Hello, that's me up there (Gail Benedict) with some of the greatest performers and musicians of the 20th century. Two things: This gift of a show was given to us directly from Bob Fosse during 8 weeks of grueling rehearsal and 4 exhausting weeks out of town with him refining every moment (with which he would never be truly satisfied because that's just the kind of artist he was). So all this gibber jabber about us not dancing in the PURE Fosse style is just RIDICULOUS!!! We were his clay and this performance is only a few months after we opened. Historically speaking, Fosse's "style" came out of the fact that he was first and foremost a TAP DANCER (it was ALWAYS ABOUT THE RHYTHM) and his marriage/collaboration with Gwen Verdon, who was Jack Cole's assistant for many years, resulted in the melding of two truly original American dance forms...both of which are founded, primarily, on rhythm and connecting with the music in a free and seemingly improvisational way. Bob's motto for his work and Gwen's too was "LESS IS MORE" (interesting)...which he took from Sandy Meisner his acting mentor at the Neighborhood Playhouse. In recent years this "style" has become almost codified and not necessarily adequate to fully realize and emulate this great Musical Theatre dance legacy. You cannot fault the younger dancers for that. Often, passing on choreography is a bit like playing telephone. By the time you reach the end of the line the message bears little resemblance to the original statement and has been "reinterpreted" and/or plainly misunderstood by the messengers along the way. If you want to learn "Fosse Style" just watch Bob and Gwen dance together in "Who's Got the Pain". That two and a half minute dance pretty much sums in all up:) Second Thing: It is little known that the playback for the "78 Tony Awards" performance was about 1/3 faster than we actually danced it every night AND we were on a much smaller and confined stage space. It was TERRIFYING. It was also the end of an 8 show week and we had done our Sunday matinee just a few hours prior so we were all EXHAUSTED. Not to make excuses, but if it looks a bit "sloppy" these factors definitely played into our performance. But, I can truly say we were all DANCING OUR HEARTS OUT for Bob.
Gail Benedict The 1999 one reminds me a lot of Reinking's recreation of the Hot Honey Rag in Chicago - it is as you say, cookie-cutter and not as organic anymore. It was made so that anyone could learn it quickly and all individuality was removed, whereas the true Fosse style as i understand it from reading about it and knowing two dancers who worked with him directly was far more organic and about the individual, since he loved his dancers so much. Watching "dancers over 40"'s videos has been a great joy also - seeing original cast members of the 1970s and 80s Fosse shows talk about the reality behind those recreations of the 1990s and how different they were.
I saw the original cast and you Gail..it was amazing and all of you were amazing and your words ring true to what was seen! It is a memory of an amazing performance of a great piece!
Gail Benedict I just re-watched this and saw the cymbal stand fall to the stage part way through the most energised part of the finalé! Someone stopped and picked it up then got back into the dance without missing a beat - nice recovery! Btw which costume are you wearing and what hair colour?
I became obsessed with Dancin' back in 1978 and travelled to New York several times to see it and on each trip attended the show several times. I was dazzled by Ann Reinking, Sandahl Bergman, Wayne Cilento and all of the cast who moved so exquisitely. All the craft departments (costumes,musicianship,lighting) fired on all cylinders. And there was no moment more theatrical (for its time) than at the commencement of the show.All the lighting rigs were lying on the floor of the stage as the audience took their seats and then as the show began the rigs began to rise and take their place above the stage as the lights came on to illuminate the show. Sing,Sing,Sing closed the show and sent one out of the theatre joyfully in awe of the incredible dancing one had just witnessed all through the performance.
I was a grad student at the time and scrimped to get a seat several times, I was so taken by the show. The time would fly by and it was truly transporting you to a different place. It was what theater (to me ) is supposed to be about. Fosse shows seemed to understand this and damn, he knew how to pick dancers.
A completely different dance than the latter interpretation. I so enjoy the original more. It is a celebration rather than a presentation! Saw both live...WOW!
Two incredible groups of dancers offering different interpretations of the same brilliant choreography! Thank you so much for posting this!!! (And, as much as I want to avoid comparison, I do need to take a moment to worship at the alter of Ann Reinking and her unmatched grace. She is a goddess. But Shannon Lewis and Elizabeth Parkinson are damn near demi-goddesses!)
I didn’t “not” like it . I must’ve pushed it by mistake. I am a great fan of Liza. Sorry so many people are so quick to judge. Goodness gracious. Look at yourselves before you give such a tacky responses. Have you ever made a mistake. Thank you and have a beautiful day everyone
a) everyone isn't required to like everything you like, Bridget... aren't you a little old not to have realized that? b) the camerawork and editing were awful (particularly on the first one) they were seeking lots of individual closeups on what is a true ensemble piece
Let’s not make this personal. Everyone’s entitled to there opinion even if it’s not one I share or understand. Fosse is legendary and this is epic despite the camera work.
It’s interesting that they kept the flavor and spirit of Fosse’s choreography but made subtle changes in the intervening years. And to think that he made his personal flaws as a dancer into strengths of performance!
Love this. Must say that with a lack of variety shows since the late 70s, television doesn't always photograph choreography well. Some missed opportunities, but I'm grateful for any record of genius like Fosse's.
I just knew it was Anne reinking in the 78 show . Thanks for confirming it for me. Fell in love with her forever when I saw Pippin ss a " tweenager". Cant wait to see the f/x miniseries fosse/verdon next week. Reinking is being played by megan qualley who is Andie macdowell's daughter. But there's no "ben Vereen " character listed in the cast on the f/x website. There's lots of other famous people from fosse's life in the ministries. Anyone know why no ben Vereen? Did he refuse to give his consent to be portrayed?
I found this so moving ... all the dancers are gifted ... working very tough routines...well done Gail and her dancers for doing this after a Matinee performance earlier.
RIP, Bob Fosse , who I came to admire so much ! I was only 7 y/o when i saw " Kiss Me kate", but even then, I NEVER forgot that dance he & Carol Haney did . THAT, was his " coming out " , & from there, it was ' sky's the limit'. -------------RIP, Ann Reinking. -------------------WolfSky9, 74 y/o
Ann Reinking is always just a little bit better than everyone else, isn’t she? Just slightly more freedom, slightly better technique and precision, slightly more musical...the dancer’s dancer.
I saw Bebe in this twice, and she was great. I've seen it twice since and just not the same. The 2nd time I saw her in it was really special--a lot of her friends were in the audience (we saw Rhea Perlman and Danny Devito and their chikdren, and Jimmy Smits, and supposedly Kelsey Grammar and others were there). Anyway, the cast knew it was a big night for Bebe and had some fun with it--they repeated some cue so that she had to do one of her big, tiring dance pieces all over again. She laughed and threw herself into it again. It was just astonishing to see what she could do as I only knew her from her drab role on Cheers.
The first version better matches the 40's Benny Goodman music- and it has a young Ann Reinking (dark blue dress) in her star-making performance. A shame it doesn't show the famous trumpet solo where she dances with her long dark hair down and kicks those gorgeous legs up a storm.
I preferred the 1970s version because it was way more colorful and each performer was dressed somewhat differently from the next and seemed more carefree. That being said, I like the fact that the more modern version has more male dancers. All the dancers in the modern version were extraordinarily great and moved as one but it did lack a bit of the excitement of the older version.
I saw both shows. When I saw Dancin' is was less than a week before its offical opening on Broadway. The dancers were on FIRE!! I bought a last minute ticket from someone in front of the theater (maybe it was $15) and wound up in the sixth row (a bit on the side). My mouth stayed open in amazement for most of the show (not all the numbers were stellar), yet it REMAINED open for the entire number of SING SING SING. Yeah, the show Fosse was a nice way to memorialize Bob Fosse. yet the difference was like seeing an original painting and seeing a print of that painting. RIP Ann Reinking!
The difference is simple: the original dancers are all individuals with personality. The Fosse version is all about flashing lights and steps. Fosse also isn't helped by the inept TV direction. The original didn't need flashing lights and all that BS. And there's one other word that is a key difference: Joy. The original had JOY.
Wtf are you talking about? Both numbers are equally as great. Take the lights away and you have the same exact dance. "The bullshit" you talk about is a Broadway artistic technician's addition to greatness creating a finale for the end of a show. My head hurts, why is anyone arguing about which is better? This isn't the 90's. N'sync and Backstreet Boys can both be good y'all.
@@cre.ACE.tion9 Let me help you out, Mr. WTF: both are not equally great in MY opinion. Do you understand what an OPINION is? You don't have the "exact same dance" you have the exact same CHOREOGRAPHY. The original dancers were choreographed by someone named Bob Fosse, who created it for that company specifically. Fosse was put together by other folks RECREATING his choreography. If you don't know that difference, or you cannot see the difference in the two videos, well, that's your problem, Mr. WTF. MY head hurts from reading your inane diatribe, y'all.
Out-of-this-world wonderful. Amazing. Fosse, what a dancer. What a choreographer. I wish l could have seen the original number from "Dancing Dancing" with the black costumes from "Fosse". FWIW, l found the razzle-dazzle of the costumes got in the way of actually SEEING the dancing. Too many sequins and flapping zoot suits. The energy and precision of the original is palpable. But everything is so much easier to SEE in the second, even if it is more subdued stylistically... my $.02...
interesting to watch both back to back. Bob Fosse's dancers had such a powerful alignment and control that the cast of Fosse do not have. There is a power and forceful dynamic energy that the Dancin version has that Fosse does not. The kids in the show Fosse recreate the steps, and some of them look good doing them, but they look like dancers in a dance class, not actors up on a stage. Bob Fosse was never about a step but he told magnificent and compelling stories through Dance, Music, Singing, Musical Book, Costumes, Lighting and Sets, Bod Fosse was a top of the line Broadway Director. Watch the cast of Dancin when they move fast they have a powerfully controlled elegance of different human characteristic, and when they move slow, the cast of Dancin pulsated an even greater force of energy to suspend your belief in time, and forget where you are. This does not happen with the kids from the show Fosse, they does a good job by todays low bar standards, but its a shame because there are still people who are alive who worked with Bob, who could have helped instill a greater sense of reaching for those stars through many grueling hours of rehearsal. Fosse was not just a perfectionist, he inspired striving for perfection. All of his performers knew that, loved that, and ran with his creative genius.
The '78 original with its characters in dazzling, colored sequin covered costumes, dancing against a black background is amazing. While the '99 copied the dance steps, the use of variations of dark gray costumes against a colorful back- lit stage makes it difficult to see the dancers and their movements. The former was brilliant and exuberant, the latter was a dark ghost that merely mourned for the original it celebrated.
The original glittery costumes were stunning back then, but now - they look a little dated. The costumes for Fosse were way darker, but stand up better now I think.
@@jochenstossberg5427 The dark costumes from Fosse may standup better, but it's hard to tell since the back lighting on the set makes it hard to see anything more than the dancer's silhouettes.
I think the biggest difference between Bob Fosse’s and Tommy Tunes’ choreography is that Bob truly loved women’s bodies and all they could do. Bob brought out the sultry and sexy. Amazing. Made me wish I was one of his dancers. ♥️♥️♥️
Yes Fosse dancers recreate the steps brilliant, but when you see the original cast of Dancin’ there’s more something behind the steps, a story behind each step - when the master isn’t there!!!!! When I see the fosse dancers (frm the show fosse/a tribute to him)brilliant dancers but there is a depth, a profoundness missing
I see a looser, "feeling the music" vibe from the men in the earlier version and a more burlesque "feel the sexy" vibe from the women. I can see how the later cast looks a little stiff in comparison. I think the feeling that came from learning the choreography from Fosse directly could not be replicated.
We danced Sing Sing for the governors inaugural ball years ago and the band just kept playing faster and faster as the song went on😂😂 funny now, not so much then
I barely see any resemblance to Fosse's spirit in the '99 version. Nothing sexy going on there either. Watch the masterpiece film ALL THAT JAZZ directed by Fosse.
Dumb question: They credit Benny Goodman. but , are the men on stage actually playing the instruments ? I am not A musician , but it seems that the men on stage couldn't produce that sound.
Second version (cast) is much cleaner, sharper, and gets the inter-beat gestures more definitively. The first version looks like there are some last-minute stand-in substituting in--shaping is irregular, timing is off, the whole piece doesn't tell the story the way the second version does.
Nessie Ness Fairly sure they were cut very baggy to hide kneepads and so on - Gail Benedict may be able to confirm that as she's posting on here and was in the original cast.
It's funny to read the comments... I look at the 78 staging and say these were dancers learning 'new' choreography and learning a 'style' that had yet to be fully realized. The 99 staging is PURE Fosse. It is now a realized, studied, and celebrated style so there is so much attention to detail and athleticism. They executed not only Fosse Choreography but Fosse Style. I don't think that was as clear in the 78 version.
Most of the 78 cast had worked with Fosse for years in previous shows, so I can't agree that it was yet to be a fully realized style. I think what has happened over time is that the style has become CODIFIED, much like classical ballet. I don't know if I'd call it "pure" in that sense. I do know that Bob always designed and worked with us as ACTORS more than dancers. He filled our imaginations with imagery and emotional motivations rather than technical execution ideals. I think that is what really accounts for the "individuality" between us all.
I disagree. The dancers look sloppy in the 99 version. They don't match each others' movements; they do not look like one organism. If Fosse was still around then, he'd not have let them get away with that.
I disagree with this. The 1978 dancers were directed and taught by Fosse himself. What 1978 shows is the true Fosse style as it existed. The 1999 version is the cleaned-up, almost sanitized, and exaggerated version of Fosse people wrongfully think is all him. Fosse was down to allow some messiness and grit, something for some reason do not associate with Fosse today. It's all too shiny and clean today where people think Fosse was only about bowler hats, shoulders, and jazz hands. He was much more than that.
Totally disagree Director Adam Adolfo. And I am young-ish and starred in neither of the shows, and have no skin in the game. '99 looks (as you mentioned) athletic - like a workout class at the gym, "Fosse Fitness!!" which is quite disturbing and empty, bordering on narcissistic. '78 is pensive, yet sensual with a touch of mature cynicism, three elements difficult to communicate, but which lie at the heart of Bob Fosse's work, as a dancer, choreographer and filmmaker.
The "Fosse Style" def became the, well, "Fosse Style" by 1999. Which is even more so known as a Style today. What's missing from the 1999 version is ebullience. Unbridled enthusiasm. And as Ms. Benedict points out, Bob Fosse considered each of his dancers as actors -- thereby expressing individual personality. I also appreciate the 1978 version more because it has half the amount of dancers. Thus each dancer's personality shines just a bit more. (I have a bit of bias, as I was fortunate to have seen Dancin' twice.)
'78!!! Why? 1) They had some melanin featured prominently on stage, 2) WOMEN were at the forefront of this pieces, 3) the bold and gaudy costumes and make up enhance the feel of the Benny Goodman era while giving me straight up 70's A Chorus Line, and 4) These dancers looked HUNGRY! When I first saw them I envisioned many of them pounding the pavement of NYC bussing tables and going on auditions and doing whateve they needed to do to dance! Not saying the dancers in the '99 version didn't have the same dedication to the craft, buy anyone who grew up on the original FAME knows what I'm talking about. The '99 was too sleek and the choreographer made the mistake of 1) Putting white males in the forefront (can you say corporate prodution?) and minimizing the women's parts, and 2) Thinking that zoot suits were too much. Those hats were everything!!!
You nailed it. I noticed the "male" thing 2 seconds into the '99 interp. I understand not wanting to mimic but....wdnt it have been great if they had really changed it up and gone into something like a couples dance off for the '99 version instead of sooo many people onstage dressed in black? Cd have used more melanin in both versions. Also, the decline of critical thinking and apologetics like "both good in their own way" is a death blow to the arts. And I have to get back to the drab costumes and ...too...many...people... onstage which diminishes the visual intensity for this kind of choreography and erases the individuality of the dancers. I think of individuality within the chorus when I think of Fosse.
I had the privilege of seeing this, and I've never quite gotten over it. It was the most thrilling electrifying show I've ever seen and this clip really doesn't capture the wild ride it was. I was exhausted when I came out and so high I couldn't sleep. We'll never see this kind of show again, or dancing like this either. Sadly. Nothing has this kind of razor sharp herd edged brilliance these days. It was FABULOUS.
How about we celebrate BOTH casts for the beautiful, talented hard working artists they ALL are? I am so tired everyone having this need to judge who was better. I was an on stage dance captain for the 1999 Broadway company of Fosse and I rehearsed that show starting in 1994 before it was a show. That's right, FIVE YEARS learning, training, preproduction, 2 workshops, out of town try out in 3 cities. And Gwen was there every step of the way, from the first moment I started. Gail, just like the 1978 company, we also had 8 shows that week, we also were performing on a different stage, we also were exhausted, but we were also blessed and exhilarated. Dance is not like a game of telephone. Dance is something beautiful and unique that changes when you put the same choreography on a different human body and spirit. It is a collaboration. I am so proud of our 1999 company of FOSSE no one will ever know how hard we worked or what we sacrificed to be there. I am and always be in awe of the 1978 cast. You and everyone of your cast are gorgeous and inspiring. But it's a shame if you can't see the heart and the passion from the blood, sweat and tears the 1999 company gave in our performance, because it is there... right in front of you.
LS Sak The motivation/direction/whatever you want to call it looks very different - I'm intrigued to know what Mr Fosse's direction/etc was (given every movement has meaning in his work) in 1978 and how much of that direction carried over to 1999 where the dance is much less organic-looking and much more precise (not saying that's a bad thing or a good thing), so the overall effect is a different "story", if you like. Much like watching the 1975 "Hot Honey Rag" vs the 1996 "Chicago" and 1999 "Fosse" versions [not forgetting the many alternative versions Ann (et al.) choreographed for "Chicago" revival for different levels of dance skill or to work around injury], the 1975 is very flowing and organic and loose and relaxed. The 1990s versions are tighter and more streamlined. Is this wrong? Not really - in a way it makes it more reproducible and - given everything in "Fosse" was out of context, it kind of works better that way. I have no doubt "Fosse" was hard work - I met Valarie Pettiford in January 2000 when she was in "Chicago" in London (just before "Fosse" opened here) and she was still nursing an injured ankle "that's cuz of 'Fosse'" I remember her saying. I then saw "Fosse" here in the UK (minus Nowadays/HHR and some other cuts they made for here as we didn't have an Act2/3 interval, just a 3 min pause - I know the dancers I met after the show were finding it really hard and none were seasoned Fosse dancers or older dancers with vast experience really (per the US version) - most were 20s/30s at most but they were loving every minute of being in it.
I in no way meant to disparage any of your hard work and dedication. I was responding to an earlier comment by someone saying that they felt the original company wasn't as technically good or as physically strong as your company. I apologize if it came off sounding that way. Full props to you all and for keeping the work alive.
I just want to comment on the "dance is like playing telephone" statement....Gail's statement was "passing on choreography" is like playing telephone, not dance is like playing telephone, and it's often true. I did Liza with A Z, Pippin and Chicago with Mr Fosse. That's me with Ben Vereen and Pam Sousa in the first live action tv commercial for a Broadway show. I was asked to do Dancin, but instead, I left for California to become an actor in tv and film. Occasionally I will do a workshop, or observe a performance and believe me, the choreography morphs. As in any history telling, it depends on who's doing the telling/teaching. Yes, Bob was meticulous in all things...lover of all things theatre...There is no need to judge who was "better"...I do salute all the artists that have come after who throw their blood, sweat and tears out there everyday....great artists all, but ya can't beat the ones who had been in the room with the man, there is a vibration that just can't be recreated. Rock on!
Like Hamilton's "the room where it happened". Be it creating a dance form or a nation, those that follow the founders can only speculate on what I really meant. My friend was an opera singer & saw all kinds of weird set designs that had nothing to do with the original plot of the opera, since the music & story can not be changed, but the costumes & sets can be altered to satisfy current needs for creativity. I'm not saying that is what is happening in 99, but what will happen as new people try to interpert Fosse & get in their 2 cents worth. Some will be worse than the original, some will be better & the Fosse style will evolve to include that (like "Wizard of Oz", "Peter Pan" & "Alice in Wonderland" no longer are just their authors creation, but have movies & such influencing perceptions of us in the future of these authors).
The dancing was great in both the '78 and '99 versions . The problem with the' 99 version is that it's hard to see the dancing . The '99 version featured dancers in uniformly dark grey /black costumes a giant a brightly back-lit stage.
Dancin’ came out before I got to Broadway, but what is most notable is Miss Reinking didn’t use her name to do anything better. She was happy dancing ing the chorus and to her credit did absolutely Nothing to draw attention to herself. We all know most “Stars” would attempt to pull our attention toward them. What an enormous flame we have lost in entertainment. A triple threat, start to finish. Certainly missed.
The later performance is missing the languidness and looseness of the earlier version. As if they are forcing their joints into position. The earlier dancers seem more natural and comfortable with the shapes. Perhaps that's due to dance styles popular in the 80's versus the 60's when these dancers were developing and training.
'78 Tony's; Performance with depth and character. '99 Tonys are what happen when you put someone on too high a pedestal and focus too much on perfection. No soul, no character; performed like a really good competition number.
I find this absolutely fascinating. I would call the '78 version sloppy and the '99 version tight. However, I know that Fosse himself directed the '78 version, so my brain says huh? That being said, I don't see "character" in either versions. I also know I spend an awful lot of time watching this.
@@martinsorenson1055 I think what Gee is referring to is the individuality of each dancer in the original version. Each dancer is dressed differently and creates a different feel. With everyone dressed pretty much the same in the second version it just feels... like a large group competition number. Well performed but lacking visual interest.
@@giovanninasuluh Hi - I get the difference in costuming, but I'm not sure how much that expresses each "character". Aside from that, I just wonder am I seeing the same dancing as everyone else? The differences in each cast in terms of precision and form seem vast in my eyes. As I said in my previous comment: '78 version=sloppy, '99 version=tight. I say in my eyes since I have yet to see this comment made.
Thanks for your reply. Yeah, I love her staging/choreography of Chicago. She was also in the creative team of the show "Fosse" where the second part of this video is from. :)
70s version seems more individualized. I’m paying attention to each dancer. They have personalities. 90s version is too grey and bland and they all just blend together.
Ladies & Gents, to all of you who danced-------my total respect, admiration, & at 72 y/o, just wonder, at how you did it ! ----------What brilliance & dedication. ------------WolfSky9, 72 y/o
I love how masculine the men are moving and how feminine the women are moving. This is one of the all time most exciting dance numbers of ANY kind ever. Love you, Fosse and miss you. And love all you masterful Fosse dancers. Often imitated. Never replicated.
Knowing that Sing Sing Sing eas meant for couples to dance, and the rebival of swing a few years ago, it seems odd and a little sad how all these peopleare dancing by themselves.
Rene was a good friend of mine she was a fabulous talent and talk about dancing wow! We hung out tough...I miss her. She passed a few years ago in Florida 😔
They are both great but the original is worlds better in my opinion. The is a freeness to the original that the second one lacks. It is almost like the revival they are trying too hard to dance Fosse.
Both are great. But how can you beat the Fosse dancers in the 1978 Dancin production including Ann Reinking, Wayne Cilento, Vicki Frederick, Christopher Chadman, John Mineo, Charles Ward and Karen Burke? These dancers and the others in the cast were superb and cannot be compared to the dancers in Fosse, great dancers but not of the same caliber, no disrespect intended. Plus having Fosse direct Dancin makes such an impact on the whole show. I'm glad that they produced Fosse because it's a great homage to Bob Fosse and the dancers who came before them. But they're not the same.
The only female that can beat Ann Reinking in dancing the Fosse is Gwen Verdon. I saw Ms. Reinking in Annie (the original movie) around 2015 and I didn't know who she was and I was impressed with her dancing -- the gracefulness and her kicks.
the fosse estate teaches workshops for intermediate/advanced dancers to learn and grasp this Technic and style. so no it isnt ost they are trying to keep it alive
The 1999 Crew Killed it! No disrespect to the '78 crew they were excellent as well but the 1999 crew was tighter by far and the dancers were physically stronger giving them the ability to stick the moves harder! They Killed It!
You need to read my longer comment above about the "78 Tony Award" performance. It's always best to know the real history behind things before you make comments. Not to denigrate them, but the 99 crew was not "stronger and tighter" than the 78 cast. The 78 cast did the ENTIRE 2 & 1/2 hour show with ONLY 15 DANCERS - 8 TIMES A WEEK and the Tonys were the 9th performance that topped off that week. Wayne Cilento subtitled the show "SWEAT AND CHANGE". There was absolutely no "recovery" time between numbers. On top of that, the pre-recorded playback that evening was at least 1/3 faster than we had every danced it. AND we were not on our stage, but a much smaller and treacherous space, (especially back stage) which made the for the turn arounds being truly life threatening. I wish the Lincoln Center Library project of video taping each new show had been in place. THEN you would have a better record of the astonishing work being done by all the 15 original cast members (and ultimately our 6 brilliant SWINGS) who had to know and cover all our parts if they weren't INTERNALLY COVERED by the principal dancers. That's right. I often did my own show along with Anne's or Vicki's track because I was their principal understudy. So...I hope you can see why I take umbrage with your comment about us not being physically "strong".
I saw Dancin' back in 1978 live. It was amazing! I was already a fan of Fosse from seeing his move "All That Jazz". Watch every TV show segment & read every article on him & how precise & demanding he was. I could see it in the tensed precisely held muscles of the dancers in the '78 show. Why you can even see where they hold poses mid-air. That just doesn't happen in the '99 version. It flows. Movements look effortless. But that is not Fosse. It is suposed to be angular & jagged, not a ballet. Even it the end, the two male dancers in front don't match each other. Very sloppy! Fosse wouldn't let that happene if he had still been alive. I guess artistry is lost when the person who created the thing dies. Look at the recent Broadway show "American in Paris". Nothing like Gene Kelly's work!
Hello, that's me up there (Gail Benedict) with some of the greatest performers and musicians of the 20th century. Two things: This gift of a show was given to us directly from Bob Fosse during 8 weeks of grueling rehearsal and 4 exhausting weeks out of town with him refining every moment (with which he would never be truly satisfied because that's just the kind of artist he was). So all this gibber jabber about us not dancing in the PURE Fosse style is just RIDICULOUS!!! We were his clay and this performance is only a few months after we opened. Historically speaking, Fosse's "style" came out of the fact that he was first and foremost a TAP DANCER (it was ALWAYS ABOUT THE RHYTHM) and his marriage/collaboration with Gwen Verdon, who was Jack Cole's assistant for many years, resulted in the melding of two truly original American dance forms...both of which are founded, primarily, on rhythm and connecting with the music in a free and seemingly improvisational way. Bob's motto for his work and Gwen's too was "LESS IS MORE" (interesting)...which he took from Sandy Meisner his acting mentor at the Neighborhood Playhouse. In recent years this "style" has become almost codified and not necessarily adequate to fully realize and emulate this great Musical Theatre dance legacy. You cannot fault the younger dancers for that. Often, passing on choreography is a bit like playing telephone. By the time you reach the end of the line the message bears little resemblance to the original statement and has been "reinterpreted" and/or plainly misunderstood by the messengers along the way. If you want to learn "Fosse Style" just watch Bob and Gwen dance together in "Who's Got the Pain". That two and a half minute dance pretty much sums in all up:) Second Thing: It is little known that the playback for the "78 Tony Awards" performance was about 1/3 faster than we actually danced it every night AND we were on a much smaller and confined stage space. It was TERRIFYING. It was also the end of an 8 show week and we had done our Sunday matinee just a few hours prior so we were all EXHAUSTED. Not to make excuses, but if it looks a bit "sloppy" these factors definitely played into our performance. But, I can truly say we were all DANCING OUR HEARTS OUT for Bob.
Gail Benedict The 1999 one reminds me a lot of Reinking's recreation of the Hot Honey Rag in Chicago - it is as you say, cookie-cutter and not as organic anymore. It was made so that anyone could learn it quickly and all individuality was removed, whereas the true Fosse style as i understand it from reading about it and knowing two dancers who worked with him directly was far more organic and about the individual, since he loved his dancers so much. Watching "dancers over 40"'s videos has been a great joy also - seeing original cast members of the 1970s and 80s Fosse shows talk about the reality behind those recreations of the 1990s and how different they were.
I saw the original cast and you Gail..it was amazing and all of you were amazing and your words ring true to what was seen! It is a memory of an amazing performance of a great piece!
Thank you for posting this. I love hearing these stories.
Gail Benedict I just re-watched this and saw the cymbal stand fall to the stage part way through the most energised part of the finalé! Someone stopped and picked it up then got back into the dance without missing a beat - nice recovery! Btw which costume are you wearing and what hair colour?
Gail Benedict ..God bless you Gail... Ross Miles original cast.
I became obsessed with Dancin' back in 1978 and travelled to New York several times to see it and on each trip attended the show several times. I was dazzled by Ann Reinking, Sandahl Bergman, Wayne Cilento and all of the cast who moved so exquisitely. All the craft departments (costumes,musicianship,lighting) fired on all cylinders. And there was no moment more theatrical (for its time) than at the commencement of the show.All the lighting rigs were lying on the floor of the stage as the audience took their seats and then as the show began the rigs began to rise and take their place above the stage as the lights came on to illuminate the show. Sing,Sing,Sing closed the show and sent one out of the theatre joyfully in awe of the incredible dancing one had just witnessed all through the performance.
I was a grad student at the time and scrimped to get a seat several times, I was so taken by the show. The time would fly by and it was truly transporting you to a different place. It was what theater (to me ) is supposed to be about. Fosse shows seemed to understand this and damn, he knew how to pick dancers.
A completely different dance than the latter interpretation. I so enjoy the original more. It is a celebration rather than a presentation! Saw both live...WOW!
I saw this show 4 times back in 78. Loved it!
Two incredible groups of dancers offering different interpretations of the same brilliant choreography! Thank you so much for posting this!!! (And, as much as I want to avoid comparison, I do need to take a moment to worship at the alter of Ann Reinking and her unmatched grace. She is a goddess. But Shannon Lewis and Elizabeth Parkinson are damn near demi-goddesses!)
Why would you dislike this? This is legendary!
Philisteins. They don't know any better.
I didn’t “not” like it . I must’ve pushed it by mistake. I am a great fan of Liza. Sorry so many people are so quick to judge.
Goodness gracious. Look at yourselves before you give such a tacky responses. Have you ever made a mistake. Thank you and have a beautiful day everyone
a) everyone isn't required to like everything you like, Bridget... aren't you a little old not to have realized that? b) the camerawork and editing were awful (particularly on the first one) they were seeking lots of individual closeups on what is a true ensemble piece
@beachie670 says the lowbrow hick who has playlists devoted to Andy Gibb and "Hottie TV Vets"
Let’s not make this personal. Everyone’s entitled to there opinion even if it’s not one I share or understand. Fosse is legendary and this is epic despite the camera work.
It’s interesting that they kept the flavor and spirit of Fosse’s choreography but made subtle changes in the intervening years.
And to think that he made his personal flaws as a dancer into strengths of performance!
Love this. Must say that with a lack of variety shows since the late 70s, television doesn't always photograph choreography well. Some missed opportunities, but I'm grateful for any record of genius like Fosse's.
Ann Reinking front and center. Amazing dancer!
I just knew it was Anne reinking in the 78 show . Thanks for confirming it for me. Fell in love with her forever when I saw Pippin ss a " tweenager". Cant wait to see the f/x miniseries fosse/verdon next week. Reinking is being played by megan qualley who is Andie macdowell's daughter. But there's no "ben Vereen " character listed in the cast on the f/x website. There's lots of other famous people from fosse's life in the ministries. Anyone know why no ben Vereen? Did he refuse to give his consent to be portrayed?
I found this so moving ... all the dancers are gifted ... working very tough routines...well done Gail and her dancers for doing this after a Matinee performance earlier.
I would have loved to see Anne do the trumpet solo.
Hinton Battle is in the 78 performance I believe. RIP to a legend
Gail Benedict ! Thank You so much ! I agree with all that you wrote ! Love from France !
RIP, Bob Fosse , who I came to admire so much ! I was only 7 y/o when i saw " Kiss Me kate", but even then, I NEVER forgot that dance he & Carol Haney did . THAT, was his " coming out " , & from there, it was ' sky's the limit'. -------------RIP, Ann Reinking. -------------------WolfSky9, 74 y/o
No, I directed and recreated that company for Bob that played Louisville, but I only performed with them in the Japanese leg of the tour.
Ann Reinking is always just a little bit better than everyone else, isn’t she? Just slightly more freedom, slightly better technique and precision, slightly more musical...the dancer’s dancer.
But never a "star."
@@MrCrowebobby lol, I got it 😉
I really would have loved for Ann, Debbie, and Chita to have done a routine of some sort back in their day.
Nah not at all.
Yes. Every movement is thought out and controlled. She was a legend 💕
As a non dancer, It's really neat to watch a performance where you don't know the choreographer but you can pick out all the classic Fosse elements.
I saw Bebe in this twice, and she was great. I've seen it twice since and just not the same. The 2nd time I saw her in it was really special--a lot of her friends were in the audience (we saw Rhea Perlman and Danny Devito and their chikdren, and Jimmy Smits, and supposedly Kelsey Grammar and others were there). Anyway, the cast knew it was a big night for Bebe and had some fun with it--they repeated some cue so that she had to do one of her big, tiring dance pieces all over again. She laughed and threw herself into it again. It was just astonishing to see what she could do as I only knew her from her drab role on Cheers.
The first version better matches the 40's Benny Goodman music- and it has a young Ann Reinking (dark blue dress) in her star-making performance. A shame it doesn't show the famous trumpet solo where she dances with her long dark hair down and kicks those gorgeous legs up a storm.
Hello. This is tony
I preferred the 1970s version because it was way more colorful and each performer was dressed somewhat differently from the next and seemed more carefree.
That being said, I like the fact that the more modern version has more male dancers. All the dancers in the modern version were extraordinarily great and moved as one but it did lack a bit of the excitement of the older version.
Wow! Dancing doesnt get better than this!\
I saw both shows. When I saw Dancin' is was less than a week before its offical opening on Broadway. The dancers were on FIRE!! I bought a last minute ticket from someone in front of the theater (maybe it was $15) and wound up in the sixth row (a bit on the side). My mouth stayed open in amazement for most of the show (not all the numbers were stellar), yet it REMAINED open for the entire number of SING SING SING. Yeah, the show Fosse was a nice way to memorialize Bob Fosse. yet the difference was like seeing an original painting and seeing a print of that painting. RIP Ann Reinking!
The difference is simple: the original dancers are all individuals with personality. The Fosse version is all about flashing lights and steps. Fosse also isn't helped by the inept TV direction. The original didn't need flashing lights and all that BS. And there's one other word that is a key difference: Joy. The original had JOY.
Wtf are you talking about? Both numbers are equally as great. Take the lights away and you have the same exact dance. "The bullshit" you talk about is a Broadway artistic technician's addition to greatness creating a finale for the end of a show. My head hurts, why is anyone arguing about which is better? This isn't the 90's. N'sync and Backstreet Boys can both be good y'all.
@@cre.ACE.tion9 Let me help you out, Mr. WTF: both are not equally great in MY opinion. Do you understand what an OPINION is? You don't have the "exact same dance" you have the exact same CHOREOGRAPHY. The original dancers were choreographed by someone named Bob Fosse, who created it for that company specifically. Fosse was put together by other folks RECREATING his choreography. If you don't know that difference, or you cannot see the difference in the two videos, well, that's your problem, Mr. WTF. MY head hurts from reading your inane diatribe, y'all.
Even HERE, San stands out above everyone else. She was always in a higher league. 😮💨
Out-of-this-world wonderful. Amazing. Fosse, what a dancer. What a choreographer. I wish l could have seen the original number from "Dancing Dancing" with the black costumes from "Fosse". FWIW, l found the razzle-dazzle of the costumes got in the way of actually SEEING the dancing. Too many sequins and flapping zoot suits.
The energy and precision of the original is palpable. But everything is so much easier to SEE in the second, even if it is more subdued stylistically... my $.02...
Oh god the original cast, the dancers, orchestrations, costumes...everything. FABULOUS...They didn't know how to dance this anymore in Fosse.
interesting to watch both back to back. Bob Fosse's dancers had such a powerful alignment and control that the cast of Fosse do not have. There is a power and forceful dynamic energy that the Dancin version has that Fosse does not. The kids in the show Fosse recreate the steps, and some of them look good doing them, but they look like dancers in a dance class, not actors up on a stage. Bob Fosse was never about a step but he told magnificent and compelling stories through Dance, Music, Singing, Musical Book, Costumes, Lighting and Sets, Bod Fosse was a top of the line Broadway Director. Watch the cast of Dancin when they move fast they have a powerfully controlled elegance of different human characteristic, and when they move slow, the cast of Dancin pulsated an even greater force of energy to suspend your belief in time, and forget where you are. This does not happen with the kids from the show Fosse, they does a good job by todays low bar standards, but its a shame because there are still people who are alive who worked with Bob, who could have helped instill a greater sense of reaching for those stars through many grueling hours of rehearsal. Fosse was not just a perfectionist, he inspired striving for perfection. All of his performers knew that, loved that, and ran with his creative genius.
well said
Don't agree. I think Fosse is better danced here anyway - and I saw both.
They were both pretty amazing, but I did like the '78 version better. Costumes and dynamics of the cast was stellar!
I knew most of these people. Fabulous dancers!
The '78 original with its characters in dazzling, colored sequin covered costumes, dancing against a black background is amazing. While the '99 copied the dance steps, the use of variations of dark gray costumes against a colorful back- lit stage makes it difficult to see the dancers and their movements. The former was brilliant and exuberant, the latter was a dark ghost that merely mourned for the original it celebrated.
This. The costuming just didn't do the dancers, the dance or the creator justice.
The original glittery costumes were stunning back then, but now - they look a little dated. The costumes for Fosse were way darker, but stand up better now I think.
@@jochenstossberg5427 The dark costumes from Fosse may standup better, but it's hard to tell since the back lighting on the set makes it hard to see anything more than the dancer's silhouettes.
Super Bob Fosse ❤🎉
I think the biggest difference between Bob Fosse’s and Tommy Tunes’ choreography is that Bob truly loved women’s bodies and all they could do. Bob brought out the sultry and sexy. Amazing. Made me wish I was one of his dancers. ♥️♥️♥️
Hermes Pan is my pick
Ann Reinking. May she rest in peace.
Yes Fosse dancers recreate the steps brilliant, but when you see the original cast of Dancin’ there’s more something behind the steps, a story behind each step - when the master isn’t there!!!!! When I see the fosse dancers (frm the show fosse/a tribute to him)brilliant dancers but there is a depth, a profoundness missing
RIP ANN REINKING
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is just remarkable choreography
I see a looser, "feeling the music" vibe from the men in the earlier version and a more burlesque "feel the sexy" vibe from the women. I can see how the later cast looks a little stiff in comparison. I think the feeling that came from learning the choreography from Fosse directly could not be replicated.
We danced Sing Sing for the governors inaugural ball years ago and the band just kept playing faster and faster as the song went on😂😂 funny now, not so much then
0:43 ... is that Ann Reinking?
Yup!
I think I see sandahl Bergman and Bebe neuwirth in there too?
i get a whiplash from watching this haha so much neck movement
I barely see any resemblance to Fosse's spirit in the '99 version. Nothing sexy going on there either. Watch the masterpiece film ALL THAT JAZZ directed by Fosse.
Sexy in the 70's was different than in the 90's and today.
@@remyfacade , then bring back the 70s.
Dumb question: They credit Benny Goodman. but , are the men on stage actually playing the instruments ? I am not A musician , but it seems that the men on stage couldn't produce that sound.
2:46
Who is that black man?
Edward Love
Second version (cast) is much cleaner, sharper, and gets the inter-beat gestures more definitively. The first version looks like there are some last-minute stand-in substituting in--shaping is irregular, timing is off, the whole piece doesn't tell the story the way the second version does.
Yep!
René Ceballos said this was the best number in the show to me. I liked Crunchy Granola best
The male costumes do not flatter the movements.
Nessie Ness Fairly sure they were cut very baggy to hide kneepads and so on - Gail Benedict may be able to confirm that as she's posting on here and was in the original cast.
Male dancers do always look better scantily clad just as the females do in order to appreciate the arcs of the movements and their grace.
They are Zoot Suits.
Мужская партия такая точная тонкая пластичная мягкая. Но почему женская партия такая грубая, вульгарная, почти карикатурная?
It's funny to read the comments... I look at the 78 staging and say these were dancers learning 'new' choreography and learning a 'style' that had yet to be fully realized. The 99 staging is PURE Fosse. It is now a realized, studied, and celebrated style so there is so much attention to detail and athleticism. They executed not only Fosse Choreography but Fosse Style. I don't think that was as clear in the 78 version.
Most of the 78 cast had worked with Fosse for years in previous shows, so I can't agree that it was yet to be a fully realized style. I think what has happened over time is that the style has become CODIFIED, much like classical ballet. I don't know if I'd call it "pure" in that sense. I do know that Bob always designed and worked with us as ACTORS more than dancers. He filled our imaginations with imagery and emotional motivations rather than technical execution ideals. I think that is what really accounts for the "individuality" between us all.
I disagree. The dancers look sloppy in the 99 version. They don't match each others' movements; they do not look like one organism. If Fosse was still around then, he'd not have let them get away with that.
I disagree with this. The 1978 dancers were directed and taught by Fosse himself. What 1978 shows is the true Fosse style as it existed. The 1999 version is the cleaned-up, almost sanitized, and exaggerated version of Fosse people wrongfully think is all him. Fosse was down to allow some messiness and grit, something for some reason do not associate with Fosse today. It's all too shiny and clean today where people think Fosse was only about bowler hats, shoulders, and jazz hands. He was much more than that.
Totally disagree Director Adam Adolfo. And I am young-ish
and starred in neither of the shows, and have no skin in the game. '99 looks (as you mentioned) athletic - like a workout class at the gym, "Fosse Fitness!!" which is quite disturbing and empty, bordering on narcissistic. '78 is pensive, yet sensual with a touch of mature cynicism, three elements difficult to communicate, but which lie at the heart of Bob Fosse's work, as a dancer, choreographer and filmmaker.
The "Fosse Style" def became the, well, "Fosse Style" by 1999. Which is even more so known as a Style today. What's missing from the 1999 version is ebullience. Unbridled enthusiasm. And as Ms. Benedict points out, Bob Fosse considered each of his dancers as actors -- thereby expressing individual personality. I also appreciate the 1978 version more because it has half the amount of dancers. Thus each dancer's personality shines just a bit more. (I have a bit of bias, as I was fortunate to have seen Dancin' twice.)
Boring, too long
'78!!! Why? 1) They had some melanin featured prominently on stage, 2) WOMEN were at the forefront of this pieces, 3) the bold and gaudy costumes and make up enhance the feel of the Benny Goodman era while giving me straight up 70's A Chorus Line, and 4) These dancers looked HUNGRY! When I first saw them I envisioned many of them pounding the pavement of NYC bussing tables and going on auditions and doing whateve they needed to do to dance! Not saying the dancers in the '99 version didn't have the same dedication to the craft, buy anyone who grew up on the original FAME knows what I'm talking about. The '99 was too sleek and the choreographer made the mistake of 1) Putting white males in the forefront (can you say corporate prodution?) and minimizing the women's parts, and 2) Thinking that zoot suits were too much. Those hats were everything!!!
You nailed it. I noticed the "male" thing 2 seconds into the '99 interp. I understand not wanting to mimic but....wdnt it have been great if they had really changed it up and gone into something like a couples dance off for the '99 version instead of sooo many people onstage dressed in black? Cd have used more melanin in both versions. Also, the decline of critical thinking and apologetics like "both good in their own way" is a death blow to the arts. And I have to get back to the drab costumes and ...too...many...people... onstage which diminishes the visual intensity for this kind of choreography and erases the individuality of the dancers. I think of individuality within the chorus when I think of Fosse.
I had the privilege of seeing this, and I've never quite gotten over it. It was the most thrilling electrifying show I've ever seen and this clip really doesn't capture the wild ride it was. I was exhausted when I came out and so high I couldn't sleep. We'll never see this kind of show again, or dancing like this either. Sadly. Nothing has this kind of razor sharp herd edged brilliance these days. It was FABULOUS.
True. These days, there's no dancing in the theatre at all!
super jealous. you are correct. 💔
I feel like any kind of good dancing is seen as a novelty now. ☹
How about we celebrate BOTH casts for the beautiful, talented hard working artists they ALL are? I am so tired everyone having this need to judge who was better. I was an on stage dance captain for the 1999 Broadway company of Fosse and I rehearsed that show starting in 1994 before it was a show. That's right, FIVE YEARS learning, training, preproduction, 2 workshops, out of town try out in 3 cities. And Gwen was there every step of the way, from the first moment I started. Gail, just like the 1978 company, we also had 8 shows that week, we also were performing on a different stage, we also were exhausted, but we were also blessed and exhilarated. Dance is not like a game of telephone. Dance is something beautiful and unique that changes when you put the same choreography on a different human body and spirit. It is a collaboration. I am so proud of our 1999 company of FOSSE no one will ever know how hard we worked or what we sacrificed to be there. I am and always be in awe of the 1978 cast. You and everyone of your cast are gorgeous and inspiring. But it's a shame if you can't see the heart and the passion from the blood, sweat and tears the 1999 company gave in our performance, because it is there... right in front of you.
LS Sak The motivation/direction/whatever you want to call it looks very different - I'm intrigued to know what Mr Fosse's direction/etc was (given every movement has meaning in his work) in 1978 and how much of that direction carried over to 1999 where the dance is much less organic-looking and much more precise (not saying that's a bad thing or a good thing), so the overall effect is a different "story", if you like. Much like watching the 1975 "Hot Honey Rag" vs the 1996 "Chicago" and 1999 "Fosse" versions [not forgetting the many alternative versions Ann (et al.) choreographed for "Chicago" revival for different levels of dance skill or to work around injury], the 1975 is very flowing and organic and loose and relaxed. The 1990s versions are tighter and more streamlined. Is this wrong? Not really - in a way it makes it more reproducible and - given everything in "Fosse" was out of context, it kind of works better that way. I have no doubt "Fosse" was hard work - I met Valarie Pettiford in January 2000 when she was in "Chicago" in London (just before "Fosse" opened here) and she was still nursing an injured ankle "that's cuz of 'Fosse'" I remember her saying. I then saw "Fosse" here in the UK (minus Nowadays/HHR and some other cuts they made for here as we didn't have an Act2/3 interval, just a 3 min pause - I know the dancers I met after the show were finding it really hard and none were seasoned Fosse dancers or older dancers with vast experience really (per the US version) - most were 20s/30s at most but they were loving every minute of being in it.
I in no way meant to disparage any of your hard work and dedication. I was responding to an earlier comment by someone saying that they felt the original company wasn't as technically good or as physically strong as your company. I apologize if it came off sounding that way. Full props to you all and for keeping the work alive.
I just want to comment on the "dance is like playing telephone" statement....Gail's statement was "passing on choreography" is like playing telephone, not dance is like playing telephone, and it's often true. I did Liza with A Z, Pippin and Chicago with Mr Fosse. That's me with Ben Vereen and Pam Sousa in the first live action tv commercial for a Broadway show. I was asked to do Dancin, but instead, I left for California to become an actor in tv and film. Occasionally I will do a workshop, or observe a performance and believe me, the choreography morphs. As in any history telling, it depends on who's doing the telling/teaching. Yes, Bob was meticulous in all things...lover of all things theatre...There is no need to judge who was "better"...I do salute all the artists that have come after who throw their blood, sweat and tears out there everyday....great artists all, but ya can't beat the ones who had been in the room with the man, there is a vibration that just can't be recreated. Rock on!
Like Hamilton's "the room where it happened". Be it creating a dance form or a nation, those that follow the founders can only speculate on what I really meant. My friend was an opera singer & saw all kinds of weird set designs that had nothing to do with the original plot of the opera, since the music & story can not be changed, but the costumes & sets can be altered to satisfy current needs for creativity. I'm not saying that is what is happening in 99, but what will happen as new people try to interpert Fosse & get in their 2 cents worth. Some will be worse than the original, some will be better & the Fosse style will evolve to include that (like "Wizard of Oz", "Peter Pan" & "Alice in Wonderland" no longer are just their authors creation, but have movies & such influencing perceptions of us in the future of these authors).
The dancing was great in both the '78 and '99 versions . The problem with the' 99 version is that it's hard to see the dancing . The '99 version featured dancers in uniformly dark grey /black costumes a giant a brightly back-lit stage.
Dancin’ came out before I got to Broadway, but what is most notable is Miss Reinking didn’t use her name to do anything better. She was happy dancing ing the chorus and to her credit did absolutely Nothing to draw attention to herself. We all know most “Stars” would attempt to pull our attention toward them. What an enormous flame we have lost in entertainment. A triple threat, start to finish. Certainly missed.
The later performance is missing the languidness and looseness of the earlier version. As if they are forcing their joints into position. The earlier dancers seem more natural and comfortable with the shapes. Perhaps that's due to dance styles popular in the 80's versus the 60's when these dancers were developing and training.
Interesting...I like both casts but it's always a challenge to duplicate the original casts. The originals embrace and understand it differently.
I have seen this show in NYC with my friend Pierre Prèbin in 1981; it was one of the most amazing demostration of talent I had seen in my entire life.
Bob Fosse. I saw this show and I hated when it ended.I wanted more dancing .It was wonderful.I love both versions.I've worn out my DVD of the show.
'78 Tony's; Performance with depth and character. '99 Tonys are what happen when you put someone on too high a pedestal and focus too much on perfection. No soul, no character; performed like a really good competition number.
I find this absolutely fascinating. I would call the '78 version sloppy and the '99 version tight. However, I know that Fosse himself directed the '78 version, so my brain says huh? That being said, I don't see "character" in either versions. I also know I spend an awful lot of time watching this.
@@martinsorenson1055 I think what Gee is referring to is the individuality of each dancer in the original version. Each dancer is dressed differently and creates a different feel. With everyone dressed pretty much the same in the second version it just feels... like a large group competition number. Well performed but lacking visual interest.
@@giovanninasuluh Hi - I get the difference in costuming, but I'm not sure how much that expresses each "character". Aside from that, I just wonder am I seeing the same dancing as everyone else? The differences in each cast in terms of precision and form seem vast in my eyes. As I said in my previous comment: '78 version=sloppy, '99 version=tight. I say in my eyes since I have yet to see this comment made.
@@martinsorenson1055 Agree Martin. I saw both and 'Fosse' looks sharper to me now and much less dated.
@@martinsorenson1055 the 99 version seemed like a militaristic Busby Berkeley routine & 78 was looser
Yes Chrissi. That's Ann..she still in charge of 'Chicago' choreography on Broadway. She's amazing.
Thanks for your reply. Yeah, I love her staging/choreography of Chicago. She was also in the creative team of the show "Fosse" where the second part of this video is from. :)
Oh wow! First time I noticed that part of the drum-set fell, at 03:09. Whoa!
It was the drummers ride cymbal. A dancer quickly picks it up and places it out of harms way.
@@jackieshirley8693 Not so quickly. But great job.
70s version seems more individualized. I’m paying attention to each dancer. They have personalities. 90s version is too grey and bland and they all just blend together.
Yes! I was there in 1978 and just gave the original poster to a friend to day Dec,2022 for a Christmas present
Ladies & Gents, to all of you who danced-------my total respect, admiration, & at 72 y/o, just wonder, at how you did it ! ----------What brilliance & dedication. ------------WolfSky9, 72 y/o
I love how masculine the men are moving and how feminine the women are moving. This is one of the all time most exciting dance numbers of ANY kind ever. Love you, Fosse and miss you. And love all you masterful Fosse dancers. Often imitated. Never replicated.
Knowing that Sing Sing Sing eas meant for couples to dance, and the rebival of swing a few years ago, it seems odd and a little sad how all these peopleare dancing by themselves.
Rene Ceballos. Goddess!
Rene was a good friend of mine she was a fabulous talent and talk about dancing wow! We hung out tough...I miss her. She passed a few years ago in Florida 😔
They are both great but the original is worlds better in my opinion. The is a freeness to the original that the second one lacks. It is almost like the revival they are trying too hard to dance Fosse.
Wow....to both versions. Hard excellent work....
The second version has no hats. I can’t wrap my brain around that.
Now that's dancin'! I prefer the first routine. What a workout!!!
Both are great. But how can you beat the Fosse dancers in the 1978 Dancin production including Ann Reinking, Wayne Cilento, Vicki Frederick, Christopher Chadman, John Mineo, Charles Ward and Karen Burke? These dancers and the others in the cast were superb and cannot be compared to the dancers in Fosse, great dancers but not of the same caliber, no disrespect intended. Plus having Fosse direct Dancin makes such an impact on the whole show. I'm glad that they produced Fosse because it's a great homage to Bob Fosse and the dancers who came before them. But they're not the same.
Wow they danced in heels...had you do it? Beautiful
3:28 he’s picking up the drum set
Just the cymbal, but enough to seriously injure a dancer if they tripped on it.
The only female that can beat Ann Reinking in dancing the Fosse is Gwen Verdon. I saw Ms. Reinking in Annie (the original movie) around 2015 and I didn't know who she was and I was impressed with her dancing -- the gracefulness and her kicks.
the second one feels like it’s too “polished” looking and lacks the darkness and sense of humor from the early performances..
His best work was cabaret.. The rest is all variation on same moves. It gets boring. But being part of it must have been fantastic.
Should really be called Gene Krupa's "sing, sing, sing." It belongs to him.
Wow
Go Gail!! Thats fabulous !! Dancers are my heroes,, I cant dance !
God that was amazing! In my next life I want to dance on Broadway.
the fosse estate teaches workshops for intermediate/advanced dancers to learn and grasp this Technic and style. so no it isnt ost they are trying to keep it alive
I just wanted to say I saw this in NYC, and loved it.
was Fosse secretly a revival of Dancin'?
I see it live in 1979. NY. It was really great.
I think the hair is better in the 2nd one.
when life was good.
Oh, yeah!!! 😀👍🏼👏🏼
Great
Remember when Robin Williams did an imitation of Fosse. Oh, man! I dearly wish he was back among us. Just not so horribly depressed.
The 1999 Crew Killed it! No disrespect to the '78 crew they were excellent as well but the 1999 crew was tighter by far and the dancers were physically stronger giving them the ability to stick the moves harder! They Killed It!
You need to read my longer comment above about the "78 Tony Award" performance. It's always best to know the real history behind things before you make comments. Not to denigrate them, but the 99 crew was not "stronger and tighter" than the 78 cast. The 78 cast did the ENTIRE 2 & 1/2 hour show with ONLY 15 DANCERS - 8 TIMES A WEEK and the Tonys were the 9th performance that topped off that week. Wayne Cilento subtitled the show "SWEAT AND CHANGE". There was absolutely no "recovery" time between numbers. On top of that, the pre-recorded playback that evening was at least 1/3 faster than we had every danced it. AND we were not on our stage, but a much smaller and treacherous space, (especially back stage) which made the for the turn arounds being truly life threatening. I wish the Lincoln Center Library project of video taping each new show had been in place. THEN you would have a better record of the astonishing work being done by all the 15 original cast members (and ultimately our 6 brilliant SWINGS) who had to know and cover all our parts if they weren't INTERNALLY COVERED by the principal dancers. That's right. I often did my own show along with Anne's or Vicki's track because I was their principal understudy. So...I hope you can see why I take umbrage with your comment about us not being physically "strong".
Gail Benedict ...you are so right Gail... Ross Miles original Dancin' cast and the boy in the Dancin' poster with Ann
So happy to hear from you, Miles. You were there through it all, so you KNOW.
I saw Dancin' back in 1978 live. It was amazing! I was already a fan of Fosse from seeing his move "All That Jazz". Watch every TV show segment & read every article on him & how precise & demanding he was. I could see it in the tensed precisely held muscles of the dancers in the '78 show. Why you can even see where they hold poses mid-air. That just doesn't happen in the '99 version. It flows. Movements look effortless. But that is not Fosse. It is suposed to be angular & jagged, not a ballet. Even it the end, the two male dancers in front don't match each other. Very sloppy! Fosse wouldn't let that happene if he had still been alive. I guess artistry is lost when the person who created the thing dies. Look at the recent Broadway show "American in Paris". Nothing like Gene Kelly's work!
You sound like someone who thinks Beyonce is a great vocalist.
78 worked harder but, 99 worked smarter.