Gwen Verdon Biography

Gwen Verdon was considered Broadway’s best dancer in the 1950s and 1960s, when she starred in hit shows like Damn Yankees (1955) andSweet Charity (1966).

Known especially for her impudent verve and flaming red hair, Gwen Verdon won four Tony awards during the 1950s and was nominated twice more after that. Among her best-known roles were the seductive Lola in Damn Yankees and the title role of a lovable dance hall hostess in Sweet Charity.

Gwen Verdon had a lengthy, stormy marriage to director and choreographer Bob Fosse; their relationship was depicted in part in his movie All That Jazz (1979). Her last major Broadway role was that of Roxie Hart in Fosse’s 1975 musical Chicago. In later years, Verdon had roles in various movies and made guest appearances on many TV series.