Who were Kander and Ebb?

Kander and Ebb were an American songwriting duo who collaborated for over 40 years, from the mid-1960s to the early 2000s. John Kander composed the music, and Fred Ebb supplied the lyrics for numerous successful musicals and films. Their notable works include the scores for Cabaret , which earned them their first Tony Award , and Chicago . They also penned the iconic song "New York, New York" for the film of the same name. Kander and Ebb were inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 1991.

What is Kander and Ebb best known for?

Kander and Ebb were an American songwriting duo best known for their scores for successful musicals and films. John Kander composed the music, and Fred Ebb wrote the lyrics. Their collaboration spanned over 40 years, from the mid-1960s to the early 2000s. They won Tony Awards for their scores for Cabaret (1966), Woman of the Year (1981), and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993). Other notable works include the musicals Chicago and the title song from the film New York, New York .

What are some famous musicals written by Kander and Ebb?

Kander and Ebb, an American songwriting duo, created numerous successful musicals. Their notable works include: Cabaret (1966): This musical, set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic, explores romances amidst the rise of Nazism and won a Tony Award for Best Musical. Chicago (1975): A vaudeville-inspired production about a showgirl who murders her lover, it later won a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Woman of the Year (1981) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993): Both of these musicals also earned Tony Awards for their scores. Their collaboration spanned over 40 years, producing memorable songs for both stage and film.

What was the creative process like between Kander and Ebb?

The creative process between Kander and Ebb was a highly collaborative partnership. John Kander composed the music, while Fred Ebb supplied the lyrics. They met in 1962, and their distinct styles and personalities quickly meshed, leading to a prolific collaboration that spanned over 40 years and produced numerous successful musicals and films. Their work together resulted in iconic shows like Cabaret and Chicago , earning them multiple Tony Awards and critical acclaim.

How did their songs influence Broadway musicals?

Kander and Ebb's songs significantly influenced Broadway musicals by contributing to the genre's evolution towards more integrated and thematically rich productions. Their work, such as the scores for Cabaret and Chicago , showcased a sophisticated integration of music, lyrics, and narrative, moving beyond simple song-and-dance numbers. They explored complex themes, including social commentary and the darker aspects of human nature, which broadened the scope of subjects suitable for musical theatre. This approach helped pave the way for musicals that were not only entertaining but also thought-provoking, influencing subsequent generations of songwriters and composers on Broadway.

What lasting impact have Kander and Ebb had on American musical theater?

Kander and Ebb significantly impacted American musical theater through their prolific collaboration, spanning over four decades. They created scores for numerous successful musicals, including Cabaret and Chicago , earning multiple Tony Awards for their work. Their songs, such as "New York, New York," have become enduring standards. Kander composed the music, while Ebb provided the lyrics, resulting in a distinctive and influential body of work that continues to be celebrated in theater and film.

Kander and Ebb

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Images

Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey perform on stage in Cabaret (1972), with Minnelli in a flapper dress and headpiece and Grey in a tuxedo and top hat, standing before a blue curtain with large currency symbols.

*Cabaret* Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey in *Cabaret* (1972), the film version of a Kander and Ebb musical.

Kander and Ebb

American songwriting duo

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History

Early lives and careers

Kander was born into a musical household. He began studying piano at age six and performed with family and friends during his youth. Kander received a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College (Ohio) in 1951 and a master’s degree from Columbia University (New York City) in 1954; both degrees were in music. He worked as a pianist, dance music arranger, and summer-stock musical conductor before joining lyricists James Goldman and William Goldman to write the score for the musical A Family Affair (1962).

Ebb developed a love for the city’s theatrical scene at a young age. After receiving an undergraduate degree from New York University in 1955 and a master’s degree in English literature from Columbia University in 1957, he penned nightclub pieces and teamed with composer Paul Klein and lyricist Norman Martin to write songs for the revue From A to Z (1960).

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Collaboration

When Kander and Ebb met in 1962, their styles and personalities meshed, and they soon began writing songs together. Two of their earliest tunes were “My Coloring Book” and “I Don’t Care Much,” both of which were subsequently recorded by Barbra Streisand. Flora, the Red Menace (1965), the story of a department store worker whose boyfriend persuades her to join the Communist Party, marked the Broadway debut of Kander and Ebb as well as that of Liza Minnelli, who was cast in the lead through the songwriters’ persistent lobbying of the director. Minnelli later appeared in the Kander and Ebb stage musicals The Act (1977) and The Rink (1984) and in the film version of their breakthrough musical, Cabaret (1972).

Popular Show Tunes by Kander and Ebb

“Wilkommen” (Cabaret)
“Mein Herr” (Cabaret)
“Tomorrow Belongs to Me” (Cabaret)
“All That Jazz” (Chicago)
“Cell Block Tango” (Chicago)
“New York, New York” (New York, New York)

Cabaret, Chicago, and awards

The duo won their first Tony Award for the score of Cabaret (1966), which was also named best musical of the season. Set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic, Cabaret tells the story of two romances doomed by the rise of Nazism. The film version, which contained some new Kander and Ebb tunes, received multiple Academy Awards, including one for Minnelli for best actress. The show was revived onstage in 1987. In addition, Kander and Ebb received Tony Awards for their scores of Woman of the Year (1981) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993), which also was honored as best musical.

Other Kander and Ebb stage works include The Happy Time (1968), Zorba (1968, revival 1981), Seventy Girls Seventy (1971), and Steel Pier (1997). Chicago, a vaudeville-influenced production about a showgirl who murders her lover, had a significant run when it opened in 1975. A new production earned the 1997 Tony Award for best revival of a musical.

Later works

The duo earned an Oscar nomination for the song “How Lucky Can You Get” from the film Funny Lady (1975). Another of their memorable screen tunes was the title song from the film New York, New York (1977), which became a standard for Frank Sinatra. They also wrote material for the Emmy Award-winning Liza with a Z: A Concert for Television (1972) and other television specials. In 1991 Kander and Ebb were inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in New York City. That same year a compilation show of Kander and Ebb songs titled And the World Goes Round opened Off-Broadway. In 2003 the two songwriters received yet another Academy Award, this time for “I Move On,” from the film version of Chicago (2002), which won six Oscars, including that for best picture.

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Gitanjali Roy.

Kander and Ebb

Early lives and careers

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Collaboration

Cabaret, Chicago, and awards

Later works