Bob Fosse

Fosse Was Born

Jun 23, 1927

-Cyril & Sara Fosse -Named Robert Louis Fosse -Chicago, Illinois

Graduated High School

Jun 10, 1945

-Enlisted in the Navy -Moved to NYC to pursue dance

Marriage #1

Oct 10, 1949

-Mary Anne Niles -Dance partner -Divorced in 1951

Marriage #2

Oct 10, 1951

-Married Joan McCracken -Divorced 1959

Kiss Me Kate

Nov 26, 1953

-Fosse's 1st film appearance -MGM film, movie musical -Held brief Broadway Chorus roles before -Caught the eye of Broadway director George Abbott & Choreographer Jerome Robbins

The Pajama Game

May 13, 1954

-Fosse's 1st time Choreographing -Directed by George Abbott -Fosse's signature style incorporated complex moves and imagery drawn from vaudeville -He often dressed his dancers in black and put them in white gloves and derbies, recalling the image of Charlie Chaplin -Earned him his 1st Tony Award

Damn Yankees

May 5, 1955

-Gwen Verdon starred -Used her as inspiration -Verdon won 1st Tony -People thought his style was too controversial

New Girl in Town

May 4, 1957

-Gwen Verdon starred -Verdon won 2nd Tony -Directed by Abbott

Redhead

Mar 19, 1960

-Fosse directed & choreographed -Gwen Verdon starred -Won Tonys for Best Lead Actress, Lead Actor, Choreography, Musical, and Costume Design

Marriage #3

Oct 10, 1960

-Gwen Verdon -Broadway star -Stayed married until his death

Fosse's Daughter Born

Mar 3, 1963

-Nicole Providence Fosse -Kristine in "A Chorus Line" movie -Dancer in "All that Jazz"

Sweet Charity

Jan 27, 1966

-Choreographed & Directed -Gwen Verdon starred -Won Tony for Best Choreography -Directed movie in 1969

Cabaret

Feb 13, 1972

-Directed the movie -Starring Liza Minelli -Won 8 Academy Awards

Liza with a Z

Sep 10, 1972

-Choreographed a variety show special for NBC starring Liza Minnelli

• Won an Emmy Award and made him the first person to ever win top honors in three entertainment mediums — stage, film, and television.

Pippin

Oct 23, 1972

-Directed & Choreographed -Fought with Stephen Shwartz over artistic vision -Manson Trio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1cZRnQ5ftg -highest earning Broadway show in history at that time -1st to advertise with television -Won 5 Tonys

Chicago

Jun 3, 1975

-Directed, Choreographed, & helped write the book -Suffered a heart attack during rehearsals

All that Jazz

Dec 20, 1979

-Semiautobiographical dance film -2 films followed

Fosse's Death

Sep 23, 1987

-After a rehearsal for the revival of “Sweet Charity,” Fosse suffered a massive heart attack and died on the way to the hospital -Jazz hands, top hats, canes, pulsed hips, vaudville humor -- "The time to sing is when your emotional level is too high to just speak anymore, and the time to dance is when your emotions are just too strong to only sing about how you 'feel.'"