Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
MissSpectacular
Swing Joined: 10/21/08
#1Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 4:51pm
So...I saw the new Beyonce music video "Single Ladies" and everyone has been commenting on how great the choreography is. Well, sadly whoever was the choreographer stole most of "his" choreography from Bob Fosse's Mexican Breakfast and some from Sweet Charity.
Pop culture needs to leave Broadway alone
I am so upset.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVEGfH4s5g
Roscoe
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#2re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 4:54pmThis may come as a surprise, MissS, but Broadway IS pop culture.
"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." Thomas Pynchon, GRAVITY'S RAINBOW
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick
My blog: http://www.roscoewrites.blogspot.com/
MissSpectacular
Swing Joined: 10/21/08
#2re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 4:56pm
Yeah...I know...I don't like it..but you have to accept it I guess.
#3re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 4:59pm
I like it when "pop culture" (by which I guess you mean pop music?) borrows from Broadway, actually... it makes new converts. I have a friend who said he hated musicals, but he loved Usher's version of "Singin' In The Rain." So I lent him the real film version with Gene Kelly, and he loved it.
And using Broadway choreography is a lot more pleasing to the eye than a lot of what passes for dancing...
In my pants, she has burst like the music of angels, the light of the sun! --Marius Pantsmercy
Updated On: 10/21/08 at 04:59 PM
#4re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 5:00pmThere's nothing wrong with Pop-Culture. It isn't like Broadway is in some alternate reality where there is no Pop-Culture. Speaking of Pop-Culture I'm taking a class on it it school, one of the only schools in NY state to offer it.
#5re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 5:03pm
Everything old is new again...
<---- You can see the crazy in her eyes. ;-)
#6re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 5:05pmI see and understand your frustration, but instead of leaving Broadway alone, I'd rather pop culture give credit to the geniuses that they swipe the choreography from.
MissSpectacular
Swing Joined: 10/21/08
#7re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 5:08pmI totally agree! Good Point
#8re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 5:23pmThink he's using jazz hands to turn?
Hi, Shirley Temple Pudding.
#9re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 5:24pm"Bob Fosse is pivot-turning in his grave..."
In my pants, she has burst like the music of angels, the light of the sun! --Marius Pantsmercy
#10re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 5:29pmJesus christ superstar! What is going on in the world of Hollywood!?!
#11re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 5:34pmFosse himself used to say that stealing was the best form of flattery. I think it's a wonderful homage to the brilliance of Bob Fosse, and it is incredibly fascinating to me that decades after he created this choreography, it still is affecting the work of the most popular mainstream performers working today. It's simply fantastic to see that Fosse's wonderful art is that relevant, entertaining, and great that to this day it is a part of popular culture.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#12re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 5:35pmAnd that's why I decided to join BroadwayWorld!
#13re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 5:40pmMaybe they admire Mr Fosse and want to honor him. Just be thankful it's not Miley Cyrus or whatever and it's Beyonce. At least she does it will respect and she has talent.
dcl7777
Swing Joined: 5/4/06
#14re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 5:59pmWell, at least she has some taste,konwing to steal from the great.She could have stolen from Debbie Allen and most of her fans wouldn't notice any difference.
Wildcard
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/21/06
#15re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 6:06pm
Thank God Broadway never borrows ideas from pop-culture!!!
(and for some of those slow on the pick up, I'm being sarcastic here)
Updated On: 10/22/08 at 06:06 PM
Dumblove41
Swing Joined: 9/18/08
#16re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 6:53pmcall me crazy.. but I also see a whole lot of Michael Bennett (circa- Promises Promises) in it as well
#17re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 7:03pm
Seeing as how Bob Fosse stole half of his ideas from Jack Cole, I doubt he'd be spinning too fast.
Updated On: 10/21/08 at 07:03 PM
#18re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 7:11pm
Pop culture needs to leave Broadway alone
I am so upset.
Of all the things to get upset about, this seems like a pretty minor one. And it's not like Broadway never borrows some ideas from pop culture.
"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#19re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 7:19pm
Once again you young ones are showing your ages and naivete.
If you knew ANYTHING remotely close about Bob Fosse, you'd be fully aware that he LOVED seeing his choreographic influences in other choreographer's works. As mentioned above, he found imitation an enormous form of flattery.
The very first music video to pay homage to Bob Fosse was Paula Abdul's "Cold Hearted Snake" back in 1989. It paid enormous homage to Bob Fosse's "Airotica" sequence from his 1978 film ALL THAT JAZZ.
In PEOPLE Magazine Bob Fosse once commented on Paula's choreography.
"He said that he admired my style as a young choreographer, and how I have unpredictability in my choreography -- the ability to turn right when everyone expects me to turn left. It was the biggest compliment I ever received".
Paula Abdul's "Cold Hearted Snake" music video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN-Qq2umKZo
*Marguerite Derrick's GAP Khaki A Go-Go TV Spot/Commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJQSfwe2Vv0
Fosse-esque 2007 VMA TV Spot/Commercial with Britney Spears: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRWVqBqK3Z4
*Marguerite Derrick infuses enormous amounts of Bob Fosse's work in her pieces. You can also see this in all of the Austin Powers films which she's choreographed.
Director/choreographer Vincent Patterson also payed heavy homage to Bob Fosse for Madonna's legendary 1990 Blonde Ambition World Tour (from the trio groupings to the "Vogue" and "Keep it Together" numbers -- black derbies and all). Beyonce' has mentioned countless times how much she admires Bob Fosse's work and has used enormous elements of his choreography and staging for not only her music videos but her tours as well.
Bob Fosse would be thrilled to see all this going on. It validates his genius talent that still inspires many. Its been over 20 years since his death in 1987 and there's no end to new generations discovering his work.
Bob Fosse may be gone but he is definitely NOT forgotten.
For what its worth -- Gwen Verdon was thrilled to see choreographers use elements of Bob Fosse's work, especially young choreographers. She died in 2000 so she was around to see most of this.
Rentaholic
Chorus Member Joined: 3/14/04
#20re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 8:40pm
You should see Beyonce's other video, "Get Me Bodied"
The whole video is an homage to Sweet Charity.
CurtisTaylorJr2
Leading Actor Joined: 3/17/06
#21re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 9:13pm
I think it's a good thing, it helps keeps classic art alive. Plus, it's a lot better than seeing the standard choreography in music video.
Updated On: 10/21/08 at 09:13 PM
TulitaPepsi
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/13/04
#22re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 9:46pm
Thank you, Michael Benneett. This was made even clearer (via film clips) at the Dancers Over 40 tribute to Cole last week.
Back to 'Single Ladies'...this warms my heart.
WORK IT BITCH! WORK! IT! OUT!!!
"Hurry up and get into your conga clothes - we've got to do something to save this show!"
Updated On: 10/21/08 at 09:46 PM
#23re: Bob Fosse is rolling over in his grave right now...
Posted: 10/21/08 at 10:45pmI will say this: I think it's really impressive how fast they three execute this choreography. For rulll.
Some people paint, some people sew, I meddle.
TheaterBoy7777
Broadway Star Joined: 1/28/06
