Fosse Hardcover – November 5, 2013

Television brought me to this biography. I watched the "Fosse/Verdon" miniseries, which reminded me how much I loved 'Pajama Game' and 'Damn Yankees'. Ultimately, it peaked my interest a bit more in the Bob Fosse - Gwen Verdon relationship. I wasn't a huge fan of 'Sweet Charity' (having only seen the movie) but fundamentally, I do love musicals; the incongruity of people bursting into song doesn't bother me because there's such creativity behind the expression. So when the series was over, I snapped up the book.It's a hefty one - the softcover having 500 plus pages - and the author never misses a beat. Sam Wasson has pulled together an exhaustive look at Fosse the dancer, the director, the sometime actor, the husband, the lover and the friend - no easy task - and provides sources for nearly every word he's written. It's an amazing book, about an incredibly complex man.Fosse's influence on film and dance is undeniable, and his learning curve, as he developed his relationships with each aspect of entertainment, was aggressive and trendsetting. His relationships with people, even those he purported to love, were less productive as his own internal torment drove him ever harder. Although I found the biography fascinating, those described personal relationships made it increasingly difficult for me to read. I knew what I was getting into, but I didn't realize just how damaging his childhood was for him, how difficult an environment the entertainment industry was for him as he was driven to excel, and how that was reflected in his personal relationships.Wasson doesn't just report; he provides opinions of friends and relations, so you get a well-rounded view of everything Fosse. An exceptionally well-written biography about a very talented, tormented man.I should point out that this book is indeed about Fosse, and does not focus on Gwen Verdon, or their relationship, as the Fosse/Verdon television series did. In addition, the series took the usual liberties that television must do in order to manage time/entertainment - so there are discrepancies.

No, he wasn't the most likable guy in town, but he was an interesting character. Not reading this because he was unpleasant or selfish (as at least one reviewer stated) is missing the point. Reading the book is not a stamp of approval for his lifestyle; most people who read books about Stalin aren't carrying Stalin Fan Club cards (although I admit I never liked the movie "All That Jazz" because I disliked the Gideon/Fosse character - or Roy Schieder's portrayal of him, perhaps).This is a study about creativity and talent and haunted and damaged people, well-researched and written. I read it because I enjoyed "Fosse/Verdon", the miniseries based on it. Found it to be really rather monumental - it's quite long for a showiz bio - and a fairly serious work. Not sure how profound any of its lessons might be, but it is entertaining.

At first you think - my god - this tome is the size of a NYC phone book! How could there possibly be that much to say about Bob Fosse. But - there is.Loving biographies feels too often like looking for the kind of high that got one addicted in the first place - elusive, frustrating, and far too often, disappointing. Of the new breed, Amanda Vaill delivers - and now - Sam Wasson.The perfect mix of love, depth, research, personal commitment and psychological insight go into the cocktail that delivers a fully formed soul back to the page - for us to breathe in, learn from - if only to learn what not to do.If he'd never done more than change the vocabulary of dance. If he'd never done more than create Cabaret, Lenny and All That Jazz, three films that define American "auteur" - and deliver singular artistic power - beyond almost anything created in the last fifty years. If he'd never done anything more than usher Kander and Ebb onto the world stage, knocking the phony, pristine sparkle off the idea of American glamour - in a way that allowed us to grow up and look at ourselves - like adults -But - of course, he did all that. And Sam came to understand the demons that drove him and limited him and haunted him and - in the end - did him in. But not before he left us with a world changed by his being here. Bravo to Bob. And Bravo to Sam.

This is possibly the best book about American Musical Theater I have ever read. Sam Wasson manages to pull off a literary pas de deux writing exactly like Bob Fosse danced and choreographed. Reading this book is like watching a Fosse show. Wassen slides,glides and shuffles through this story of a tortured and talented man. From the curious detachment of his parents while he endured sexual abuse as a young man to the utter disregard for his various heath issues Fosse changed American musical Theater and danced it into the 20th century. Somehow he partnered with his demons to create brilliant theater. His relationship with Gwen Verdun is the stuff of theatrical legend. She was his lover,wife,muse and friend who understood him in spite of him.In addition to finding Fosse's life fascinating, I was awed by Sam Wasson's writing. His sentence crafting employs the same genius and quirky energy that Bob Fosse's dances did. Somehow he manages to tell the story,warts and all, without resorting to tawdry tales that usually inform these biographies. And Bob Fosse definitely had some tawdry!If you love and miss the Golden age of American Musical theater read this book .

El autor es un gran investigador-historiador que te lleva a descubrir nuevos pasajes de la apasionada vida de este gran coreógrafo americano “BOB FOSSE “ adentrándose en las entrañas de su familia, sus amigos de escuela y su vida profesional tanto en Broadway como en Hollywood

It is a thorough and informative book, about an interesting and talented character.

Maravilhoso

Perfecto

200 pages in and despite having been a scholar and a fan for 20 odd years, I am finding out new things on every page. Although it is a huge book, it is an easy read, filled with the detail needed to see the whole picture of his life and working practice. He may have been a task master, but I understand why dancers would want to work so hard in his productions. The book is definitely of value to those studying Fosse/ productions from level 2 upwards.