Performers clad in skimpy, black leotards shake their jazz handsas they dance like the Tiger Band’s Golden Girls and fill theLSU Union Theater with their voices—”Fosse” hastaken stage.
The Lively Arts Committee and Networks Productions presented theshow Friday night.
Networks Productions, a national theatrical production company,supplied the performers and technicians for the one-night show,said Rhonda Dunaway, Lively Arts Committee adviser.
“It’s pretty special that they’re here,”said Katie Bayer, a sophomore theater major.
Dunaway said Bob Fosse is one of the most respected Americandancers, directors and choreographers.
Dunaway said Fosse was the creator of “Chicago,””Cabaret,” “All that Jazz” and “halfthe moves you see” in modern dance.
“It looked great,” said Aisha Thomas, a politicalscience senior and Lively Arts Committee member. “It lookedreally sexy.”
The show has been popular since Bob Fosse died in 1987, Bayersaid.
“Fosse” won the Tony Award in 1999 for best musical,Dunaway said.
Gwen Verdon and Ann Reiking, Fosse’s two favorite dancers,created the show after his death. They collaborated his best worksinto “Fosse,” a tribute and showcase of thechoreographer’s work, Dunaway said.
“The company and cast all go on a bus,” Dunawaysaid. “These people do a different city every night, allyear,” just performing “Fosse.”
The theater group brought everything and everyone with them,from the technicians to the orchestra, said Rex Morris, thetheater’s house manager.
“‘Fosse’ is a top-notch show,” Morrissaid. “A lot of them have canned music, while this show has alive orchestra.”
Dunaway said the live orchestra was unusual, but it wasgreat.
“Each musician was showcased,” Dunaway said.
The show was “really high quality, very similar toBroadway quality,” with “high caliber dancing”and music that received an immediate standing ovation, Dunawaysaid.
The union theater holds 1,257 people and “Fosse” hadonly about 20 empty seats Friday night, Dunaway said.
“One of our goals is to get more students to buy seasontickets,” Dunaway said. Over 50 percent of season ticketswent to faculty, staff and union members. Students only bought 19percent of the union theater’s season tickets this year,according to Dunaway.
Union Theater productions usually cost about $50 for the publicand $20 for students. Dunaway said Broadway shows usually runaround $75 per ticket, so LSU students should take advantage ofthis opportunity.
The Union Theater hosts “Rent” next week, along with”Smoky Joe’s Café” in January and”Late Night Catechism” in April.
The Lively Arts Committee is part of the Union Program Council,an organization that makes fun events happen at LSU, said StephanTaylor, a public relations freshman and Lively Arts Committeemember.
The Lively Arts committee works to decide programming for unionperformances, Dunaway said. More than 300 events happenannually.
The student committee surveys audiences annually, and bringsthem the shows they want, said Simisola Iledare, an accountingsenior and Lively Acts Committee member.
“We want to give the patrons and students what theywant,” Thomas said.
The Lively Arts Committee “can give studentsopportunities” to see and be seen in performance theater,Iledare said, by bringing plays, musicals and the occasionalstudent production to the Union Theater.
To find more information about LSU Union events, go towww.lsu.edu/union.