Episode cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Sam Rockwell | ... | Bob Fosse | |
Michelle Williams | ... | Gwen Verdon | |
Norbert Leo Butz | ... | Paddy Chayefsky | |
Margaret Qualley | ... | Ann Reinking | |
Jake Lacy | ... | Ron | |
Peter Scolari | ... | Mel | |
Kelcy Griffin | ... | Debbie Allen | |
Aya Cash | ... | Joan Simon | |
Lin-Manuel Miranda | ... | Roy Scheider | |
Juliet Brett | ... | Nicole Fosse | |
Hadley Robinson | ... | Caroline | |
Meredith Garretson | ... | Bridget | |
Ryan Avalos | ... | Sam | |
Ari Brand | ... | Danny | |
Jeff Blumenkrantz | ... | Lonnie |
Two key periods in the respective professional lives of Bob and Gwen are told. The first is in the late 1970s. With dancing roles fewer and farther between, Gwen demonstrates with a professional decision how tied she is to Bob, much to Ron's chagrin. With the names changed, Bob is in production on a movie loosely or not so loosely depicting his life - what would become All That Jazz (1979) - which may hit a little too close to home, not only with Bob himself, but with Ann and Nicole, who Bob is considering hiring to play "their" characters. The added stress in this situation stems from the fact that Bob and Ann have now split romantically, and Nicole is struggling with trying to find her place in her parents' respective lives. The second is the early 1980s. Bob is suffering what is considered his first film failure in Star 80 (1983) since his first film, Sweet Charity (1969). But another project brings his and Gwen's professional collaboration full circle, it which highlights the ... Written by Huggo
The finale had Fosse doing dance moves to Mr Bojangles. There is the filming of All That Jazz with Lin-Manuel Miranda as Roy Scheider.
All That Jazz was a thinly veiled film about Fosse. Screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky even tells Fosse how it should have a proper ending.
The finale portrays the chaotic lives of both its main characters. Fosse, chain smokes, has affairs, works himself to death.
Verdon's marriage with Bob has also collapsed. He realised that she would always be entwined with Fosse. Even daughter Nicole's life is showing signs of spiralling out of control.
It is a messy descent. Fosse's final film Star 80 was critically lambasted. The revival of Sweet Charity had all the dance moves but no one was portraying the feelings.
Gwen Verdon outlived Bob Fosse for some years. She was present when some of their productions enjoyed another renaissance such as Chicago. She was a collaborator on the stage revue Fosse.
I had a feeling that the final years felt rushed. I wanted to know more about his reaction to the failure of Star 80 and other film projects he had lined up. The messy narrative did not always help matters and I wonder if this would had been a better 6 episode series.