On Thursdays this month the Music Division hosts Fraudway in the Mary Pickford Theater. Inspired by the outrageous production numbers in such ‘80s films as The Fan and Staying Alive (which screens Jan. 24), the series celebrates the often bizarre and always dazzling cinematic spectacles that imagine a Great White Way that can only exist on film. With a selection of much-loved classics and seldom-revived flops, we explore the breadth of the Library’s vast film holdings to give audiences something beyond the usual repertory fare. The series gets off to a razzle-dazzle start this week with Bob Fosse’s semi-autobiographical 1979 classic All That Jazz, with Roy Scheider starring as a thinly disguised version of Fosse himself, and featuring hallucinatory production numbers that use the language of cinema to ramp up the choreographer’s signature shine.
Get free tickets to all shows from Eventbrite. Doors open 30 minutes before screening. Seating is very limited, but standbys are encouraged to line up starting at 6:30 p.m. In the event of a sellout, unclaimed seats will be released to standbys five minutes before show time. For information, call 202-707-5502. Learn more about the Library of Congress’ concert season here.
Here’s the complete series lineup:
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019 at 7 PM
ALL THAT JAZZ | 123 mins.
Bob Fosse, Director
Starring Roy Scheider as Joe Gideon, a character loosely based on the life of
director Bob Fosse, All That Jazz is a no-holds-barred movie musical that captures the
darker side of Broadway.
Rated R (No one age 17 or under will be admitted to R-rated films without a parent .)
THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019 at 7 PM
GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 | 97 mins.
Mervyn LeRoy, Director
Where else can you hear Ginger Rogers sing “We’re in the Money” in Pig Latin?
See what it takes to write and produce a fake show in the 1930s.
Rated PG
THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019 at 7 PM
STAYING ALIVE | 93 mins.
Sylvester Stallone, Director
This sequel to Saturday Night Fever flopped despite the best efforts of John Travolta
and director Sylvester Stallone, but Frank Stallone’s song “Far From Over” was nominated
for a Golden Globe for best original song, and there are other moments to treasure in
this unusual film.
Rated PG
THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019 at 7 PM
STEPPING OUT | 106 mins.
Lewis Gilbert, Director
Stepping Out could have been a career-revitalizer for its star Liza Minnelli, but the film
about a crew of tap-dancing misfits never took off. Now is your chance to see actors
like Jane Krakowski and Ellen Greene “step out” in a toe-tapping musical comedy you
may have missed in 1991.
Rated PG