Works Cited

My references can be found here.

Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon

Gwen Verdon was Fosse's third wife; they were married in 1960 and separated in 1971, but never divorced and remained close. They have one daughter together, Nicole. Verdon and Fosse's professional collaborations were some of the most important projects of both of their lives; Verdon was a star in her own right, but she and Fosse meshed perfectly. Major works together include: Damn Yankees, New Girl In Town, Redhead, Sweet Charity, and Chicago. After Fosse's death, Verdon was involved in preserving Fosse's choreography until her death in 2000. Despite Fosse's many infidelities, the two stayed great friends; Verdon even became close friends with Ann Reinking, one of Fosse's most involved affairs during his marriage to Verdon. When watching Verdon and Fosse dance together, it is clear how well they connect. In the film version of Damn Yankees, Fosse danced Who's Got The Pain With Her, and they move perfectly together.

An (abridged) List of Fosse and his Ladies

Bob Fosse was a womanizer from the time he was in high school; as a teenager, he started becoming involved with older women while he performed at nightclubs. As noted in Broadway, the Golden Years: Jerome Robbins and the Great Choreographer-Directors, 1940-Present, Fosse was named in the divorce suit between a waitress in her thirties and her husband, a serviceman in World War II. While he was overseas, the waitress had an affair with Fosse; he was fifteen at the time. As he got older, his behavior did not change. Some of the many women Fosse had in his life were important, in some capacity, to the theatre world, so they are worth mentioning here.

• Mary Ann Niles: Fosse's first wife, the two met on the national tour of Call Me Mister in 1947. They started a "Fosse and Niles" dance act, and were married for two years.
• Joan McCracken: Fosse's second wife, they met while he was married to Niles. She encouraged him to broaden his horizons, take acting classes, and he was soon chosen soon after to understudy the lead role in Pal Joey on Broadway. She also helped to secure him his choreography job on Pajama Game.
• Gwen Verdon: Fosse's third wife and a major collaborator in his work; she's so influential, their relationship is getting a separate post. 
• Ann Reinking: One of Fosse's major girlfriends, and an exemplary Fosse-style dancer. In All That Jazz, the semi-autobiographical movie Fosse made in 1979, she essentially plays herself.
• Other women of note: Jessica Lange, Julie Hagerty, and Ilse Schwarzwald

Fun Facts

• The third movie Fosse was ever in, the film version of Kiss Me Kate in 1953, is responsible in many ways for launching his career. He was able to choreograph a very short segment for himself and Carol Haney to perform, and this performance is what Jerome Robbins based his recommendation for Fosse to choreograph Pajama Game on. 

• In 1973, Fosse appeared in the film adaptation of The Little Prince. If you've ever seen a certain King of Pop dance, this dance may seem familiar...a perfect example of Fosse's far-reaching influence! 

• Also in 1973, Fosse became the first person to achieve the "Triple Crown"-winning an Oscar, Tony, and Emmy-in a year. He won the Oscar for Best Director for Cabaret, the Tonys for Best Director and Best Choreographer for Pippin, and the Emmys for Outstanding Achievement in Choreographer and Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy, Variety, or Music for Liza with a Z.

Life is a Cabaret!

One of the most important projects in Fosse's life was his direction and choreography for the film adaptation of Cabaret. Fosse made Liza Minnelli a star from this movie, and they established a long-lasting professional relationship. One of the incredible things about this film is that it is completely seamless between songs and scenes. Fosse is known for this ability in his movie direction. His films almost feel like documentaries at times; he manages to make them very intimate, despite the fact that the audience is not in the room with the actors. Another notable element of this movie is the iconic choreography and the expressiveness of the dancers. Fosse was excellent at drawing out exactly what he wanted from his actors, and Cabaret exemplifies this with the Kit Kat dancers. Their movements, facial expressions, and intensity are classic Fosse elements. The video above is Mein Herr, a song which showcases both Liza Minnelli and the ensemble.

Bob Fosse's Jazz Revolution

"Bob Fosse's Jazz Revolution", an article in Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches, gives an overview of the significance of Fosse's career. The major highlights of his work are introduced, and basic biographic information is included. There are also detailed descriptions of particular steps he used and methods he would use for teaching dancers. The author, Cheryl Mrozowski, argues that Fosse's unique style reflected the changing culture he was living in. She notes that his work has had vast influence on dance and theatre, and says he redefined the way musical theatre is choreographed. 


Article: http://muse.jhu.edu/books/9780813048741/9780813048741-23.pdf

Personal Significance

As an aspiring choreographer and a lifelong dancer, Bob Fosse is an incredibly important figure to me. His work was innovative and exciting, and it still is today, 28 years after his death. His choreography has not lost its sparkle over time, which happens often when dances become "dated"; Fosse is not dated, he created his own style that is still utilized now. I also find him inspiring because he created incredible art while also struggling with mental health issues. Fosse felt, a large portion of the time, that everyone was against him. He felt untalented and disliked. I do not personally struggle with depression, but it is beautiful to see how he could use dance to express himself. Finally, on a very different note, I learned Fosse's choreography for Steam Heat when I was 12 years old, and my love for him has continued ever since.

Critical Reception

Fosse, like all artists, had good reviews and bad reviews. For the most part, he was appreciated in his time, and certainly has been appreciated for his lasting legacy even more by theatre scholars. The majority of negative reception of Fosse's work was due to the controversial elements present in his choreography. He pushed the envelope, and it did not always go over well. His direction and choreography for the original Broadway production of Pippin, though, seems to have been received very positively. Clive Barnes, who wrote the New York Times review accessed through the link below, strongly disliked the premise and music for the show, but loved Fosse's contributions: "Mr. Fosse has achieved complete continuity between his staging and his choreography, and his dances themselves have art and imagination."

New York Times Review: http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/theater/Pippin.pdf

Historical Significance of Fosse's Work

Fosse paved the way for modern choreography that pushes boundaries and challenges convention. One of the main reasons Fosse began to direct as well as choreograph was to have full artistic freedom. While he was a widely respected and sought-after choreographer, directors consistently asked him to alter the controversial parts of his dances. Fosse was a known womanizer, married three times, and his choreography reflected this part of his personality in a lot of ways. His choreography was sexual in a more obvious, authentic way than other choreography of the time. Not only were his dancers executing provocative steps, they were doing so unashamedly and, quite often, in a dark context. Fosse did not shy away from any facet of the human experience, and it made people uncomfortable. However, this dialogue surrounding his work, combined with the sheer brilliance of his choreography, has made him unforgettable.

Fosse also revolutionized the way movie musicals are made. He directed and choreographed the film versions of Sweet Charity and Cabaret, in addition to choreographing for many other films. As discussed in Robert Emmet Long's book Broadway, The Golden Years: Jerome Robbins and the great Choreographer-Directors, 1940-Present, Fosse was so concerned with storytelling that the scenes in his movies seem almost transition-less. These movie musicals feel like live theatre because of his direction, which is a huge change from prior films. Hey Big Spender, an iconic number in Sweet Charity, is a good example of how he translated his work from stage to screen.

The Unique Style of Fosse

Fosse's choreography was revolutionary, risqué, and, often, controversial during his time. While he was a dancer himself, he was not classically trained and lacked a lot of advanced technique. As noted by Cheryl Mrozowski in "Bob Fosse's Jazz Revolution", Fosse refused to choreograph beyond what he could actually do as a dancer. This limitation, though, helped him to be more innovative and imaginative with his steps. All of Fosse's most identifiable dances share similar qualities: unusual postures, turned-in feet, hip thrusts, chug steps, etc., etc. Above all, Fosse was concerned with communicating a story. One of his most iconic numbers is also one of his earliest: Steam Heat, from Pajama Game. The video below shows this dance in the 1957 film version of Pajama Game, which Fosse also choreographed.

Fosse's Background

Bob Fosse (June 23, 1927-September 23, 1987) was one of the most influential choreographers of all time, and his influence is far-reaching and still evident today. As a teenager, he performed in night clubs often, and joined his first national tour of a musical at age 19. Fosse performed in dance acts, musical revues, and eventually performed the leading role in Pal Joey during a national tour after understudying the role in the 1952 Broadway revival. Fosse's big break as a choreographer, though, came when Pajama Game opened on Broadway in 1954.

Fosse was chosen to choreograph Pajama Game through the help of influential people who recognized his talent early on: his second wife, Joan McCracken, and Jerome Robbins, the choreographer. McCracken was a Broadway actress who knew George Abbott well; when she heard that Abbott was directing and co-writing a new musical, she promoted her husband to him constantly. The creative team for Pajama Game was unsure about hiring a newcomer like Fosse, but Jerome Robbins (who was originally asked to choreograph) was familiar with Fosse's work, and persuaded them to give him a chance. Robbins even agreed to be their backup if Fosse did not end up working out. The rest is history: Pajama Game won Fosse his first Tony award for choreography, and helped him significantly on his way to becoming a household name.

The list of musicals and movies that Fosse has choreographed, directed, or performed in is nearly endless. He was a prolific artist with an incredibly distinct style. Some of his most notable credits include: Damn Yankees (choreographer), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (choreographer), Sweet Charity (director, choreographer), Pippin (director, choreographer), Chicago (co-writer, choreographer), and the film version of Cabaret (director, choreographer).