A Very Jazzy Happy Birthday to Bob Fosse

Yesterday was one of those days which while not awful was just nothing to be impressed by. Everyone I connected to seemed cheerful enough...but not exactly full of buoyant joie de vivre.

Well, today we have something to celebrate - the birthday of Bob Fosse, dancer, writer, actor - and maybe most of all choreographer and director of stage and film at a level which was truly extraordinaire. 

There are two charts for Bob Fosse - same day, different time - giving us a difference in the position of his Moon.  Here's one of the charts in '0 Aries' formats to let you know its not 'time correct.'

  Bob Fosse (June 23, 1927 - Chicago, IL/ 22:29 CDT +5)

My point here is not really astrological - though charts do keep working even when we're gone. Considering where planets and eclipses are currently, I wouldn't be surprised to hear something 'Fosse' going on this year - and that's not all bad either! 

It not having been a sterling day as I say, I admit that as I came to my desk to consider Fosse's chart I was not much enthused. But when you do a story on Bob Fosse you really can't do it without brushing up on who he was and how he completely changed the landscape of dance-as-performance infusing it with a jazzy human genius which is as miraculous to witness as expressive in its demonstrative gestures. 

Anyway...my 'homework' on this article was greatly composed of watching a couple of hours of Bob Fosse dance numbers on Youtube (I know...tough duty, but someone has to do it!). And since in the end, there's nothing I can say which would equal the joy of his work, I here give you a list of links to some of some of the fun things I found.

From 'Kiss Me, Kate' ...a real Hollywood musical number the likes of which we (sniff!) seldom see nowadays (link to youtube)

From 'The Affairs of Dobie Gillis'....( and like, coooool, daddy-o!)   (link to youtube)

From 'Damn Yankees' ...(and no, the devil didn't make me do it, I volunteered!) (link to youtube)

“Fools we may all be, so we may as well dance”….this is some intercuts of Michael Jackson and Bob Fosse which is uplifting simply because the joy of dance art is so effortless in both men. And the music isn’t bad neither! (I dare you not to feel this!) (link to youtube)

A rather fun clip of Bob Fosse getting his Oscar for 'Cabaret'....being presented by other real Hollywood legends (link to youtube)

…Lastly, a little ‘old time’ TV segment from George Burns’ show (remind me to tell you a charming story about George sometime…) (link to youtube)

So that’s Bob Fosse. At least an eight-count of him.

And for those who want to do some more thorough gawking, here’s the link to a page full of credits at IMDB  (the Internet Movie Data Base) (IMDB link) I’d type it all out but my fingers would truly be too, too exhausted by the time I could get through the credits of a man so vastly talented.

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Alas, he’s gone. But the world which misses Bob Fosse so much surely dances joyously in his honor.

And now that you’ve seen all that…don't you feel better? Who cares about yesterday!

Think I’ll go look for my tap shoes now….you’ll excuse me?

"Live like you'll die tomorrow, work 

like you don't need the money,  

and dance like nobody's watching." 

- Bob Fosse

                                                         June 23, 1927 - September 23, 1987