Bob Fosse (1927 – 1987)

Life

Fosse was born in Uptown, Chicago, Illinois, on June 23, 1927, to Norwegian-American father Cyril Kingsley Fosse, a traveling salesman for Hershey,[2] and Irish-American mother Sarah Alice “Sadie” (née Stanton) Fosse.[3] He was the fifth of six children.[4][5][6]

He was drawn to dance and took lessons. When he was 13 years old, Fosse performed professionally in Chicago with Charles Grass as “The Riff Brothers”.[7] They toured vaudeville and movie houses in Chicago, as well as USO theaters and Eagles Clubs.[8] Many of these performances included shows at burlesque clubs such as the Silver Cloud and Cave of Winds. Fosse himself is quoted with saying, “I was sixteen years old, and I played the whole burlesque wheel.” However, many of the women and promoters did not care that Fosse was underage working in adult clubs or that he would be exposed to sexual harassment from the burlesque women. Much of the erotica he saw would inspire his future work. In 1943 at the age of 15, Fosse would come to choreograph his first dance number and earn his first full credit as a choreographer in a film, Hold Evry’thing! A Streamlined Extravaganza in Two Parts, which featured showgirls wearing strapless dresses and performing a fan dance, inspired by his time in burlesque houses.[9]

After graduating from Amundsen High School[10][11][12] in 1945, Fosse was recruited into the U.S. Navy toward the end of World War II at Naval Station Great Lakes, where he was sent to be prepared for combat. Fosse petitioned his manager, Frederick Weaver, to advocate on his behalf to his superiors after his own failed attempts to be placed in the Special Services Entertainment Division.[9] Fosse was soon placed in the variety show Tough Situation, which toured military and naval bases in the Pacific Ocean.

Marriage and Relationships

Fosse married dance partner Mary Ann Niles (1923–1987) on May 3, 1947, in Detroit.[42] In 1952, a year after he divorced Niles, he married dancer Joan McCracken in New York City;[43] they divorced in 1959.[44]

His third wife was dancer and actress Gwen Verdon, whom he met choreographing Damn Yankees, in which she starred.[45] In 1963 they had a daughter, Nicole Fosse, who later became a dancer and actress. Fosse’s extramarital affairs put a strain on the marriage and by 1971 they were separated, although they remained legally married until his death in 1987. Verdon never re-partnered.[25][46][47] During their joint career, Fosse would continually take blame from critics while Gwen Verdon would get praise, no matter how much influence Verdon had on a production. However, Verdon always looked out for him and the Fosse family image, hosting grandiose cast parties and being Fosse’s personal press secretary throughout their marriage.[9]

Fosse met dancer Ann Reinking during the run of Pippin in 1972. According to Reinking, their romantic relationship ended “toward the end of the run of Dancin'” (1978).[48] Reinking acted in his musical drama film All That Jazz, which was loosely based on Fosse’s life.[49]

Fosse also dated actresses Jessica Lange and Dyan Cannon.[50][51]

Illness and Substance Abuse

In 1961 Fosse’s epilepsy was revealed when he had a seizure onstage during rehearsals for The Conquering Hero.[25] Fosse’s time outside of the rehearsal studio or theater was seldom spent alone. As stated in the biography Fosse by Sam Wasson, “nights alone were murder on Fosse”. To alleviate loneliness and insomnia brought on by his prescribed amphetamines, Fosse would often contact dancers he would work with and try to date them, making it hard for many to refuse his advances, but also giving him the affirmation of success he sought.[9]

Death

Fosse died of a heart attack on September 23, 1987, at George Washington University Hospital while the revival of Sweet Charity was opening at the nearby National Theatre.[4] He had collapsed in Verdon’s arms near the Willard Hotel.[52] As he had requested, Verdon and Nicole Fosse scattered his ashes in the Atlantic Ocean off Quogue, Long Island, where Fosse had been living with his girlfriend of four years.[53] A month after his death, Verdon fulfilled Fosse’s request for his friends to “go out and have dinner on me” by hosting a star-studded, celebrity-filled evening at Tavern on the Green with Verdon, Reinking, Jessica Lange, Roy Scheider, Ben Vereen, and E. L. Doctorow attending.[54]