"Great Performances: Dance in America" From Broadway: Fosse (2001)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Director:

Matthew Diamond

TV Series:

"Great Performances: Dance in America" (1976)

Original Air Date:

July 2001

Genre:

Music

Plot:

A filmed Broadway production of a 1999 tribute that strings together acclaimed choreographer Bob Fosse's "greatest hits." |

Plot Keywords:

Based On Stage Musical | Broadway Musical | Dancing | Dancer | Pastiche

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Ann Reinking	...	Herself - Performer
Ben Vereen	...	Performer
Eugene Fleming	...	Performer
Edwaard Liang	...	Performer
Dana Moore	...	Performer
Ken Alan	...	Performer
Brad Anderson	...	Performer
Mark Arvin	...	Performer
Ashley Bachner	...	Performer
Lynne Calamia	...	Performer
Marc Calamia	...	Performer
J.P. Christensen	...	Performer
Dylis Croman	...	Performer
Byron Easley	...	Performer
Parker Esse	...	Performer

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Broadhurst Theatre - 235 W. 44th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Image Entertainment

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Broadway: The American Musical" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Shoeless Joe

A Dazzling Tribute to a Broadway/Movie Genius

The 1999 Tony Award winner for Best Musical came to television brilliantly intact in 2001 with the most of the original cast and a couple of sterling star turns. This bold and brassy tribute to arguably Broadway's greatest director/choreographer, Bob Fosse, this musical, directed and choreographed by Fosse mentor and girlfriend Ann Reinking, lovingly recreates some of the most classic Fosse routines that we Fosse fans have come to adore and revel in over the years. The TV version features Ben Vereen and Reinking on stage as well as some of Fosse's best known (and least known) work comes vividly to life again. Honestly, there are moments where you miss the original performers of these numbers, but this young and nubile cast is willing and energetic and give these classic routines fresh life. For me, the highlights were "Big Spender" from SWEET CHARITY (featuring Reinking), "I Wanna Be a Dancin Man" from DANCIN, "Steam Heat" from THE PAJAMA GAME, "Rich Man's Frug", also from CHARITY, "Nowadays" from CHICAGO, and two numbers from the 1973 TV special LIZA WITH A Z: "Bye bye Blackbird" and "I Gotcha". Just about all of Fosse's work is touched on here, with the possible exception of HOW TO Succeed IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, but it is a monumental mounting of Fosse's best work and if you're a fan of the dance in general and of Fosse in particular, this is a must.