DRAMA
SPECIALW
hen visionary filmmaker
and choreographer
Bob Fosse tied the knot
with brilliant Broadway
dancer Gwen Verdon in 1960, a genius
creative partnership was cemented.
Looking at their lives over several
decades, new FOX SHOWCASE offering
Fosse/Verdon delves into the lasting
impact they had on the entertainment
industry – and each other.
Michelle Williams (The Greatest
Showman), who steps into Verdon’s
dance shoes, says: “I was unfamiliar with
her legacy but there’s a ton of material.
There [are] a few personal recordings
that Nicole Fosse, her daughter, shared
with me so there’s enough material that
exists for me to glean a kind of physical
architecture and then also an emotional
life, how she presented herself, how she
moved through the world.”
Her great love, Fosse, is portrayed by
Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside
Ebbing, Missouri), in a role that showcases
a new side to his skillset.
“Sam and I play both of these people
from when they’re 29 to [their 60s], so
there’s a huge span of time that we cover,”
Williams adds. “There are dance numbers
in really all of those times as I play Gwen
dancing at 30, 40, 50... so it was
definitely a challenge, but also fun
to get immersed in dance and
work with great choreographers
and pull that off.”
Who was Fosse?
A skilled dancer, choreographer,
actor and director, Fosse was
a man of many talents. In 1955, his
choreography work on Broadway show
Damn Yankees resulted in
instant love with lead
actress Verdon.
But his wandering eye saw their
marriage end in 1971, with Verdon
later saying: “Bob grew up around
strip clubs. Women were his hobby.
He’d even cheat on his mistress.”
Who was Verdon?
Regarded as the greatest dancer to tread
the Broadway boards, Verdon was destined
to have her name up in lights. She started
dancing onstage at the age of six and
later gave lessons to stars including
Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth.
Real life to reel life
Daughter Nicole jumped onboard as
co-executive producer of the miniseries,
produced by Hamilton musical mastermind
Lin-Manuel Miranda, to offer guidance.
“My mother and father have one of the
greatest love stories ever known,” she says.
“Finally, we have a creative team with the
talent and wisdom to tell the story.”
Rockwell was so keen for the role he
asked Justin Timberlake for dance tips.
“I showed him a move and he showed
me a cooler way to do it,” Rockwell reveals.
“I’m pretty good. Not as good as Justin.”
How they made magic
Although they split in 1971, Fosse and
Verdon never signed divorce papers
- continuing to happily work together
for many years to come. Adding to their
growing shelf of Tony Awards for Broadway
projects like Damn Yankees, Redhead
(1959) and Sweet Charity (1966), Fosse
directed Verdon to another Tony
nomination, for Chicago in 1975.
FOSSE/VERDON
Stream* or watch from May 26, Sundays
at 8.30pm on FOX SHOWCASE [115]
available in the DRAMA pack
SHE’S LONG BEEN A FAN OF FOSSE’S
WORK Fosse won an Oscar in 1973 for
directing Cabaret and in 2014 Williams
made her Broadway debut in the same
musical, playing singer Sally Bowles.
“I started in musical theatre when
I was a child and I think that there’s
such effervescence there,” she says.
“It feels good to watch and it feels
good to make... It was such a joyful
experience going to work every day.”
THE SERIES MARKS HER BIG RETURN
TO TV Williams’ last major work on
the small screen was in 2003, saying
farewell as bad girl Jen Lindley in
Dawson’s Creek. Since then, she’s
carved out a successful film career
that’s landed her four Oscar nods.
SHE LOVES PLAYING ICONIC WOMEN
In 2012, Williams won the Golden Globe
for Best Actress in a Motion Picture
- Comedy or Musical playing Marilyn
Monroe in My Week with Marilyn and
will soon test her rock star cred
in a biopic about Janis Joplin.
Her glittering career
knows no bounds
FAST FACTS
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Foxtel MAY 15