Bob Fosse’s ‘Dancin’ confirms Broadway return this spring

NEW YORK (AP) — Bob Fosse’s all-singing, all-dancing 1978 revue “Dancin’” is headin’ back to Broadway and the late choreographer’s daughter calls “a magic carpet ride.”

“Everything is in it,” Nicole Fosse tells The Associated Press. “It’s got politics, childlike humor, history, romance. My father knew that people go to the theater to learn but also to be entertained. He never forgot you have to keep an audience entertained.”

The newly named “Bob Fosse’s ‘Dancin’’” is not an easy show to revive, in large part because there is no book and no recording. It’s a series of unconnected dance pieces with a few big scenes pushing 16 dancers to the limit. “From the opening number, you’re taken on a magic carpet ride through the human experience,” says Fosse.

Performances begin March 2, 2023, at the Music Box Theatre, with an opening night set for March 19. The revival had a test run last spring at The Old Globe in San Diego, California.

The revival will be under the direction and musical staging of Wayne Cilento, one of the original stars of the show who was nominated for a Tony Award for the role.

Choreography input also has been offered from Christine Colby Jacques, who as an understudy in the original, meaning she learned all the parts and whose recall was “invaluable,” says Fosse. The show has been “refreshed” to bring it up to date and producers call it “120 minutes of wall-to-wall dance.”

“Dancin’” originally had a four-year run from 1978 to 1982 and won two Tony Awards, including best choreography. It has dances set to songs from a variety of sources, including Neil Diamond, Dolly Parton, Jerry Jeff Walker and John Philip Sousa.

Fosse was the exacting mind behind the angular movements and bowler hats of “Chicago,” the brutally autobiographical “All That Jazz” and the dark punch of the film “Cabaret.”

The revival coincides with new interest in the choreographer and filmmaker, whose life was revealed the 2019 FX series “Fosse/Verdon.”

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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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