Bob Fosse : 1927 - 1987

One of musical theater's greatest choreographers and directors, Bob Fosse began his career as a hoofer in vaudeville and an emcee in strip clubs where he could closely observe the sleaze that became part of his style. He went on to direct and choreograph well known plays and films such as The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Pippin, Cabaret and his (mostly) autobiography All That Jazz.

In most of his pieces, Fosse, or those dancing his choreography, would wear a hat and gloves. Fosse always wore hats because he started going bald at the age of 17. He used gloves a lot because he didn't like his hands.

In 1954, Fosse's staging of Steam Heat was the talk of New York, and The Pajama Game became a huge hit. From 1954 onward, he was the toast of both Broadway and Hollywood, until his death in 1987.

Some pithy quotes attributed to Bob Fosse :

"Dance expresses joy better than anything else."

"Live like you'll die tomorrow, work like you don't need the money, and dance like nobody's watching."

"I can't make you a great dancer; I don't even know if I can make you good dancer. But if you keep trying, I know I can make you a better dancer."

"I like attractive people who aren't so terribly aware that they are attractive... people who aren't afraid to roll on the floor and make fools out of themselves." A time line of Fosse's life :

June 23, 1927
Robert Louis Fosse is born in Chicago, Illinois
1940
Tours with his own dance act : The Riff Brothers
1942
Choreographs a night-club number, in which girls manipulate strategically-placed ostrich feathers to Cole Porter's That Old Black Magic.
1944
Somewhere in here, he's in the Navy
1946
Fosse begins two years in acting school
1948
Fosse begins two years in the chorus of Call Me Mister
1949
Marries Mary Ann Niles
1950
Fosse appears on Broadway in the revue Dance Me A Song
1951
Divorces Mary Ann Niles
Marries Joan McCracken
1952
Appears on Broadway in Pal Joey
1953
Appears as Bianca's suitor, Hortensio in Kiss Me Kate, as Charlie Trask in The Affairs of Dobie Gillis and as Bob Dowdy in Give A Girl A Break
1954
Fosse Choreographs the play The Pajama Game, which was a big hit. Begins the big star part of his life.
1955
Choreographs the play Damn Yankees on Broadway. Gwen Vernon plays Lola, and is the leading lady in most of Fosse's shows thereafter. He'll marry her five years from now.
Choreographer for the film My Sister Eileen, in which he plays the part of Frank Lippencott
1956
Choreographs the play Bells Are Ringing
1957
Choreographs the play New Girl In Town
Choreographs the film The Pajama Game
1958
Choreographs the film Damn Yankees
1959
Choreographs the play Redhead
1959
Divorces Joan McCracken
1960
Marries Gwen Verdon
Choreographs the play How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
1962
Directs and choreographs the play Little Me
1963
Fathers Nicole Fosse
1969 or maybe 1966
Choreographer and overlord for the film Sweet Charity, which flops.
1972
Directs and choreographs the play Pippin
Directs and choreographs the film Cabaret
Directs and choreographs TV movie Singer Presents Liza with a Z
Wins NBR (National Board of Review) Award for Best Director for Cabaret
1973
Wins an Oscar for Best Director for Cabaret
Wins a BAFTA Film Award for Best Direction for Cabaret
Wins Bodil Award for Best Non-European Film (Bedste ikke-europæiske film) for Cabaret
Wins DGA (Directors Guild of America) Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical/Variety for Singer Presents Liza with a Z
Wins Three Emmys for directing, producing and choreographing Singer Presents Liza with a Z
1974
Appears in and choreographs the file The Little Prince
Directs a tribute to comedian Lenny Bruce, in the non-musical film Lenny
Directs and choreographs the play Liza
1975
Directs and choreographs the play Chicago
Suffers a heart attack
Separates from Gwen Verdon
1976
Appears in the documentary That's Entertainment, Part II
1977
Appears as Mr. Day in Thieves
1978
Directs and choreographs the play Dancin'
1979
Writes, directs and choreographs his own (semi) autobiography, the film All That Jazz
Wins a Golden Palm for All That Jazz
1981
Wins a Bodil Award for Best Non-European Film (Bedste ikke-europæiske film) for All That Jazz
1983
Writes and directs the film Star 80
1984
Plays himself in the documentary Sanford Meisner: The American Theatre's Best Kept Secret
1986
Writes, directs and choreographs the play Big Deal
September 23, 1987
Dies at age 60 in Washington, D.C. of a heart attack.
Widows Gwen Verdon

http://imdbpro.com http://www.nodanw.com/biographies/bob_fosse.htm http://www.loc.gov/rr/perform/special/fosse.html http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=4563

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