The Bob Fosse Way
Bob Fosse was ambitious. He took on projects, which were more than he could handle. He was a high-achieving workholic. He was a Type A pesonality who became a phenomenon.
Born on June 23, 1927, Fosse wanted to be the new Fred Astaire. He always donned hats, but this was partly due to his baldness, which he was self-conscious about. The Chicago native came to Hollywood during the height of the MGM musicals, appearing in pictures like "Kiss Me Kate" (1953). Then the chance to work in theater came. He was reluctant at first, not wanting to miss the big screen. He did made the move, a turning point in his career. He was the first artist to be a director and choreographer in a play. He won the Tony Award medallion, the highest Broadway theater honor, eight times. He also achieved a rare distinction of winning the Tony, Emmy, and Oscar on the same year. (The Emmy Award recognizes excellence in the television industry, while the Oscar honors cinematic achievements in the film industry.) But all of these would take a toll on his health.
"All That Jazz" (1979), which won the Palme d'Or in the 1980 Cannes Film Festival, was about Joe Gideon, theater director and choreographer, pondering his mortality. This semi-autobiographical feature was released seven years before Fosse succumbed to heart attack. Joe sensed the end was near, and in between bouts of pain, thought of two persons who would continue his legacy. Both happened to be former lovers. The film showed why Fosse was the best choreographer of his generation, many of his moves innovative, with one production number containing at least five different styles of dance.
The year 1973 was his greatest moment, as he won the Academy Award for his direction of "Cabaret". It was a musical adaptation of "The Berlin Stories", Christopher Isherwood's accout of Weimar Germany. The author met assorted characters, some fascinating and some suspicious, all of them wary of the coming of the Third Reich. Sally Bowles was the most memorable of the lot, a regular performer in night clubs. She tried to live the moment, having as much fun as possible. But she had a secret like most Berliners. "Cabaret" made history during the 45th Academy Awards, winning the most Oscars in a single year without nabbing the Academy Award for Best Picture, the most important category. It went to "The Godfather", Francis Ford Coppola's big-screen version of Mario Puzo's Mafia saga that would become one of the influential films in American Cinema. But the night ended with the Oscar in Fosse's hands.
There was renewed interest in Fosse's works after his death. The Broadway production of "Chicago", which explored Jazz Age Chicago, was directed and choreographed by Fosse. It could have been his next film project if not for his untimely death. It was Rob Marshall who did it instead, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2003. But his greatest recognition was what was formely Paulina Street in Chicago, renamed Bob Fosse Way.
