‘Fosse/Verdon’ Is the One of the Most Deeply Sensual Dramas Ever Produced

Halfway through the first episode of FX’s Broadway drama Fosse/Verdon legendary choreographer Bob Fosse (Sam Rockwell) is faced with a dilemma. His latest cinematic number isn’t communicating the raw sexuality he wants. He wants yearning, and he’s getting jazz hands. That’s when his wife and one of Broadway’s biggest stars in her own right Gwen Verdon (Michelle Williams) sweeps in with a solution. What if his lead actress performed her most risqué number wearing little more than a vest?

From its very first seconds, Fosse/Verdon is filled with moments like these, times when Fosse is unanimously praised for being a misunderstood genius. Yet none of his brilliance could have happened without the support, love, and equal creative brilliance of his wife Gwen. Fosse/Verdon is a story of one under-appreciated woman who gave everything to the man she loved. But more than that the series captures something many shows about theatre have attempted to highlight but rarely get right — how simultaneously addicting and toxic fame can be.

That dichotomy is told through the relationship and later marriage of Bob Fosse, a filmmaker and one of theatre’s most influential choreographers and directors, and Gwen Verdon, one of the greatest Broadway dancers of all time. The miniseries never follows a strict, singular timeline. Rather, it jumps between periods of passion in the lives of these great creators. One scene Fosse and Verdon are sensually grinding on each other, falling in love not just with their bodies but with the other’s work. The next, decades have passed and they’re fighting. Fosse has slept with another one of his latest muses. Gwen no longer wants to only be defined by the breakneck pace of Broadway. Their lives are moving on, but they can’t.

In between these swift transitions lies the emotional story of two people both defined and imprisoned by their own fame. Their creative genius is the only reason why they found each other to begin with, and neither can think of even breathing without dance. But at the same time Fosse/Verdon distinctly communicates that everything that defines these geniuses — dance, fame, Broadway, each other — is working to tear them apart. It’s like watching a hauntingly gorgeous dance number you think will end in a tragic stunt. You’re almost certain the performer will hurt themselves at the pace they’re going, but if they manage to actually pull it off, wow.

Rockwell and Williams walk the line between madly in love and maddeningly on the edge splendidly. Rockwell has quite literally flung himself into the role of Bob Fosse, portraying this manic depressive creator in a rush of great ideas and near constant breakdowns. He’s as unnerving as he is addicting to watch. Yet it’s Williams’ performance as Gwen Verdon that steals the show. Her wide eyes in the middle of this tornado stand as the series’ emotional center. It’s impossible not to immediately empathize with this artist who’s incapable of removing herself from the complicated art she loves.

The FX miniseries has a stellar supporting cast as well. Aya Cash was practically born to speak in an old Hollywood drawl, and her take on Joan Simon is divine. Margaret Qualley also makes for a stellar and emotionally damning Ann Reinking, Fosse’s ex-wife. And Paul Reiser is always a welcome addition to any show.

Likewise, it’s hard to undersell just how compelling Fosse/Verdon’s visual and musical language is. Dance and theater are more than just another element in this production. They feel like a main character, screaming, crying, and standing in the middle of this tumultuous marriage. You can see the creative fingerprints of executive producers and Broadway greats Steven Levenson, Thomas Kail, and Lin-Manuel Miranda at every turn.

Yet at the end of its first episodes (two were screened for critics), Fosse/Verdon is about yearning. For greatness, for immortality, for love, fame, and sex. It’s one of the most brazen and deeply sensual shows ever brought to screen. And if it doesn’t sweep up come Emmys time, something is wrong with Hollywood.

Fosse/Verdon premieres on FX Tuesday, April 9 at 10/9c p.m.

Watch Fosse/Verdon on FXNOW and FX+