In the opening scene of this sixth episode of "Fosse/Verdon," there is a creative montage of moments of stress as Bob Fosse is multi-tasking in final edits on "Lenny" while the cast of "Chicago" has been assembled and the first rehearsal is upon him. The frenetic pace in the choppy scenes is a metaphor for the cause of Fosse's impending heart attack.
The date is 1974. The conceit of the episode is a series of scenes where Fosse is performing stand-up in the manner of Lenny Bruce, whose shows always began with the trademark introduction, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Lenny Bruce!" The low-budget film version was to wrap after eight weeks, but the process has now dragged on to sixth months. Of course, the perfectionist Fosse is not satisfied, including apparently sensing disappointment in Dustin Hoffman's superb recreation of Bruce.
In the free association of Fosse's stand-up gigs, he reflects on his past when little Bobby was pulled out of dance training to perform professionally at age 13. Clearly the object of parental abuse and an unscrupulous, Fagin-like manager, Bobby is misled into believe he has the opportunity of a lifetime to perform at the finest clubs in Chicago with his sidekick Charley Grass. Instead, the boys are sent to cheap burlesque houses. It is in that sordid environment that the thirteen-year-old Bobby is on the receiving end of sexual abuse. He tells his sleazy nightclub audience of the humiliation he felt that has affected his adult relationships.
When the heart attack finally comes, Fosse undergoes surgery and his two projects of "Lenny" and "Chicago" are put on hold. Gwen is the super control freak, managing Bob's visitors in the hospital and finagling with a doctor for a private room. With his newfound privacy, Bob wishes to rededicate himself to his manhood, and engages in strenuous intercourse with Miss Reinking in the immediate aftermath of his surgery.
The date is 1974. The conceit of the episode is a series of scenes where Fosse is performing stand-up in the manner of Lenny Bruce, whose shows always began with the trademark introduction, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Lenny Bruce!" The low-budget film version was to wrap after eight weeks, but the process has now dragged on to sixth months. Of course, the perfectionist Fosse is not satisfied, including apparently sensing disappointment in Dustin Hoffman's superb recreation of Bruce.
In the free association of Fosse's stand-up gigs, he reflects on his past when little Bobby was pulled out of dance training to perform professionally at age 13. Clearly the object of parental abuse and an unscrupulous, Fagin-like manager, Bobby is misled into believe he has the opportunity of a lifetime to perform at the finest clubs in Chicago with his sidekick Charley Grass. Instead, the boys are sent to cheap burlesque houses. It is in that sordid environment that the thirteen-year-old Bobby is on the receiving end of sexual abuse. He tells his sleazy nightclub audience of the humiliation he felt that has affected his adult relationships.
When the heart attack finally comes, Fosse undergoes surgery and his two projects of "Lenny" and "Chicago" are put on hold. Gwen is the super control freak, managing Bob's visitors in the hospital and finagling with a doctor for a private room. With his newfound privacy, Bob wishes to rededicate himself to his manhood, and engages in strenuous intercourse with Miss Reinking in the immediate aftermath of his surgery.