Gallo !

Robert Gallo

Bob Fosses Chicago

I drink too much, I smoke too much, I take pills too much, I work too much, I girl

around too much, I everything too much (Wasson 327). Bob Fosses compelling description of

his own personal life reinforces that his life strongly impacted his work; lyricist and collaborator

Fred Ebb would constantly refer to him as the Prince of Darkness (Gottfried 337). The

darkness that defined Fosses life and career would intensify after he underwent open-heart

surgery just as he began rehearsing for his new musical Chicago. Fosses dismal and

controversial life greatly influenced this work transformed it into a dazzling concept musical

about the corruption within the American criminal justice system and media. This message about

the exploitation and fraud that defined two seemingly credible and honest institutions was

amplified by the darkness within Fosses life.

Long before his involvement with the musical, Bob Fosse spent his first seventeen years

living in the city of Chicago, leading a life of damaged reality corrupted by the sins of show

business. Fosse attributes his great success to his early life experiences in the bustling city of

Chicago: every move, every grind, bump, thrust and finger-splay came from someplace in his

hometown, and what he learned there (Wasson 17). According to Fosses childhood friend and

dance partner Charlie Grass, You can take the boy out of Chicago. But you can't take Chicago

out of the boy (Wasson 23). Fosse was born to a defeated vaudevillian father and a mother with

unfulfilled aspirations to become a preeminent operatic singer; the year was 1927, and America

had entered the post-vaudeville era (Wasson 41). Boasting a resume with experience in his high

schools Latin Club, swimming team, honor society, along with serving as class president and
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vice president of the Letterman's club Fosse proved himself to be a natural-born leader

(Wasson 37). These innate authoritative traits would later help him lead numerous companies to

victory as the director and choreographer of award-winning works beloved by many to this day.

Outside of his academic life, Fosse found Frederic Weavers Chicago Academy of

Theater Arts to be his second home (Wasson 44). Starting his training at seven years old, Fosse

explored the intricacies of ballet, tap and character dancing. In fact, Grass remembers the

mothers at the studio calling him the charmer (Wasson 52). This little charmer would go on to

steal the hearts of many women, prefacing Fosses never-ending cycle of failed marriages.

Nevertheless, the training he received here would shape his career as he seamlessly integrated his

favorite mediums of dance into a new genre and technique. For example, instead of having his

feet properly turned out, Fosses natural inclination was to turn them in. This seemingly simple

change would become one of his signature styles, along with slouching the shoulders instead of

pressing them back and creating sharp angles with the body as opposed to one continuous line

from the fingertips to the toes (Beddow 13). Here Fosse transformed his own weaknesses and

insecurities into strengths while beginning to define his iconic style of dance. Furthermore,

having acquired his primary training and background in Chicago, Bob Fosse was ideally suited

to craft a musical about the glitzy corruption of this great American city.

Wanting to test his radical take on choreography, Fosse and Grass developed and toured a

double act as the Riff Brothers, performing around Chicago at various night-clubs (Wasson

112). Ironically enough, Fosse would later direct a musical centered on murderess Velma Kelly

who had a double act with her sister that couldnt flop; she eventually finds her sister and

husband doing number seventeen the spread eagle, provoking Velmas decision to murder
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them both (Ebb 21-22). Clearly Fosse acquired a great deal of experience with touring double

acts, validating the notion that his background training aided the direction and vision he had for

Chicago and helped make it a smash hit. Ultimately Fosse moved on to perform as a solo act

a dancing master of ceremonies (Wasson 121). Later on that same little charmer stepped up

his game and became acquainted with a number of sexy strippers (Wasson 125). These early

interactions shaped his concept of dangerous sexuality that later made its way into his world-

renowned dances. Fosses scandalous past provoked his obsession with sex and drugs and shaped

his career path in providing exemplary direction and choreography to dark sensual works, such

as Damn Yankees, Cabaret, Sweet Charity, and Pippin. All of this prepared Fosse to conquer

Chicago.

Damn Yankees served a vital role in Fosses preparation for Chicago. In fact, the musical

introduced him to his great muse Gwen Verdon (Gottfried 163). From that point on, Verdons

life and career were inevitably linked to Fosse. She was destined to become the sensual symbol

for his work on Broadway as he ultimately became her mentor, lover, and finally her husband.

Fosse quickly discovered that working with Gwen was more of a collaboration than a tutorial. He

once said, The happiest times I ever had with Gwen were when we were working

together...they stimulated all sorts of things (Gottfried 172). For Verdon, working with Fosse

provided direction like [she] never had in [her] life...Bob choreographs down to the second joint

of your little finger (Gottfried 173). However, their marriage did not endure; Fosse ultimately

married four times in his sixty years (Wasson 271). Dancer Deborah Gaffner recalls that Bobby

liked beauty but he loved talent. That's what he wanted to sleep with (Wasson 269). Although
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Fosse was a serial adulterer, the relationship between him and Gwen remained strong. In fact, it

was Gwen who pushed Fosse to take on Chicago, a musical his entire life prepared him for.

Verdon believed so strongly in the musical adaptation of Chicago that she acquired the

rights to the original 1926 script from playwright Maurine Dallas Watkins (Wasson 322).

Watkins was a journalist for the Chicago Tribune known for her unbiased viewpoint (McConnell

36). She was therefore put in charge of covering murder trials, interviewing some of Chicagos

most infamous criminals. Two of the murder cases she followed involved Belva Gaertner, a

cabaret singer defended by attorney William Scott Steward, and Beulah Sheriff Annan, defended

by William W. OBrien (McConnell 47). As Watkins wrote about these cases, she began to

realize that corruption was dominated not only in journalism but in the American legal system as

well. She made the impetuous decision to write a script, drawing inspiration from her

murderesses and their lawyers and introducing her main characters Velma Kelly (Gaertner),

Roxie Hart (Annan) and Bill Flynn (Steward and OBrien). The plot followed the story of two

women on trial for murdering their lovers as they were under the influence of gin and

jazz (McConnell 62). Without Fosses intimate relationship with Gwen Verdon, paired with her

initiative to claim the rights to this play, his brilliant musical adaptation of Chicago would never

exist.

Fosse was now on board, fully convinced of the dark, smart and compelling story;

however, he needed a creative team to help bring his ingenious vision to life. Following the

incredible success of Cabaret, Fosse decided to put iconic duo Fred Ebb and John Kander in

charge of the music and lyrics. Ebb initially conceptualized the vaudevillian style to merely

reinforce the 1920s Chicago time period an area Mr. Fosse knew very well from his childhood
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and early teen experiences (Beddow 52). Fosse then took that idea and established the metaphor

of show business as life, a metaphor he had become obsessed with (Gottfried 342). Following

his near-death experience right as Chicago rehearsals began, Fosses innate dark idiosyncrasies

intensified, which came through in concept for the musical. Wasson points out a specific moment

earlier on in the rehearsal process when Fosse staged couples pretending to have sex while

lawyer Billy Flynn sang about deceiving the court and the public in the number Razzle Dazzle.

His dubious idea was to mirror the actions of sex and the corrupt role the American government

plays in the criminal justice system, drawing from his own sexually-intensified experiences.

However, after consultation and guidance from Kander and Ebb, Fosse realized that the number

was too dark and ultimately cleaned up the staging of it (Wasson 367).

Chicagos form runs parallel with its content by criticizing a myriad of American

platforms, including the criminal justice system and media. The musical is described as a brutal

satire of the ironic and terrifying correlations between show business and the American criminal

justice system. Furthermore, Fosse explores how the media glorifies cold-hearted criminals,

transforming them into celebrities. The razzle dazzle of Chicago makes crime glamorous and

even enticing as the story is told through a series of vaudeville acts. Fosses ultimate goal in

creating Chicago was to expose the corruption and lies behind the seemingly well-established

and respected American systems (Wasson 341). Following Fosses formula for success, Chicago

features overwhelming raw sexuality, evolving into a world that is shocking and even

threatening. Chicago opened in 1975, enticing audiences and critics with its vicious satire

(Wasson 334).
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A primary reason behind the success of Chicago is Fosses vision for the show. Not only

does the musical tell a frightfully real story exposing the corruption behind well-trusted

American institutions, Chicago epitomizes Fosses own worldview and sense of musical style.

By adding elements so familiar to him like vaudeville, tap dances, and sexualized movement,

Fosse accomplishes a form that Watkins could never dream of an integrated musical where

dance and song do not merely help tell the story but are the story.

Throughout the musical, it is clear that Fosses early life prepared him to take on Chicago

and how the particular elements he added to the original content amplify the shows themes of

corruption and murder. For example, the number introducing Billy Flynn, All I Care About Is

Love, shares many parallels with Fosses own life experiences. The number is presented with

Flynn dressed to the teeth and very elegant surrounded by sexy women (Ebb 33). As the

number progresses, the combined effect of the choreography and lyrics makes it appear as if

Flynn loves his profession and cares about the women he represents, when what he really wants

is wealth and publicity. Similar to Fosses early fixation on strippers, Flynn finds himself more

focused on the girls sexuality rather than his duty as their lawyer. Overall, Fosses creative

decision to introduce the corrupt Billy Flynn in this vaudevillian style with strippers as his

clients emphasizes the main notions of fraud and sex within the piece and embodies Fosses life

experiences as he started his touring career.

The number Both Reached for the Gun serves as a pivotal moment in the musical

showing the fraudulent relationship between the press and legal institutions. It is shown

throughout the number that the information that lawyers share with the media can influence

public feelings toward defendants. The scene opens with Roxie telling the reporters, I guess you
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want to know why I shot the bastard in a desperate attempt to get her own voice into the papers

and steal the attention away from Billy (Ebb 38). Billy then pulls her back saying, Shut up

dummy, as Roxie suddenly transforms into a ventriloquist dummy on his lap (Ebb 38). As the

number progresses Billy answers the reporters questions rapidly, repeating the same idea that

Roxie committed murder out of self-defense. Here the audience becomes a part of Fosses fast

paced world of crime, alcohol, and jazz where societys deepest concern is a scandalous story

a world he was all too familiar with. Fosses choreographed movement, even as little as a gesture

or a head movement, helps develop the story and allows the audience to deeply understand the

dazzled spectacle he creates with the vaudevillian styles he grew up with.

Finally, the spectacular Razzle Dazzle perfectly exemplifies the metaphor of show

business and life while also establishing Fosses own creative style. The song starts as Roxie

enters for her final trial and confides in Billy that she is scared. He responds by saying, Ive

been around a long time, and believe me, you got nothin to worry about. Its all a circus, kid. A

three-ring circus. These trials the whole world all show business. But kid youre working

with a star (Ebb 75). This simple line proves various connections between Fosses own life and

the main themes in Chicago. Fosse enjoyed a long and successful career as a director and

choreographer prior to his involvement with Chicago, similar to Flynns confidence and

expertise in law. Furthermore, from a very young age Fosse found himself integrating his love of

vaudeville and show business into his real life which is the very essence of Chicago. As the

number progresses, Billy advises Roxie to give em the old razzle dazzle, so theyll let [her]

get away with murder; and it becomes clear that the entire musical is the razzle dazzled image

of trusted American industries, including the justice system and media.

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Although Fosses brilliant adaptation of Chicago would live in A Chorus Lines shadows

in the 70s, audiences of the 90s and new millennium were well-prepared for the lewd story that

confronts the medias perpetual need and attention for glamorous scandal. It is even argued that

Chicago is more relevant now than ever before. The press continues to create celebrities out of

cold-hearted criminals, doing whatever it takes to publish a more shocking and enticing story.

With the Prohibition era in the 1920s, alcohol was often to blame for criminal actions, but now

attention is aimed toward sexuality, drugs, and adultery (Gonzalez 51). Furthermore, the

obsession, the fascination, and the exploitation of cases involving female criminal defendants is

not a fabrication of the theatre or the silver screen, but the reality of the past as well as the

present (Gonzalez 53). The success of the more modern adaptations of Chicago the current

Broadway revival, which is the longest-running production of an American musical, along with

the Oscar-winning film version would never exist without Fosses original vision and creation

of the show.

An artists life can be judged by the legacy they leave behind and Fosse made quite an

impact on the world of musical theatre. Primarily, he solidified the notion of a concept

musical, and paved the way for others to create similar works. Fosse revolutionized the concept

musical by radically making the form of his musical the content (Wasson 213). No longer was

there a division between the two he envisioned a musical where the cast broke the fourth wall,

having the audience fully aware that they are watching a dazzling vaudeville performance.

Fosses concept proves to amplify the notion that show business actually is life. Furthermore, his

idea to present the story with fragmented vaudevillian scenes (similar to Sondheims Company)
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pushed the limits of what a concept musical could accomplish while remaining true to the time

period and to his own life experiences.

Fosse epitomized his own worldview and innately created a completely new and

innovative musical style with Chicago. In fact, Stephen Sondheims musical Assassins seems to

be inspired by numerous techniques used by Fosse. For example, throughout Chicago, the

audience finds themselves laughing at the jokes, mesmerized by the dance numbers, and

ultimately becoming captivated by these sexy murderesses. They completely forget the fact that

these characters committed brutal crimes against humanity and get away with it. Similar to

Assassins, Chicago blames society for the vile corruption the world faces, yet the audience is too

busy enjoying Fosses spectacular vision to even notice (Wasson 538). This is the musical style

Fosse became obsessed with giving audiences an entertaining night at the theatre and then

leaving them to think about the sinister society they live in. Additionally, Fosse created a new

dark form of musical theatre, very different from the Golden Age that preceded his work.

Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins envisioned one of the first successful tragic musicals

with West Side Story; however, Fosse established complicated musical stories that still ended

happily but with very dark implications.

Towards the end of the musical, Roxie and Velma sing, In fifty years or so, its gonna

change you know, but now its heaven nowadays (Ebb 90). This ironically reflects the notion

that Chicago is a timeless story, proving human beings have not changed in the past century.

Fosses goal in adapting Chicago for the Broadway stage was to ridicule the media and criminal

justice system. The way in which he told this story was something his whole life prepared him

for the dark vaudeville, tap-dancing, and sexy character dancing as Fosses innovative form
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actually became the story of Chicago. Through the past century Fosse has inspired a myriad of

successful adaptations that all stem from his original concept. Since Fosse was the first to adapt

this play to a musical form, he added in his own flair for spectacle and with the help of Kander

and Ebb, the music and lyrics helped match his grand ideas. When audiences visit a Broadway

show, or even a film, they want the razzle dazzle spectacle Fosse always provided. His goal as a

director was to take his audiences out of their normal daily lives and engross them in a

completely new world for two hours. Fosses adaptation challenged people to think differently

about the world they live in that the well-trusted media and criminal justice systems do act

in corrupt ways, whether they were ready for it or not.

Fosse died from a heart attack before reaching a hospital on September 23, 1987

(Gottfried 423). Despite his untimely death, his quirky dark spirit can still be felt today in

theatres across the world. His ingenious work secured him a myriad of awards, such as the Tony

Award for Pippin and Sweet Charity, the Academy Award for Cabaret and the Emmy Award for

Liza with a Z, making him the first person to win all three awards in the same year of 1973

(Wasson 694). However, his legacy goes far beyond the countless awards he won in his life.

Fosse transformed nearly every aspect of American entertainment, leaving a resilient mark on

Broadway and Hollywood with his iconic style stemming from his early life experiences. Fosse

lived in Chicagos world starting his career in sleazy Chicago strip joints and burlesque

houses, then becoming one of the worlds most renowned directors with dazzling innovative

musicals only he could envision.

Bob Fosse led a life of controversy adultery, show business, sex and drugs. All of

these components greatly impacted his vision for Chicago and amplified its dark themes as he
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epitomized his own worldview and musical style. He left behind a legacy of great theatre

centered on the immorality of the world, along with the lies and corruption society inherently

commits. His ultimate objective was to make his audience uncomfortable yet entertained.

Chicago is arguably his greatest work for the unbelievably dark circumstances surrounding his

life at the time of its creation. Fosse not only familiarized himself with the world of Chicago, he

mastered it throughout his life, and created a sinister but honest perception of the corrupt show

business lifestyle society still thrives in today.

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Works Cited

Beddow, Margery. Bob Fosse's Broadway. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1996.

Ebb, Fred, Bob Fosse, John Kander, David Thompson, and Maurine Watkins. Chicago:

The Musical. New York: Samuel French, 1976.

Gonzalez, Michelle. Innocent Blood On Manicured Hands: How The Media Has

Brought The New Roxie Harts And Velma Kellys To Center Stage. University Of

Denver Sports & Entertainment Law Journal 16 (2014). Web. 15 Apr. 2016.

Gottfried, Martin. All His Jazz: The Life & Death of Bob Fosse. New York, NY: Bantam, 1990.

The Making of the London Chicago. Perf. Ruthie Henshall and Ute Lemper. British

Broadcasting Corporation. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.

McConnell, Virginia A. Fatal Fortune: The Death of Chicago's Millionaire Orphan.

Westport, CT: Praeger, 2005.

Siropoulos, Vagelis. Historicizing Chicago's Resurrection Of The Film Musical, Or,

Thinking In Fragments, From Vaudeville To MTV. Image (&) Narrative 10.3

(2009): 83-96. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.

Stempel, Larry. Showtime: A History of the Broadway Musical Theater. New York, NY:

W.W. Norton, 2010. Print.

Wasson, Sam. Fosse. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. Web. 15 Apr.

2016.