Facts about Bob Fosse
Bob Fosse Biography
As a choreographer, Bob Fosse changed the course of Broadway musicals with his distinctively slinky, sexy style of dancing in shows like Damn Yankees (1955) and Sweet Charity (1966).
Then Fosse developed into a multimedia triple threat: in 1973 he won an Academy Award for directing the movie Cabaret (which also won a best actress Oscar for Liza Minnelli), three Emmy awards for directing, producing and choreographing Minelli’s TV special Liza With a Z, and two Tony Awards for directing and choreographing the Broadway show Pippin. That feat is, so far, unmatched.
Bob Fosse’s other hit Broadway shows included Chicago (1975) and Dancin’ (1978). Fosse was married three times, most famously to his dance partner Gwen Verdon, and was also famous for his extramarital womanizing and freewheeling lifestyle. He told his own story in the semi-autobiographical movie All That Jazz (1979). A 1998 revue, Fosse, collected his most famous dance works into one show.
Extra credit
Bob Fosse died of a heart attack in Washington D.C. during the run of a revival of his 1965 show Sweet Charity… A 2002 film version of Chicago won the Academy Award as the year’s best picture; it was directed by Rob Marshall and starred Renee Zellweger as Roxie Hart, the role originated by Gwen Verdon… Bob Fosse was played by Sam Rockwell in the 2019 cable series Fosse/Verdon. Michelle Williams played Verdon.