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You can only see “Fosse and Verdon, The Duet That Changed Broadway” on Holland America Line’s Koningsdam.<\/span><\/p>\n Holland America Line<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n If the waves of the Pacific seem to be rolling with a more syncopated style this week, it\u2019s likely the result of the Fosse\/Verdon effect. Holland America Line debuted its Tony-worthy new live show, Fosse and Verdon, The Duet That Changed Broadway<\/em>, last Friday night and all I can say after seeing it is, \u201c\u2019Dam<\/a>.\u201d Koningsdam, that is.<\/p>\n Koningsdam is the first ship to offer this exclusive Holland America Line production which is unlike anything you\u2019ve experienced, especially on a ship. Both the talent and the production values are exceptional and will dispel any stereotypes about the quality of cruise ship entertainment. I have never seen so many people line up for a cruise show and continue to rave about it days later. Both performances were standing room only and those who missed it were definitely experiencing FOMO. It is, hands down, the best show I\u2019ve ever seen on a ship.<\/p>\n Fosse and Verdon, The Duet That Changed Broadway<\/em> is a unique partnership between Holland America Line<\/a> and RWS Global<\/a>, in conjunction with The Verdon Fosse Legacy<\/a>. It\u2019s 45 minutes of incredible dancing and singing accompanied by archival footage, personal letters and never-before-seen photos projected onto a 270-degree surround screen so you are completely immersed in the stunning world of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon. It\u2019s simply a joy to watch and, because it\u2019s so personal, it\u2019s surprisingly moving. My husband, who is not a musical theater guy, asked when we could see it again.<\/p>\n I got to spend a few minutes talking to Noah Fosse, grandson of the legendary couple, and Craig Laurie, Chief Creative Officer at RWS Global, both of whom were onboard for opening night. Their enthusiasm and passion for this project are evident not just in every detail of the show but also in the way they speak about it.<\/p>\n \u201cThe opening scene just chokes me up,\u201d admitted Fosse, and it\u2019s easy to see why. Without giving too much away, it\u2019s archival footage of his grandparents at an awards show and it makes them so real and so relatable, it\u2019s impossible not to be immediately invested in everything that happens next. It also makes you feel like they\u2019re really in the room with you \u2014 something the show does extraordinarily well.<\/p>\n Fosse and Verdon, The Duet That Changed Broadway is full of magical dance numbers.<\/span><\/p>\n Holland America Line<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n What the show also does really well is let Verdon shine. Although she started out as the more famous of the pair, winning four Tony awards, it\u2019s Fosse that became a household name. Fosse and Verdon<\/em> makes it clear that there would have been no Chicago <\/em>without Verdon\u2019s insistence and that, together, the two stars were even greater than the sum of their parts.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone says \u2018Fosse, Fosse, Fosse\u2019 but there is no Bob without Gwen,\u201d said Fosse. \u201cThat\u2019s the takeaway.\u201d Fosse never got to know his grandfather, who died before he was born, but he talks about his grandmother with so much love \u2014 \u201cWe were pals.\u201d \u2014 and this show is a way for him to ensure she gets the credit she deserves.<\/p>\n The whole project came to life after Fosse sent Laurie a message on LinkedIn to congratulate him on a recent acquisition and mention that he\u2019s always looking for opportunities to keep his grandparents\u2019 legacy alive.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, when I saw his last name, I started Googling Noah like crazy to make sure he was real!\u201d laughed Laurie. \u201cNicole, Noah\u2019s mom, is well known in the industry and when I met with the two of them, there was an instant connection and sense of trust. I started dreaming up things we could do with the brand and I knew we could do something pretty spectacular on a cruise ship.\u201d<\/p>\n Laurie had been working with Holland America Line since 2012, bringing venues like the Rolling Stone Lounge and Lincoln Center Stage to life, and he knew that they would be the right partner and that their guests would welcome a Broadway-quality show that would entertain and educate at the same time.<\/p>\n Poster for “Fosse and Verdon: The Duet That Changed Broadway” on board Holland America Line’s Koningsdam.<\/span><\/p>\n Lois Alter Mark<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n \u201cI wanted it to be a theatrical documentary and show how Gwen and Bob completed each other both professionally and personally,\u201d said Laurie. \u201cThe first thing Noah had said to me was, \u2018I don\u2019t want my grandparents to be forgotten. We may always know the tunes from Chicago<\/em> and Cabaret <\/em>but I want everyone to also know the real people behind them.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n This was easy to do because Nicole Fosse\u2019s attic was filled with her parents\u2019 handwritten letters to each other, notebooks with Fosse\u2019s handwritten choreography for Pippin<\/em>, the original clapper from Cabaret<\/em>, tons of personal photos and all their awards. Being able to include some of these items in the show makes it a really intimate and authentic experience.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are very selective in what we do and how we do it in order to maintain authenticity in the artistic form,\u201d said Fosse. \u201cSomething we combat constantly is how influential the choreography was to pop culture but how far off base a lot of that actually is. I want people to understand that it\u2019s not all bowler hats and turned in feet.\u201d<\/p>\n That artistic authenticity is so important that the dancers had to audition specifically for this show and were trained by The Verdon Fosse Legacy in professional, closed door, invitation only workshops. It feels safe to say they are the most Broadway-qualified repertory company on the sea.<\/p>\n Do not miss Fosse and Verdon, The Duet That Changed Broadway on Holland America Line’s Konigsdam.<\/span><\/p>\n Holland America Line<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Although, for now, they will only be performing Fosse and Verdon, The Duet That Changed Broadway<\/em> one night (two performances) per cruise (something I hope Holland America will reconsider so more people can see it or re-see it because there\u2019s so much more to look at and take in than just the eye-popping dance numbers), the company will be doing a handful of other shows on each one, as well.<\/p>\n