Fabulous Friday: "Who's Sorry Now?"

The death of Connie Francis led me to this number from All That Jazz, the movie that's currently my Favorite Movie of All Time (it recently displaced the previous holders of that title, Laura and Thoroughly Modern Millie).

I've always been startled at how easily this song morphed into a waltz from the juke boxy 4/4 time signature of the Connie Francis recording. Turns out the song was written as a waltz and converted to 4/4 time in its first hit recording in 1923. So Fosse (and whoever his genius musical director was) were going back to its origins making in a waltz. The things you can learn on Wikipedia.

Genius, indescribable genius! I love how Fosse uses the clichés of a showgirl fan dance to create something spooky, witty, and still damn glamorous. My favorite moment is at 1:08 when the dancers form a circle around Joe's bed and create a frame with their fans, moving clockwise, fans moving up in the back and down in the front. I swear I've watched this on YouTube a hundred times (probably more) and that moment makes me chuckle every time.

And thank you, YouTube. for leading me to this Ed Sullivan performance of the song by Liza with a Z. She's rather understated for Liza but every dramatic moment is so perfectly articulated. I love how she savors the snideness. #savorthesnideness