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Birth of a Legend
Bob Fosse was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 23, 1927. He began dancing as a child, and his family enrolled him in formal lessons. He was quickly deemed a child prodigy. He began dancing in vaudeville shows as during his childhood, and was dancing professionally by high school in burlesque shows and night clubs. -
Military Life and First Wife (NO DAY OR MONTH)
Fosse enlisted in the military after graduating from Amundsen High School in Chicago. Shortly after his arrival at boot camp, World War II ended. He still finished his two year enlistment before moving to New York City. After WWII, Fosse married his first wife Mary Ann Niles, and together they performed in nightclubs, as well as in TV and stage musicals. -
Kiss Me Kate Released
Bob Fosse got his first big Hollywood break when he appeared in the Kiss Me Kate movie. After Kiss Me Kate, Fosse signed a contract with MGM studios and appeared in three movie musicals. He also married his second wife, Joan McCracken, at this time. -
The Pajama Game Opens on Broadway
The Pajama Game was the first show Fosse choreographed on his own. Fosse was awarded his first Tony Award for Best Choreography for this show. His suggestive choreography, going back to his early vaudville and burlesque days, as well as dancers dressed in black wearing white gloves, became some of this signature themes. -
Marriage with Gwen Verdon (NO DAY OR MONTH)
Fosee met Gwen Verdon during Damn Yankees, Fosse's second Tony Award winning show after The Pajama Game. Verdon was a leading dancer in the show. The two were wed in 1960 and had a daughter named Nicole. -
Sweet Charity Opens on Broadway
Fosse crafted the musical Sweet Charity speciffically for his wife Gwen Verdon in 1966, and in 1969 it was turned into a movie. This was Fosse's first time at directing his own motion picture. -
Pippin Opens on Broadway
1972, the year Pippin opened on Broadway, was perhaps one of the most successful years of Fosse's career. Pippin quickly became the highest earning Broadway show in history, as well as the first Broadway musical to advertise on television. This show would also go on to earn Fosse Tony awards for Best Director and Best Choreography. 1972 was also the year Fosse brought Cabaret to the big screen. Cabaret won eight Oscars. The same year Fosse won 3 Emmy's for his Tv concert Liza with a Z. -
Chicago Opens on Broadway
In 1975, Fosse brought his next hit musical, Chicago, to the stage. It ran on Broadway for two years before going on tour. During rehearsals for Chicago, Fosse suffered a heart attack. His semiautobiographical dance film, All That Jazz, was based on such experiences. All That Jazz eventually went on to recieve nine Oscar nominations. -
Big Deal Opens on Broadway
In 1986, Fosse directed his final musical, Big Deal. Unfortunately, Big Deal did not turn out to be as big of a deal as Fosse hoped, because the show closed after only 69 performances on Broadway. However, the show did receive five Tony Award nominations. -
Heart Attack
On June 23, 1987 Bob Fosse died from a heart attack. He collapsed at a rehearsal of the revival of Sweet Charity, and died at 7:23 pm that evening. Though he only lived to be 60 years old, he changed the way the entire world looked at dance on stage and in the film industry. One of the quotes that best sums up his successful career states, "Live like you'll die tomorrow, work like you don't need the money, and dance like nobody's watching." -
Works Cited
- "Bob Fosse." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.
- "Bob Fosse." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2014.
- Zaremba, DFernando. "Fosse" Fosse.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2014.
- "Tony Awards Facts & Trivia." TonyAwards.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2014.
- "Advanced Show Search." Advanced Show Search | IBDB: The Official Source for Broadway Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
