Fosse

This article is about the Broadway revue. For other uses, see Fosse (disambiguation).

Fosse
Original cast recording
Basis	Revue of Bob Fosse's choreography
Productions	1999 Broadway 2001 West End
Awards	Tony Award for Best Musical Drama Desk Outstanding Revue

Fosse is a three-act musical revue showcasing the choreography of Bob Fosse. After 21 previews, the original Broadway production, conceived and directed by Richard Maltby, Jr. and Ann Reinking and choreographed by Reinking and Chet Walker, opened on January 14, 1999 at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it ran for 1093 performances.

In 2002, Fosse, featuring Reinking and Ben Vereen, was aired as part of the Great Performances series on PBS television. A London production opened at the West End Prince of Wales Theatre on February 8, 2000 and closed January 6, 2001.

The musical did not recreate the musical numbers as originally presented but instead had primarily black-and-white costumes (including the all-important hats), set against a simple setting. Reviewer Ben Brantley describes the show as a "bookless three-act show, which has no identifying narrative or standard chronology... [with] particular physical vocabulary...the pigeon-toed stance, the cocked wrists, the twitching bums, the inwardly turned knees, accessorized with the essential white gloves and black bowlers."

Musical numbers

Act I

• "Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries" (from Big Deal)
• "Fosse's World"
• "Bye Bye Blackbird" (from Liza with a Z)
• "From the Edge" (from Dancin')
• "Percussion 4" (from Dancin')
• "Big Spender" (from Sweet Charity)
• "Crunchy Granola Suite" (from Dancin')
• "From This Moment On" (from Kiss Me, Kate)
• "Transition" (inspired by Redhead)
• "I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man" (from Dancin')

Act II

• "Shoeless Joe Ballet" (from Damn Yankees)
• "Dancing in the Dark"
• "Steam Heat" (from The Pajama Game)
• "I Gotcha" (from Liza With a Z)
• "Rich Man's Frug" (from Sweet Charity)
• "Transition: Silky Thoughts"
• "Cool Hand Luke" (from a 1968 Bob Hope television)
• "Dancin' Dan (Me and My Shadow)" (from Big Deal, also not on the Video of this Musical')
• "Nowadays/The Hot Honey Rag" (from Chicago)

Act III

• "Glory" (from Pippin)
• "Manson Trio" (from Pippin)
• "Mein Herr" (from Cabaret)
• "Take Off with Us/Three Pas de Deux" (from All That Jazz)
• "Razzle Dazzle" (from Chicago)
• "Who's Sorry Now?" (from All that Jazz)
• "There's Gonna Be Some Changes Made" (from All that Jazz)
• "Mr. Bojangles" (from Dancin')
• "Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries" (Reprise)
• "Sing, Sing, Sing" (from Dancin')
• Curtain Call: "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" (from Big Deal)

Principal cast

• Ann Reinking (replacement)
• Bebe Neuwirth (replacement)
• Ben Vereen (replacement)
• Shannon Lewis
• Rachelle Rak
• Desmond Richardson
• Elizabeth Parkinson
• Holly Cruikshank
• Scott Wise
• Valarie Pettiford
• Jane Lanier
• Meg Gillentine

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result
1999	Tony Award	Best Musical		Won
		Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical	Desmond Richardson	Nominated
			Scott Wise	Nominated
		Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical	Valarie Pettiford	Nominated
		Best Direction of a Musical	Richard Maltby, Jr. and Ann Reinking	Nominated
		Best Orchestrations	Ralph Burns and Douglas Besterman	Won
		Best Costume Design	Santo Loquasto	Nominated
		Best Lighting Design	Andrew Bridge	Won
	Drama Desk Award	Outstanding Musical Revue		Won
		Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical	Jane Lanier	Nominated
		Outstanding Director of a Musical	Richard Maltby, Jr. and Ann Reinking	Nominated

Original London production

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result
2001	Laurence Olivier Award	Best New Musical		Nominated
		Best Actress in a Musical	Nicola Hughes	Nominated
		Best Theatre Choreographer	Richard Maltby, Jr. and Ann Reinking	Won

External links

• Fosse at the Internet Broadway Database
• Details at noda
• PBS