Bob Fosse

Chicago the musical is based on a play written in the year 1926 with the same name. This play was written by a lady called Maurine Dallas Watkins. It was about criminals and any crimes of which she has reported as she herself was a reporter. Maurine Watkins also covered the stories of murderesses Beulah Annan and Belva Gartner for the Chicago Tribune. 

It is also based on a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse its set in the Prohibition era. The Prohibition era was when there was a ban on sales and production as well as the transportation of alcohol. It was also known as the "dry" movement and continued in the 1840's and led by those involved in the pietistic religious denominations. (a movement within  that lasted from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century.










The style of the 1920's (Western fashion)



After events of World War one things began to change, fashion began to change. The womans rights movement made a strong impact on their fashion choices. For example, the corset was no longer worn and in place of that was a camisole, chemise or bloomers, These later developed. Women's legs were seen due to dresses and hemlines becoming shorter (rising above the knee) and fitted. Additionally, women began to take to a more boystrous look that meant cutting their hair in a bob, styling it into an Eton crop or Marcel Waves. This style of fashion was known as Bohemian.

This is the year of which women began to wear items such as short skirts and trousers that were more comfortable than any previous items that were restricting. At the same time, men began to top wearing formal wear as everyday wear and they too went for the more comfortable style. It became more toned down and in some cases their atire would look sporty rather than formal. At first this style of change proved difficult due to people being reluctant to such change. But however, by1925 this all changed and there came about 'The Roaring Twenties'.

Items such as fringe dresses, feather boars, faux scarfs, rhinestones, hats, other glamorous head The way in which women dressed also depended on their role in society. The more forward-looking, younger woman would wear sportswear. Teenagers hadpreviously worn tubular dresses but that later changed and became much simplar with a shorter skirt, pleats or gathers and to allow motion, splits. A for the hats, the Cloche hat became widley popular and so women would cut there hair in order to fit into one. 

Surrealism (a cultural movement that began in the early 1920's) strongly influenced fashion after World War One. Woman who were more wealthy were expected to change their atire based on the time of day, so they would have a dress that they might wear in the morning and a dress that they might wear in the afternoon. The dresses that were worn in the afternoon were unlike the gowns for the evening, less form-fitting. The evening dresses that were worn in theevening were slightly longer than the afternoon dresses and were either velvet or satin with either rhinestones or a fringe and embelished with beads.

Bob Fosse himself

It was first made into a silent film in 1927. The broadway production opened in 1975 at the 46th Street Theatre. 

Robert Louis Fosse born June 23rd 1927 in Chicago Illinois was an all round dancer, actor, director, screenwriter, musical theatre choreographer, film editor and film director. He won eight Tony Awards for his renowned choreography. He is now famous for his distinct, effective style known today as Fosse. He was in numerous shows himself including Call Me Mister with his first wife and dance partner Mary Ann Niles. This performance made him recognised by Dea Martin and Jerry Lewis.

Bob Fosse choreographed his first musical 'The Pajama Game' in 1955. In 1957 he choreographed 'New Girl In Town' he himself performed a song and dance number in Stanley Donens 1974 film version of 'The Little Prince'. He also directed five feature films including 'Sweet Charity'. Fosse's style was then made into a movie called fosse.

Fosse

Fosse is a dance style created by Bob Fosse. It's a style of dance that has been used in countless musical numbers including Sweet Charity, Chicago, Fosse and Cabaret. The jazz style was both sexy and stylish it's become so recognisable over the years. The Fosse trademark movements are sideways shuffling, turned in knees, rolled shoulders and 'broken wrists'. 

Here are some images of Fosse's style. Some may be recognisable such as the third image as that movement, stance is used in Chicago the musical.

Even modern day artists like Michael Jackson and Beyonce use elements of Fosse in their routines.






This is a clip from the musical Sweet Charity. Here you'll recognise some of the elements of Fosse that I had earlier described.

Roxie- Character profile

The character that I play is Roxie Hart. The role was previously played by Liza Minnelli, Ann Reinking, Brooke Shields, Ruthie Henshall, Melora Hardin, Ashlee Simpson, Melanie Griffith, Samantha Harris, Michelle Williams, Christie Brinkley and Renee Zellweger in the film adaptation.  The character of Roxie Hart was inspired by real life murderesses Annan and Belva Gaertner in 1924. The story was covered by the Chicago Tribune.

Roxie Hart is a "two-bit talent with skiny legs" in accordance to her lover. She is quite a strong minded character, she seems to be very much in control of her husband Amos who comes across as a dimwitted yet kindhearted mechanic.  It's only when she finds out that she could possibly be hanged as a result of the murder of Fred Casely that her much more softer, emotional side begins to show.

However she wont let anything stand in her way, she's a feisty female who seems fame driven and obsessed with a world of "Jazz, Cabaret and liqour" she's the kind of woman who will do anything to get to the top of the fame ladder. She dreams of becoming a star, being on stage, being in Vaudeville. with her very own act, having all eyes on her, people chanting her name, the men falling at her feet. So when she meets Fred Casely and he tells her that he can make her a star she falls at his feet. But when she finds out that what Fred Casely had promised was all a lie just to sleep with her, the affair is quickly over and she shoots him. 

When news breaks out that this innocent looking woman has shot someone her name is in both the papers and "on everybody's lips"she begins to feel that she has now made it, allowing fame to get to her head and competing with rival Velma Kelly for the publics attention. When things begin to go down hill for Roxie she fakes a pregnancy that not even her loyar Billy Flynn saw coming. This brings her higher up the ladder and her court trial is the opitamy, this could either make or break her. In order to hold onto her fame both her and Velma Kelly team up to become the most unforgettable double act.

Her character is based on the real life murderess by the name of Beulah Annan who was only 23 when she was accused of the murder of Hary Kalstedt on April 3rd 1924. It is said that she waited two hours before making a phone call to her husband telling him that she had just killed a man who had tried to make love to her. On March 25th 1924 she was found not guilty.

25th January

Decoda, Isa, Kemilya and myselfgot together and spent some time going over our lines. In addition to this, we explored the various dance steps that could possibly be used for the different dance numbers in the show. This was really enjoyable we even made up routines that we taught each other and recorded.

Decoda and myself also decided to use the time to also work on our routine for "Nowadays" which is the final number in the show. We used some of the signiture movements from that era- Bob Fosse's works and added our own movements too. After working out the steps we continued to go over the dance routine in order to refine it. There's still more to do on the dance and so next week we shall contiinue to work on it.

  

 





When the rest of the class had arrived, we began to work on the first few scenes, blocking and figuring out where to stand in relation to the set up of the stage. For our first rehearsal, this went quite well and everyone had a good attitude towards it. For improvement, I shall contnue to learn my lines and run through theem by myself and with others and further explore my character watching her body language and tone of voice throughout both the movie and the stage show.

March 8th

We worked on the finale song which is "Nowadays" and running into the song from the scene before to include the bows

Today we worked on the song "Me and my baby". This song is the song sung by Roxie when she makes her public appearence after it is announced that she is pregnant. We began to choreograph the dance routine this included two other dancers that would dance beside Roxie. The way it was origionally done in the script involved the dancers in nappies and dummies acting as babies as the done the routine. However, we decided against the idea of dressing up the dancers as babies and simply just left it simple.

Later, I sung through "Me and my baby" then sung it again doing the routine at the same time in order to work out the structure of the song, when the chorus sings and how it will work with staging.

In addition to this, we worked on group songs. These included "Both reached for the gun" we then moved onto "All That Jazz" followed by solo songs.