Awesome, Odd Fosse Choreography And 1960s Cool On Video Fascinates Me

A scene from Bob Fosse's choreography of "Rich Man's Frug 

There's extra attention these days on the legendary choreographer Bob Fosse given that televised series on FX called Fosse/Verdon.

The show involves the life of Fosse and his romantic and creative partner, the dancer Gwen Verdon.

As my mind tends to wander into unexpected corners, I recently heard a snippet of the song "Rich Man's Frug" from Sweet Charity, the 1966 musical by Neil Simon and choreographed by Fosse. (It was later made into a movie released in 1969.

I was very young in the mid and late 1960s, and I always admired what to my mind were the sophisticated adults in the room. Or more accurately, not in the room, but out there in the world, somewhere. In some alluring city that was not West Rutland, Vermont, where I was.

I'd see glimpses of televised variety show performances from shows like "Sweet Charity" and others during the rapidly changing 1960s. Even as a five or seven or eight year old, I could feel the fever of that era, even if I didn't fully understand it.

These were exotic people doing exotic things in exotic times. There was precious little of that in the small Vermont town where I grew up. As an adult, I love the little town of West Rutland. Back then, not so much.

All those feelings about the worldly matters I craved came back to me when I looked up Rich Man's Frug and found this 1960s, very awesome Fosse choreography to that song from Sweet Charity. The video is simultaneously dated and so modern cool and wonderful that I can't resist.

It might be the best Fosse number I've seen. I love the odd physical movements, the fake air of snootiness on the faces of those dancers, the humor in all that athleticism.

Here's the video.  Totally worth the watch:

"Thunder From Down Under" Male Strippers Rumble With Thief, Strip Him Of Dignity

OK boys and girls, here's today's latest lesson on who not to commit a crime against:

These guys made mincemeat out
of a guy who broke into their backstage
dressing room in Las Vegas and tried
to steal their costumes.

That lesson: Don't try to rob from a troupe of male strippers.

According to the Huffington Post and Associated Press, a man tried to steal a suitcase full of custumes and props belonging to the all-male revue Thunder From Down Under.

The guys in the revue were in  --where else? --- Las Vegas for a live, very live, performance. Meanwhile, the suspect went into the dressing rooms to steal the stuff.

He was later identified as Joey Kadmiri, 24, and officials said they --surprise!--- suspect Kadmiri was under the influence of meth, says the Los Vegas Journal-Review

The dancers, saw the thief and decided to give sort of an impromptu MMF fight sort of performance.

The thief actually tried to shoot one of the cast members with a .44 caliber Magnum, but one of the dancers got the gun away from the guy.  Then the members of Thunder From Down Under beat the crap out of Kadmiri.

Think about it:  Whatever you think of members of male dance revues like Thunder From Down Under, they have to be pretty athletic and strong. Those muscles they spend hours developing at the gym are actually good for something other than to drool over.


And all that dancing must make their endurance pretty good, too.

A not so good looking Joey Kadmiri after
police said Thunder From Down Under attacked
him for stealing their props and such.  

So, getting attacked by Thunder From Down Under can't be pleasant.  Our thief had to be treated for injuries before being hauled off to jail.

From the Huffington Post/Associated Press:

"A jailhouse booking photo shows a black eye and facial bruises from the backstage scuffle. "The suspect definitely got the worst of it," Las Vegas Police Officer Laura Meltzer said.

The suspect is charged with felony attempted murder, armed robbery and burglary with a weaon, police said. If convicted, he could be in jail for decades.

And our suspect is now even less pretty than our guys from Thunder From Down Under.

Dance on, boys!!