Fosse/Verdon

'Razzle Dazzle' Two of the most gifted artists of the time - choreographer/dance/director Bob Fosse and actress/dancer Gwen Verdon - are brought to life in this exceptional miniseries FOSSE/VERDON - a title that could just as easily been VERDON/FOSSE, so intertwined and interdependent were these two extraordinary people. Michelle Williams is pitch-perfect as Verdon - in looks, amazingly fine dancing and body movement and acting, and Sam Rockwell is equally impressive as Fosse, again able to dance extremely well and act a difficult part of a man at odds with his inclinations.

The series becomes a bit disconcerting at times, due to the seemingly haphazard fast forward and fast backward at crucial moments in the depicting the rocky relationship and marriage as Fosse and Verdon grow and deflate as a couple, in life and on stage. Fosse's genius is abetted by Verdon's input and influence, making the viewer at times puzzled as to the primary force in their position as pioneers in American entertainment.

The assorted entourage of actors portraying the people involved in the couple's lives offers strong support and the performing aspects of the songs and dance numbers exhumes great memories of shows such as CABARET, DAMN YANKEES, SWEET CHARITY. CAN-CAN, CHICAGO, and ALL THAT JAZZ. The psychological problems these two encounter are many, but Williams and Rockwell make them all credible. This is a fine biographical, musically enhanced 'docudrama.'

"Fosse/Verdon," a miniseries on the FX cable network, is a well above-average show business biopic starring Sam Rockwell (Oscar winner, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri") as director-choreographer Bob Fosse, and Michelle Williams ("Manchester By the Sea," "My Week with Marilyn," four-time Oscar nominee) as actress and dancer Gwen Verdon.

Rockwell and Williams, actors who can each change their screen personas dramatically, bring an authenticity both ebullient and tormented to the story of the legendary couple's troubled personal and professional relationship.

Set against faithfully restaged moments from their stage and movie hits, productions ranging from "Damn Yankees" and "Sweet Charity" to "Cabaret," the miniseries does what show business has always done enthusiastically, and well -- turn inward, both celebrating and condemning itself in an almost voyeuristic way.

The show biz odds and ends presented here and there are accurate, but later generations who weren't around when Fosse and Verdon were in their prime producing these hits will unquestionably view the pair's work in an entirely different light after viewing this miniseries, which in some ways seems unfortunate. It could color and taint one's appreciation of their undeniable individual brilliance.

You'll have to decide whether that's something you want to do, but either way, there's no denying this is a top-notch effort in exploring who they were and what went on behind the scenes. It begs the question of how performers can so compartmentalize, performing at such a high level even as their personal lives are in tatters.

The 1979 theatrical release "All That Jazz," a popular and critically acclaimed semi-autobiographical musical drama directed by Fosse, inspired by his manic effort to edit his film "Lenny" while simultaneously staging the 1975 Broadway musical "Chicago," is bigger and splashier, but this production (based on Sam Wasson's much-praised biography, "Fosse") cuts closer to the bone, probably because both central characters are gone now (Fosse died in 1987, Verdon in 2000).

Expect to hear about "Fosse/Verdon" at awards time, and deservedly so.

This is a great series. The way I can tell just two episodes in, is that when I start watching it, the hour passes in about five minutes. I can count on one hand the number of TV series that I have felt that way about. The last one was The Americans. I really enjoy the music and dancing even though there hasn't been much of either yet. If the remaining six episodes are anywhere near as good as the first two, FX will win some awards with this.

I knew about Bob Fosse as a choreographer but had no idea he was such a talented dancer. Both protagonists are spot on in their performances. Michelle Williams is incredible. You can't see any differences and the real Verdon if you watch original footage of Verdon dancing.

As an Astaire enthusiast I never thought that I would say Fosse was better although he did copy many of Astaire's moves.

Anyone who loves dance and musicals will love this series.

I think this series is for those who know something about these two great artists. It´s a little gem. Michelle Williams (Verdon) IS Gwen Verdon. She´s astonishing in the part. Enjoyable.