Born and raised on the North Side, Bob (Robert Louis) Fosse graduated from Ravenswood Grade School and Amundsen High School. Fosse (pronounced FAW-see) developed his distinctive dancing style as half of a teenage duo, the Riff Brothers, performing in amateur shows, lodge halls, vaudeville houses and strip joints around the city before moving to New York after World War II to become a Broadway show dancer. He rose from lead dancer ( Call Me Mister, 1946) to choreographer ( The Pajama Game, 1954) to director-choreographer for stage ( Redhead, 1959) and screen ( Sweet Charity, 1969). In 1973, he won the director's triple crown of Academy Award ( Cabaret ), Tony Award ( Pippin ), and Emmy Award ( Liza with a Z ).

Richard Christiansen