Dance in Musicals: Part 6—Bob Fosse & The Modern Musical

Where have I been? I started a new job last month and have been working 10 hour days, so it has become difficult to find time to write. But with the start of Dancing With The Stars tomorrow and slowly getting used to my new schedule, I hopefully will be finding more time to blog.

Dance in Musicals: Part 6—Bob Fossee & The Modern Musical

Bob Fosse started in vaudeville and later became a ballroom dancer in nightclubs. He was featured in MGM films such as Kiss Me Kate (1953). When he returned to the stage as a choreographer, he won recognition for his work in Abbott's The Pajama Game (1956) and Damn Yankees (1957), for which he won a Tony. His choreography thrived with sexuality, putting an edge into these musicals. He created much of his choreography for his third wife, Gwen Verdon who was the prototypical “Fosse dancer,” long, limber and sexy. For Pippin (1972), Fosse won Tonys for both choreography and direction. On film, Fosse directed three musicals: Sweet Charity (1968), the Academy Award winning Cabaret (1972) and All That Jazz (1979). In 1972, he became the only person in history to win a Tony, Emmy and Academy Award in the same year. In 1975, he appeared with Chicago, one of the best concept musicals, which was overshadowed on stage by A Chorus Line. However, the show was rediscovered on Broadway in 1996, and on film in 2002 (Kenrick, “Dance in Stage Musicals”).

In 1978, Dancin’ appeared as an all-dance hit. Without a script, this show was an evening-length series of unrelated dance sequences that relied on a non-theatrical musical score. After its success on Broadway, small companies found it hard to recreate the demanding choreography and the show never reopened (Kenrick, “History of The Musical Stage 1970s”).

Cats (1982) was the only British-born musical of the time that stressed dance. Gillian Lynne’s feline choreography used acrobatics and gesture that complimented Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score. The musical, based off of T.S. Eliot’s Book of Practical Cats, packed in audiences in London and New York (Kenrick, “Dance in Stage Musicals”).

Tommy Tune countered traditional musical “razzmatazz” from the history of American entertainment with his own energy and surprises (Everett 211). For Grand Hotel (1989) and The Will Rogers Follies (1991) he won Tonys for direction and choreography. Over his successful career, he won nine Tonys for acting, choreography and direction.

The first original dance show to win a Tony for Best Musical was Contact (2000). Choreographed and directed by Susan Stroman, the show was divided into three dance pieces set to pre-recorded classical and popular music. Stroman’s inventive use of props in choreography, while maintaining the show’s dramatic integrity, is her trademark, inspired by her idol Fred Astaire (Kenrick, “Who's Who in Musicals”). Her next smash hit was The Producers in 2001, for which she again won Tonys for direction and choreography, making her the only person to ever win this combination of Tonys two years in a row.

On screen, Moulin Rouge (2001) used the MTV music video style to create a spectacle musical. It used rapid editing styles and accelerated camera motion to create a blur of can-can and tango dance sequences.

In 2002, Chicago hit the screen and was the first musical to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 35 years (Kenrick, “Dance in Screen Musicals”). Choreographed by Rob Marshall, the large ensemble dance sequences continued the trend of quick on screen edits, making it hard to distinguish the amateur dancers from the veterans.

That same year, Twyla Tharpe’s Movin’ Out was another dance musical, with music by Billy Joel. “Movin’ Out mixes up a heavy combination of rock concert and ballet performance,” said Terry Byrne of the Boston Harold in 2005 (News Reviews). Tharpe, of the modern company Twyla Tharpe Dance, is known for making technically demanding choreography audience-friendly. She won a Tony for her athletic choreography in Movin Out.

In 2004, director Joel Schumacher and producer Webber brought the musical Phantom of the Opera to film for the third time. Choreography was by Lynne, who is best known for the development of British jazz dance and her work on Cats. Using fans, masks and a large staircase, Lynne smoothly blended ballroom dance and gesture phrases to Webber’s song “Masquerade” to create a stunning affect. However, the film could not top the show in theaters on Broadway and in London. The musical holds the record as the highest-grossing entertainment event of all time, grossing $3.2 billion worldwide (“The Phantom of the Opera”).

Today, Lynne continues work on Broadway with musicals such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (2005). 

Musical theater continues to attract the attention of families looking for an escape. Although the golden golden age of musicals has ended, a new period of fast-paced, MTV-style, accelerated motion musical films is beginning. With these musicals comes an increasing demand for athletic and technical dance.

Dance in Musicals: Part 5—The Concept Musical

The History of Dance in Musicals continues...

Michael Bennett started his Broadway career as a chorus dancer. He delved into choreography with five shows, for which he earned Tony nominations: A Joyful Noise (1966); Henry Sweet Henry (1967); Promises, Promises (1968); Coco (1969) and Company (1970). In 1971, he finally won two Tonys for his choreography and co-direction in Follies (1971), a musical about aging performers.

Working with interviews from Broadway chorus dancers, Bennett created a libretto with Nicolas Dante and James Kirkwood to create the concept musical A Chorus Line (1975). Concept musicals were built around an idea rather than a traditional plot. The concept of this musical was based on a Broadway chorus audition, with a director who asks the dancers to share their stories to be hired. The musical featured ensemble numbers with tight formations, kick lines, mirrors and sparking gold costumes. Bennett used “cinematic staging” or “jump-cutting” in his choreography that shifted the audience’s attention from one figure to another. The musical was a success that appealed to all ages and musical tastes, winning nine Tonys and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (Kenrick, “Michael Bennett's A Chorus Line”).

Dance in Musicals: Part 4—Gower Champion

Part 4 of the Dance in Musical Series: 

Dance in Musicals: Part 4—Gower Champion

Dance became a minor element in the decreasing number of musicals on film in the 1960s. The few exceptions included the ensemble work by March Breaux and Dee Dee Wood in Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins (1964). The movie blended the plot with songs, dance and animated characters, winning five Academy Awards (Kenrick, “Dance in Screen Musicals”). Onna White, a Broadway choreographer, preserved her stage dances on screen in The Music Man (1962) and later created ensemble work for Oliver (1969).

On stage, Gower Champion became a leading choreographer. Champion, started his dancing career with Jeanne Turner in nightclubs and Broadway revues, where they combined energetic ballroom dancing with show dancing. After serving in World War I, Champion formed a partnership with Marjorie Bell and became popular on stage and in television, appearing in Showboat (1951) together. With his unconventional training in ballroom, he choreographed musical numbers with a fresh look, integrating every prop, set and performer with song and motion. His direction and fast-paced choreography, which emphasized a youthful spirit in Bye Bye Birdie (1960), won him two Tony Awards. He followed this with another hit, Hello Dolly (1964), for which he again won two Tonys. 

Labanotation, a form of dance notation, was used to preserve Champion’s choreography on paper during the staging of Bye Bye Birdie. He ignored a diagnosis of terminal cancer to create his final musical, 42nd Street (1980), which contained intricate tap numbers, and died before the opening performance. The show was his longest running hit and he received a posthumous Tony for his choreography (Kenrick, “Who's Who in Musicals”).

And the Celebrities Are...

Here are the celebrities performing on Dancing With the Stars this season. Celebrities include Jewel, Shawn Johnson, Nancy O'Dell and Lil' Kim among others. The new season starts March 9. 

Dance in Musicals: Part 3—Musicals Head to Hollywood

I'm in the hospital in Florida with my 97-year-old Grandfather. (He should be out of here in the next few days.) While I watch him sleep, I thought I'd add the next post in the Dance in Musicals series.

Part 3: Musicals Head to Hollywood

The 1950s would see more Broadway shows turn into Hollywood musicals. Broadway choreographers received opportunities to recreate their stage dances for the big screen. Such musicals included: Oklahoma, Carousel, The King and I and West Side Story.

Audiences who enjoyed old-fashioned Cinderella-stories were shocked by West Side Story, considered a modern Romeo and Juliet, with juvenile delinquents taking center stage. The plot and song lyrics infuriated some people who felt they reflected poor taste and showed a side of American life considered inappropriate for a musical (Laufe 222). Jerome Robbins proposed the idea for the book, written by Arthur Laurents, and was the show’s choreographer and director. The musical opened in New York in September 1957, with an unhappy ending and little humor. However, even those reviewers who were skeptical about the plot were impressed with Robbins’ choreography. Finger snapping, lurching and leaping were new developments in the theater, which are now common on stage. Robbins expanded upon the athletic capabilities of male dancing first seen in Oklahoma. The choreography propelled the plot forward, some thought more than the score, written by Leonard Bernstein (Laufe 224-226).

In 1964, Robbins was director and choreographer for Fiddler on the Roof, one of his greatest hits. His choreography during the wedding celebration incorporated Jewish cultural traditions, while dancing with wine bottles balancing on their hats. After Fiddler, Robbins concentrated on creating works for the New York City Ballet and other companies (Kenrick, “Who's Who in Musicals”).

Kennedy Center Opens a Lifeline for Struggling Artists

From today's Washington Post.