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Gallo - Term Paper
Gallo - Term Paper
Robert Gallo
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Works Cited
Ebb, Fred, Bob Fosse, John Kander, David Thompson, and Maurine Watkins. Chicago:
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
Stempel, Larry. Showtime: A History of the Broadway Musical Theater. New York, NY:
Wasson, Sam. Fosse. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. Web. 15 Apr.
2016.