Fosse – Beautiful Dancing, But Not Your Traditional Musical
Class Forces and Sneaky Pete Ensemble
Underwater puppets act up at the Symphonie Fantastique
"Fosse" is all dance. There is no protagonist or antagonist, no underlying story to link the quick succession of musical numbers. This Tony Award winning musical is little more than a tribute to its namesake, director-choreographer Bob Fosse. Taking bits and pieces from Fosse’s work – stage, screen and television – "Fosse" is a series of musical and dance numbers that pay homage to one of Broadway’s most recognizable styles.
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For some theatre-goers, that is enough. The dances are all about Fosse’s style. Nearly every number has a distinctive Fosse characteristic: "tea cup" hands, the "drip," "cool hand luke," and the ever popular "slouch." The dancers are amazing – I’ve never seen so many perfectly fit bodies in one place in my entire life. There is so much action on stage, that your eye jumps from dancer to dancer, scene to scene, not sure what to look at next. There is an overload of black bowlers, white gloves, and smoking cigarettes.
As a musical, "Fosse" can be a disappointment. For those looking for another "Chicago" or "Sweet Charity," "Fosse" is not another "sure thing" from Bob Fosse. "Fosse" is not a traditional musical – the only recent musical I can compare it to is "Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk." That said, Noise/Funk was different in that it did have an underlying story that tied the various scenes together.
Additionally, a Broadway hit does not guarantee a traveling success. Thought this production touts itself as the "Tony Award winning ‘Fosse’," in reality, touring productions are often staged and choreographed differently than the Broadway show of the same name. "Fosse" is apparently one such show. Though I did not see the show in New York, the couple next to me did, and they commented that this production was staged very differently than the one in New York. They expressed some disappointment at the inconsistencies between the two shows – I got the feeling they were hoping to see a repeat of the show they saw in New York.
For example, Dancin’ Dan (a.k.a. "Me and My Shadow"), done at the end of the second Act, was performed with one man and two women. According to the couple, in New York, the number was performed with two men, one "playing" the other’s shadow. I couldn’t help but feel that the number would have been more effective if the director had stuck with the New York choreography for the scene. The couple agreed.
I also found myself wondering why the featured dancers/singers (Reva Rice and Linda Bowen) received top billing for this production. While Rice was featured in several numbers, Bowen was not given must more stage time than any other dancer in the show. The couple next to me commented that in New York, the featured dancers /singers had significantly more stage time – they too were confused with the billing of Rice and Bowen as the "stars."
In another number, "Mr. Bojangles," I could have done without the "Spirit" played by Terece Jones. It’s not that Jones did a bad job in his role –he just seemed unnecessary and distracted me from the singer (Julio Monge) and Mr. Bojangles (Cassie Miles). I didn’t have a chance to ask the couple if this number was also different in New York.
The staging for the San Francisco show was impeccably done. Number floated into number with an ease that is often attempted but not easily achieved – especially with so many rapidly staged changes. There were times that I hardly noticed one scene morph into another.
The choreography was also wonderful. In "Big Spender" I was amazed at the ability of one of the dancers (Dylis Croman) to keep a half-hanging, lit cigarette in her mouth through out the entire number. Did I mention she was also singing? Still, my absolute favorite number was "Crunchy Granola Suite" from 1978’s Dancin’. Yep, we’re talking Neil Diamond! I’m sure I had a big smile on my face during the entire number – how can you not? There is something about Neil Diamond’s music that just makes you happy. (Its borderline scary, my obsession with Neil!)
If you absolutely love dancing, or anything with ties to Bob Fosse, go see "Fosse" at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco. But if you equate a musical with a pervasive storyline and distinctive characters, save your money and wait for "Ragtime," "Titanic" or "Les Miserables" later in the season.
"Fosse" is playing at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco now though May 27. Tickets are $30 to $75 plus applicable service fees and available by calling Ticketmaster (415-512-7770), at the Orpheum Theatre, or at all Ticketmaster outlets. For more information about the Best of Broadway series, visit the website at www.bestofbroadway-sf.com.
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