Fosse/Verdon

It's just paradise.

- What did I tell you? I'm so glad you came, Gwen.

Well, it was Bob's idea.

- But I'm just so happy to see you.

I think it's exactly what you two need.

Some time away together. - Mm-hmm.

- You have to work things out. You and Bobby

are the only other couple Neil and I can stand.

Every marriage goes through rough patches.

Not yours.

- I threw a frozen veal chop at Neil's head last week.

You didn't. - Oh, I did.

- You know, in my marriage, that's called foreplay.

- Neil and I, it's different than you and Bobby.

We're not competing. - Bob and I aren't competing.

- When we first started going together,

Neil came to see me dance at one of Martha's shows.

At the party afterwards, all the attention was on me.

No one even looked at him. This was before Neil was Neil.

I had to make a point of introducing him.

"This is Neil Simon.

He's a phenomenal young playwright."

You could just see their eyes glaze over.

Frankly, I think a part of him

was relieved when I stopped dancing.

It meant he never had to play wife

at a cocktail party ever again.

- And you don't miss it, dancing?

Oh.

- See, I just-- I can't understand that.

- Well, I was never Gwen Verdon.

Oh, stop.

- The funny thing is I've always loved baseball.

- I didn't know this. - And when I was ten,

I told my father that I wanted to grow up to be a pitcher

for the Boston Braves, just like Babe Ruth.

- What did he say? - Well, he said

"The Boston Braves are the worst team in baseball,

"and Babe Ruth should have hung up his cleats six years ago

when he could still hit the ball."

- Oh, that's good. Say, George and I,

I think we landed on a choreographer.

- Tell me, tell me. - Bobby Fosse.

He did "Pajama Game" for us.

But what about Jerry?

- Well, Jerry--Jerry-- Jerry's fantastic,

but, I mean, Jerry Robbins wouldn't know

a baseball diamond from a squash court.

You need someone for this show who really understands

the vernacular, who understands Americana.

- But It isn't just a show about baseball, Hal.

It's a modern-day "Faust," and you need someone

who's not afraid of darker material.

Someone like Jerry. - You're going to love Bobby.

He's married to Joanie McCracken.

- No, no, I know who he is. He's the one with the hats.

He does a lot more than hats.

- He's only choreographed one show.

That is the beauty of it.

He's still got something to prove.

- Well, it sounds like the decision

has already been made, Hal. - Now, why don't you meet him?

Well, we'll meet at rehearsals, I'm sure.

- Well, actually, he suggested that it might be nice

if the two of you were to get together

a little bit sooner, hmm?

He wants to teach you some of the steps, watch you move.

- He wants to audition me. - He wants to meet you.

In order to audition me.

- Look, I told him I thought it was absurd,

but you know these choreographers.

They get an idea in their heads, and--

- You offered me the part a month ago.

- Gwen, if I didn't think the two of you

were a perfect match, I would tell the guy

to go take a hike, I promise you.

There is a real sense of humor

in his work, a real joy.

But sophisticated, like Chaplin.

Like Verdon.

- Fine, I'll do it. - Thank you, Gwen.

- Don't thank me. If I don't like him,

you'll be stuck looking for a new choreographer.

Mr. Fosse? - Oh, Bobby, please.

- Oh, well. It's a pleasure.

Very nice to meet you.

- You're Joan McCracken's husband.

Do you know Joanie?

- Oh, she is one of my favorite actresses.

- Oh, yeah, she's-- she's a hoot.

- You know, I saw her in "Galileo."

- Oh, yeah, you saw that? - Every look, every gesture.

It--it all told you something about the character.

- She'll be very flattered to hear that.

Your boyfriend, uh-- he's an actor too, isn't he?

- Scott. - Yeah.

- Brady. - That's right.

Scott Brady. He's always playing a cowboy.

Yeah, I've seen him on television.

Very tall, isn't he? - Well, he's not short.

I have to admit,

I didn't see your show.

But I heard it was charming.

I didn't see yours either.

I guess that makes us even.

- You know, I didn't realize that you'd started as a dancer.

- Sure, sure. - Michael Kidd told me

that he met you out in Hollywood,

and you were on contract with MGM.

That's true.

Yeah, you asked Michael Kidd about me?

- Well, I asked a lot of people about you.

- Oh, that must have been difficult.

Uh, what's that?

Well, giving up dancing.

- I still dance a little. Yeah, a little bit.

- Well, you're not going to cast yourself

in this show, are you?

- Well, if they'd let me, I'd play your part.

You--uh, you warmed up? - Of course.

- Do you want some water or something or--

- Why don't we just get started with the audition?

- Yeah, sure. Um...

- What would you like to see me do?

- I thought I'd teach you something actually,

if that's okay.

Uh, one of the numbers from the show.

Have Richard and Jerry shown you any of the tunes yet?

- They came to my apartment three months ago

to play through the score. - Oh, yeah.

- To try to entice me to do the part.

- Oh, well, I-I was just playing around

with the big act one number, "Whatever Lola Wants."

I haven't got every piece of it figured out quite yet,

but, uh-- - What's taking you so long?

It's a seduction, the whole number.

- Clearly. - Um, Joe's here,

and there's some dialogue at the top.

Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. Drums come in.

You're already tired, so your arm drops.

That's hardly seductive.

- She's not very good at seducing.

Full rotation of the feet.

- I thought she was the world's greatest temptress.

- In her prime, but she's 172 years old.

A little long in the tooth for a temptress.

Chin down on the soutenu.

You caught that wave, that's nice.

And then, you're here.

Scoot, contract, and there. Slouch the shoulders.

- Slouch? I don't think I've ever

heard that word from a choreographer before.

- Oh, you don't want to give anything away.

Let him come to you.

- What's sexier than standing still?

The movement comes here.

Toss your glove on the cut-off.

- It's a striptease. - Now you're catching on.

Next verse is the same. Pulse on the first eight bars.

And--

They're not going to let you do this, you know.

- George, Hal, the audience, critics.

You can't do a striptease on Broadway.

You think it's vulgar?

The other glove goes. Yeah.

And now, we're onto the bridge. Start to undo your skirt, and--

Six, seven, eight.

Drop.

Where'd you learn that?

- I was dancing burlesque houses when I was 14.

- Huh. One, two, three--

I was 13. One, two, three--

- I played the Florentine Gardens.

- That's fancy. - Oh, and it was.

Peanut shells on the floor and everything.

I don't mean to brag,

but I headlined at the Cave of Winds.

- You did not. - Yeah.

What about your mother?

She didn't mind you dancing in those places?

- Oh, no, no, my mother always encouraged me.

- Your father? - My father was...

less encouraging. Your parents?

- Oh, they didn't care where I was dancing

as long as I brought money home, boo-hoo.

Should we go back? - Let's go on.

- Uh, leg up, and back to Joe, and one, two, three, four,

five, arms, seven.

Left, right, left, right-- what's that?

- She had an itch. She had to scratch it.

- You're already adding steps? - I'm already making it better.

- Would you do that with Jack Cole?

I asked about you, too.

Jack Cole always appreciated

my suggestions for improvements.

- That's not his reputation. - Oh, sometimes, he might yell,

or throw something. A hat, a shoe, a chair.

- Why didn't you leave? - And go where?

What comes next?

Um, next part.