. Verdon’s contributions to the hit shows that she and Mr. Fosse collaborated on, there’s no escaping the toxic co-dependence of their professional and romantic relationship. After a while, their pain-inflicting dance got a tad tiresome to watch. Even if the creators’ goal was to depict the flaws and greatness of these two figures, only Ms. Williams’ Gwen actually exhibits any redeeming qualities worth contemplating. If this imbalance nearly capsizes the endeavor, it also highlights (perhaps unintentionally) the messiness of real life. In supporting roles, Broadway veteran Norbert Leo Butz and Margaret Qualley made strong impressions as Paddy Chayefsky and Ann Reinking, respectively.

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FOSSE/VERDON
Limited television series
Presented by FX
Eight episodes