Street noise. Lights up. Close-up of the man himself. Gray whiskers. That signature cigarette dangling from his left upper lip.
Bob Fosse. Or, Sam Rockwell looking remarkably like the famed director-choreographer. And in the premiere episode of FX鈥檚 new limited series, Rockwell convinces us why he was the right man for the job.
The episode, written by Steven Levenson of Dear Evan Hansen fame and directed by Thomas Kail of In The Heights and Hamilton cred, is structured like the Sam Wasson biography that inspired the series鈥攁 countdown to the premature death of the legend with the 鈥減resent day鈥� taking place in Washington, D.C.
Tapping rings inside Fosse鈥檚 head, and the knocking becomes real on the door of Fosse鈥檚 D.C. hotel room. As he reaches for the doorknob, it swings open鈥攍ike a portal. Flashback to HOLLYWOOD 鈥�19 years left,鈥� and Fosse and his wife-muse-creative partner Gwen Verdon (Michelle Williams) are on the set of the Sweet Charity film working on choreography together. From the get-go we know why the show isn鈥檛 just called Fosse; this is a story about the explosive genius that comes when you mix the two forces of nature.
Theatre fans will know that Verdon originated the role of Charity Hope Valentine in Fosse鈥檚 production of Sweet Charity on Broadway. But for the film, the studio hired Shirley MacLaine (a ginger-wigged Laura Osnes).
Sweet Charity marked Fosse鈥檚 directorial debut in Hollywood and here we see his infamous attention to detail, aided by Verdon, as they set the motivation of a background dancer in 鈥淏ig Spender.鈥�
Bob: Why are you standing like that?
Dancer: I thought this was my position.
Bob: Why is the character you鈥檙e playing putting all the weight on the banister?
Dancer: The choreography.
Gwen: How long have you been dancing in those heels tonight? Five hours baby.
Bob: Six鈥攁t least.
Gwen: All you want to do is SIT. DOWN. It is ALL you can think about. You close your eyes you see loveseats, armchairs, church pews, subway benches鈥�
Bob: But you got a problem, the manager鈥檚 watching you, you can鈥檛 sit down in the middle of a shift鈥�
Gwen: Got that little boy at home doesn鈥檛 she.
Bob: Yeah...
Gwen: Depending on that paycheck. Maybe if you can shift your weight off your heels onto the banister just maybe you can make it through one more dance.
Then, with choreography set by three-time Tony-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (himself a former Fosse performer) and Susan Misner (who plays Fosse鈥檚 wife Joan McCracken later in the series) and music set by Tony winner Alex Lacamoire, we get to see the full number in all its glory.
Cut to NEW YORK 鈥�18 years left鈥�: Our first glimpse of the Fosse/Verdon household. The celebration of the 1969 premiere of the movie.
All our show biz favorites are in attendance. Fosse can be seen sandwiched between a bushy Paddy Chayefsky (Norbert Leo Butz) and a hamish Neil Simon (Nate Corddry). Meanwhile, Joan Simon (Aya Cash) is off reminding Gwen that that lead role was hers and that the movie wasn鈥檛 any good without her. Ever the supportive partner, Gwen insists that Shirley had been attached to the film long before Bob was even hired to direct. And it鈥� in the delivery that makes it clear: She makes room for his success. She doesn鈥檛 hold a grudge for this. She believes in him and she loves him.
Hal Prince (Evan Handler) is there, the spitting image of the real Broadway director, thinning beard and specs on his bald head. He is the one who mentions to Bob that producer Cy Feuer is looking for a director for the Cabaret film. (Prince directed the original Broadway production in 1966.) Thus a seed has been planted in Fosse鈥檚 mind.
When the crowds disperse, Bob is left in a post-party mess with nothing to do but torture himself by reading the New York Times review, which bemoaned the loss of Gwen as Charity. We see Bob haunted by his demons: not being good enough, fear of failure, the need to prove himself. We see Gwen comforting him.
Still, he鈥檚 onto the next and鈥攖aking Prince鈥檚 word for it鈥攎eets Cy for dinner to ask for the directing job. Cy wants to know if Gwen would be involved, knowing the pair would be cash in the bank. But Bob wants this one for himself. When Cy brushes him off (鈥淚鈥檓 just producing. Manny Wolf at the studio, he鈥檚 the one choosing the director鈥�), Bob shows up at Manny Wolf鈥檚 office himself. As he introduces himself to the receptionist, we remember a time when Bob wasn鈥檛 yet 鈥淔osse.鈥�
At home, Gwen is on the phone trying to pitch herself and Bob to their agent, for a musical version of Maurine Dallas Watkins' play Chicago as Nicole practices ballet and Gwen coaches her. But turns out, Bob got the job.
The next thing we know we鈥檙e off to MUNICH 鈥�16 years left.鈥�
In Germany, where the film was indeed shot, the cast celebrates the eve of the first day of filming Cabaret. We meet the translator Hannah (Christiane Seidel) on the movie. It鈥檚 a meet-cute in the pub: She鈥檚 cold and nervous, and Fosse follows the pedestrian details of her movement, preoccupied by her asymmetry. We meet Liza Minnelli (Kelli Barrett)鈥攜oung and fizzing and ready to take on the leading role of Sally Bowles for the camera. And, as it turns out, Cy is ialso there, to make sure Bob stays on schedule. As he says, 鈥淭his is not going to be another $20 million fiasco like your last picture.鈥�
That鈥檚 when we get our first glimpse at a young Fosse in a memory and a taste of the root of his insecurities as his tap teacher barks at him: 鈥淩emember there鈥檚 always somebody better than you out there. Always someone working harder. Don鈥檛 think for a second I couldn鈥檛 replace you a hundred times over.鈥�
Back home Joan and Gwen are choosing dresses for the Tony Awards. Joan is concerned that Gwen and Nicole aren鈥檛 headed to Germany, but Gwen says she doesn鈥檛 have time. After all, she鈥檚 looking for a straight play to do to prove that she鈥檚 just as much as star without her other half as with him. Meanwhile, in the background we see little Nicole playing near the bar鈥�.
In Munich, Bob still hasn鈥檛 started shooting. He鈥檚 not happy with the set for the Kit Kat Club. The extras look too much like actors. Herein comes Bob鈥檚 attention to detail, his precision, his chase for authenticity. He, along with translator Hannah and a production assistant go to a German brothel. True to life, he casts actual sex workers to appear in the film. But outside the brothel is where the heat is on, as Bob begins to seduce Hannah and with spin and a tap of his umbrella, their affair officially begins.
Back in New York, Gwen is running lines with Nicole when she gets a call from Nicole鈥檚 school.
We鈥檒l find out what that鈥檚 about later, right now, Bob is rehearsing the musical number 鈥淢ein Herr鈥� and again we see his obsession with precision and attention to detail. (鈥淚 want to see every muscle, every tendon.鈥�)
The oomp-pa rhythm driving the musical number revs up as we watch rehearsals interspliced and perfectly timed to show Gwen frustrated with raising Nicole on her own, leaving message after message. Turns out, that call from school was to tell her that Nicole brought Seconal ("S-e-c-o-n-a-l") to school.
But Bob is still rehearsing. Trying to get it right. Nothing seems to please him鈥攏ot the costumes, not the extras, not his dancers. He doesn鈥檛 want the same thing that happened with Charity to happen with Cabaret. He鈥檚 after the grit. But Cy dismisses the set anyway.
Back in his bedroom, the memory of him outside of dance class returns. The idea of being replaceable haunts him. So who does he call? The only person who understands him.
As Gwen agrees to come to the set she asks, 鈥淎m I going to be unhappy when I get there?鈥� and after Bob promises 鈥淥f course not,鈥� she agrees to hop on a plane and Hannah rolls over in bed. This isn鈥檛 going to end well鈥�
Immediately after Gwen arrives things on set start clicking. She鈥檚 not just the Bob whisperer; she also believes in his vision and convinces others to. She stands up for his vision to Cy, 鈥淧eople aren鈥檛 going to the movies to escape anymore, they鈥檙e going to find something true.鈥�
The production hits a wall with the gorilla suit for the number 鈥淚f You Could See Her.鈥� Bob is insistent it鈥檚 not right and Gwen agrees, but it鈥檚 the only one in all Germany. That鈥檚 when Gwen agrees to go back to New York and find them the gorilla they need. What鈥檚 a trans-Atlantic flight when you鈥檙e making art?
鈥淲hen I come back,鈥� Gwen starts, but Bob can finish this sentence in the story of his own life. Gwen knows. And he knows he needs to break it off with Hannah. He promises.
As Liza rehearses the title song, Gwen flies across the ocean and finds their dream animal. Gorilla head in hand, Gwen arrives back in Munich. As she fusses with her signature red ringlets, we can鈥檛 help but cringe at what she鈥檚 about to find.
She knocks on the door. But, as we knew would happen, Bob wasn鈥檛 expecting her back so soon. And so comes the broken promise. He goes downstairs. Opens the door. Fast forward.
We鈥檙e back to the beginning. Turns out we鈥檙e in Washington, D.C., for the opening night of the Sweet Charity revival at the National Theatre and there are only 鈥�8 minutes left.鈥�
Fosse/Verdon airs Tuesdays at 10PM ET on FX.
For more episode recaps:
Episode 8