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Bob Fosse

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Bob Fosse, early promotional image.

Robert Louis Fosse (June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was a musical theater choreographer and director. He won an unprecedented eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction.

Fosse was born in Chicago to a Norwegian family, the youngest of six children. After graduating from high school, he teamed up with Charles Grass, another young dancer, and began a collaboration under the appellation The Riff Brothers. They toured theatres throughout the Chicago area. Ever ambitious, Fosse moved on and began working as an emcee at a series of small nightspots. It was at one of those establishments that he choreographed his first number, involving four girls manipulating ostrich fans to the music of Cole Porter.

Eventually Fosse was hired for the show Tough Situation, which toured military and naval bases in the Pacific. He later said he "perfected his technique as a performer, choreographer, and director while serving his tour of duty".

Fosse moved to Hollywood with the ambition of being the next Fred Astaire. His early screen appearances included Give A Girl A Break, The Affairs of Dobie Gillis and Kiss Me, Kate, all released in 1953. It was a short sequence that he choreographed in the last that brought him to the attention of Broadway producers.

Although Fosse's career in film was cut short by premature balding, which limited the roles he could take, his move from Hollywood to theatre was somewhat reluctant. In 1954, he choreographed his first musical, The Pajama Game, followed by Damn Yankees in 1955. It was while he was working on the latter show that he first met Gwen Verdon.

Bob Fosse, later years.

Fosse developed a jazz dance style that was immediately recognizable, exuding a stylized, cynical sexuality. Other notable distinctions were his inward knees, rounded shoulders and body isolations.

With Fred Astaire as an influence, he used props such as bowler hats, canes and chairs. His trademark use of hats was influenced by his own self-consciousness. He used gloves in his performances because he did not like his hands. His dance routines are intense and specific, yet had a simplicity to them.

Some of his most popular numbers include "Steam Heat" from The Pajama Game and "Hey Big Spender" from Sweet Charity. The filmed routines in Cabaret (1972) are particularly characteristic of his style, the vulgar energy of vaudeville and burlesque updated and coolly contained within a slick, knowing sophistication.

In 1986 he directed and choreographed the Broadway production Big Deal, which he also wrote.

Fosse earned many awards for his works. Among them were a Tony Award for Pippin, the Academy Award for Directing for Cabaret and an Emmy Award for Liza with a Z. He was the first person to win these three most important awards in the same year.

In 2001, Fosse was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer with Ann Reinking for Fosse at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

His musical All That Jazz (1979) won the Palme d'Or. It is an uncompromising, semi-autobiographical fantasy that portrays a chain-smoking choreographer being driven by his A-type personality.

Bob Fosse died from a heart attack at the age of 60.

Bob Fosse was first married to fellow dancer Marian Niles, then to dancer Joan McCracken from 1951 to 1959, and then married dancer Gwen Verdon in 1960. They had one daughter, Nicole Providence Fosse, who is also a dancer like her parents.

There was a resurgence of interest in Fosse's work following revivals of his stage shows and the film release of Chicago (2002). Rob Marshall's choreography for the film emulates the Fosse style but avoids using specific moves from the original. In 1999 the stage show Fosse itself won a Tony Award for Best Musical.

Contents

[edit] Film direction and choreography

[edit] Theatre staging, directing, and choreographing

Image:Dancin'playbill.jpg

[edit] Acting

Theater

Film

[edit] Trivia

  • Fosse said of himself in an interview, "My friends know that to me happiness is when I am merely miserable and not suicidal."
  • Fosse danced as 'The Snake' in the film musical adaptation of The Little Prince.
  • While working at MGM, Fosse would sneak behind the scenes of the film "The Band Wagon" on his breaks to watch Fred Astaire and learn his dance moves.
  • Fosse and wife Verdon both studied under the famous acting instructor Sanford Meisner.
  • Fosse at one time dated Bette Midler.
  • Fosse wanted to make a film version of Chicago starring Madonna.
  • Fosse was pigeon-toed.
Preceded by:
William Friedkin
for The French Connection 		Academy Award for Best Director
1972
for Cabaret 		Succeeded by:
George Roy Hill
for The Sting

[edit] External links

[edit] References

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