Bob Fosse Part Two: The Muse and the Mastermind
The Gwen Verdon Years
Gwen Verdon was the vital spark behind Bob Fosse's legendary career. She was his star, his wife and his dancing alter ego. Verdon took Fosse's restricted movements and gave them life, while acting as the essential translator who taught his style to Broadway.
Without Gwen Verdon, the Fosse style would not have conquered the theatre world. Here is how their volatile partnership shaped American dance.
Different Worlds
Verdon was cautious. She was a highly trained dance artist who studied under the legendary Jack Cole. Fosse was a self-described Broadway hoofer with a background in strip joints. Fosse also had doubts, telling Prince he needed to meet her first to see if they could work together.
The Meeting and the Spark
Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon first met in 1955 in a dusty dance studio near Lincoln Square. They were preparing for the musical Damn Yankees. Producers Robert Griffith and Harold Prince watched anxiously, unsure if the two would get along.
Instant Chemistry
The doubt vanished during their first rehearsal. Fosse was mesmerised by Verdon in her black tights, noting her pale skin and confident walk. Verdon quickly began mocking Fosse's habits. She mirrored his locked knees and hung a cigarette from her mouth just like him.
A Perfect Match
Verdon's body was the perfect match for Fosse's choreography. She suffered from rickets and a hernia as a child, which left her naturally pigeon-toed and knock-kneed. Fosse already loved these exact traits. Verdon's training in precise eye flutters and hand gestures perfectly matched Fosse's obsession with tiny movements.
Creating "Lola"
They exploded creatively during the rehearsal for the tango "Whatever Lola Wants." Verdon credited Fosse with every detail, down to when she breathed and blinked. Observers noted the perfect balance: Fosse provided the small, sharp details, while Verdon added the powerful strides and turns that made the number a showstopper.
The Fosse Whisperer at Work
Verdon became the ultimate translator of Fosse's complex vision, helping other dancers understand his cryptic style.
The Ensemble Leader: Verdon worked as Fosse's assistant. She shopped for props, sourced costumes and taught his exact dance combinations to the ensemble. She later taught her iconic roles to future stars like Shirley MacLaine, Ann Reinking and Debbie Allen.
Managing His Meltdowns: Verdon kept Fosse grounded through his insecurities. During a disastrous tryout for The Conquering Hero, Fosse locked himself in a hotel room, clutching a statue of Jesus and screaming. Verdon used a chair like a lion tamer to force him back to rehearsal. When he suffered a stress-induced seizure at the theatre, she rushed to his side and snapped him out of it.
Defending the Art: Verdon fiercely protected Fosse’s artistic choices. During New Girl in Town, police and producers tried to cut the "Whorehouse Ballet" for being dirty. Verdon fought alongside Fosse to keep it, calling it high art. During Sweet Charity, she saved the budget by showing seamstresses how to make simple black shift dresses to replace expensive, over-designed costumes.
The Complex Dynamic
Fosse and Verdon shared a close professional bond built over a turbulent marriage. Though they separated in 1971, they never divorced. Verdon signed her name as "Mrs. Bob Fosse" for the rest of her life.
The Breakdown
Fosse's constant cheating and drug abuse ruined the marriage. He held a double standard, chasing leading ladies while raging if he suspected Verdon had other lovers. He abused cigarettes, Dexedrine, sleeping pills and amyl nitrate poppers to keep up with his work.
Loyalty After the Split
Verdon remained Fosse's primary lifeline even after they separated. She helped him research his life for the movie All That Jazz, hunting through thrift stores to find a specific gorilla head for a key scene. When Fosse underwent heart surgery in 1974, Verdon managed the hospital waiting room, treating his current girlfriends with warmth.
Softening the World
Verdon brought heart to Fosse’s bitter worldview. Fosse saw life as corrupt and dark, but Verdon brought a generous spirit to rehearsals that turned terrifying cleanups into fun sessions. She accepted his self-destructive habits, believing the pain put him in touch with his talent.
The Final Act
Their bond remained intact until Fosse's death. On September 23, 1987, the pair walked to a performance of Sweet Charity in Washington, D.C. Fosse collapsed on a street corner from a final heart attack and Verdon cradled his head in her arms. Because of an old promise never to fly together, Verdon refused to fly his body home. Instead, she followed his hearse in a limousine for the five-hour drive back to New York.
Watch
Inside the Creative (and Romantic) Partnership — Fosse/Verdon
FX’s Fosse/Verdon dramatises the combustible relationship between Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, showing how their greatest work emerged directly from tension, dependence and mutual need.
Further Reading
Gwen Verdon: A Life on Stage and Screen by Peter Shelley
A classic biography that charts both the artistic triumphs and personal damage of the Fosse/Verdon relationship, capturing the cost of their shared ambition.
Buy it here
Fosse by Sam Wasson
An excellent account of their partnership. Wasson frames Verdon as collaborator, editor and the emotional engine behind Fosse’s work.
Buy it here
Whatever Lola Wants
Gwen Verdon’s defining performance, this iconic number from Damn Yankees shows how Verdon turns Fosse’s precise, minimalist choreography into something fluid and charismatic.
