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).
You've discussed his influence on choreography but it would be interesting to talk about what theories and movements that he drew his choreography from.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really enjoyed discovering from this blog is how even though Fosse was not classically trained in dance, he was able to innovate to a high scale with his limited dance capabilities. I think that was one of the most remarkable things that I was able to discover. It wasn't the sense of creating through simplicity, but rather his unique style of choreography revolutionized later dancing numbers during his career. I would be interested to learn more about whether their are schools of dance that actually specialize in Fosse dance styles, just so that I can further explore how his reception is validated even in present day time.
ReplyDeleteI love that Jerome Robbins was willing to be the backup for Pajama Game if Fosse didn't work out. I think it's great that the creative team was willing to take a chance on a young choreographer with little experience- clearly it worked out! I would be interested to know how easily Fosse made the transition from choreographer to a director and what made him make this transition.
ReplyDeleteI've never actually learned much about him other than seeing his style and knowing the shows he worked on, so it was nice to read this. Did you read anything about how he came to love dancing in the first place even though he did not have formal training? Knowing how an artist came into the profession they are in is very interesting because it sometimes leads to understanding their motivations throughout their career.
ReplyDeleteThroughout your blog you present how Fosse was a great success, and I was just wondering if any of your sources mentioned any shortcomings besides his struggles with depression and a lack of formal training? What other road blocks did he face? Did he have any shows that flopped? Were there any major critics that disliked or hated his work?
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