Fosse

By Sam Wasson

Now the FX limited series Fosse/Verdon starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams with Lin-Manuel Miranda executive producing.

“Wasson is a smart and savvy reporter, and his book abounds with colorful firsthand tales.” — Janet Maslin, New York Times

“Fascinating . . . Wasson has taken complete control of his subject.” — Wall Street Journal

The only person ever to win Oscar, Emmy, and Tony awards in the same year, Bob Fosse revolutionized nearly every facet of American entertainment. His signature style would influence generations of performing artists. Yet in spite of Fosse’s innumerable—including Cabaret, Pippin, All That Jazz, and Chicago, one of the longest-running Broadway musicals ever—his offstage life was shadowed by deep wounds and insatiable appetites.

To craft this richly detailed account, best-selling author Sam Wasson has drawn on a wealth of unpublished material and hundreds of sources: friends, enemies, lovers, and collaborators, many of them speaking publicly about Fosse for the first time. With propulsive energy and stylish prose, Fosse is the definitive biography of one of Broadway and Hollywood’s most complex and dynamic icons.

“Spellbinding.” —Entertainment Weekly

“Impeccably researched.” —Vanity Fair

An NPR Best Book of the Year

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Nov 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9780547999227

Sam Wasson

Sam Wasson is the author of seven books on film, including the New York Times bestsellers Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the Dawn of the Modern American Woman; The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood; and Fosse. With Jeanine Basinger, he is the coauthor of Hollywood: The Oral History. He lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews for Fosse

[abycats_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This volume has everything you've ever wanted to know about famous choreographer (and actor) Bob Fosse. Still known for his distinctive style and thru the movie "All That Jazz," Fosse led a remarkable life. He was the epitome of a narcissistic, brilliant, charismatic, but ultimately troubled artist. I don't generally read biographies but I found this one fascinating (if a bit overfull of details). Amazing guy.

[sigmundfraud · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

FOSSE is a great read. I have no great affinity for choreographers so I wouldn't normally pick up this book except that it received a good review in the NY Times and I do like so many of the musicals that Fosse choreographed and even directed. There is more detail than I need on each production that he was involved in, but it is the arc of his life that interested me. He was a womanizer despite having had several wives but the ex-wives continued to like and respect Fosse. His leading ladies normally slept with him as did the young girls he would select for the chorus but it was never seedy. All were consensual; Fosse knew he had a problem in that he couldn't stay with one woman but it never comes off as mean, seedy or deceitful. Fosse was very open about everything he did and kept no secrets from his various wives and lovers who sometimes worked together with Fosse. He was considered a genius and greatly admired by those he worked with. The book offers a great view into musical making and movie making. I highly recommend it. I am glad I read it.