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:

Segway Scooter Dance Video Sort Of Rescues Justin Bieber Mess

Justin Bieber's new song predictably sucks, but
at least somebody made a cool dance video based
on the song.  

I don't like Justin Bieber's new song, "What Do You Mean."

Typical boring, pop fluff that's totally uninteresting. I expect nothing less from Bieber.

However a choreographer named David Moore has put together a performance by five dancers atop self-balancing Segways that at least created a fun, interesting video from Bieber's "What Do You Mean" mess.

It's worth the watch:

The Film Flop "Newsies" Channeled "Uptown Funk" 20 Years Before Bruno Mars Released It

The 1992 musical "Newsies" channeled the
2014 song "Uptown Funk" 

The way, way overplayed but still very fun song "Uptown Funk" by Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson came out in 2014. It was and is a HUGE hit and continues to inspire parodies, tributes and videos.

The film "Newsies" came out in 1992. A Disney box office flop, it was about newsboys going on strike in 1899.

However, somebody matched a dance scene from Newsies and a segment of Uptown Funk.

It seems Newsies anticipated Uptown Funk, even when Bruno Mars was only seven years old when the movie came out.

Watch the video and see for yourself.