Kander and Ebb were a highly successful American songwriting team consisting ofcomposerJohn Kander (born March 18, 1927) andlyricistFred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004). Known primarily for their stagemusicals, which includeCabaret andChicago, Kander and Ebb also scored several movies, includingMartin Scorsese'sNew York, New York. Their most famous song isthe theme song of that movie. Recorded by many artists, "New York, New York" became a signature song forFrank Sinatra. The team also became associated with two actresses,Liza Minnelli andChita Rivera, for whom they wrote a considerable amount of material for the stage, concerts and television.
John Kander and Fred Ebb were introduced by their mutual music publisher Tommy Valando in 1962. Kander and Ebb met at Ebb's apartment and decided to test their compatibility as writing partners with a "mock title song" for a musical comedy already running on Broadway, a Hal Prince production calledTake Her, She's Mine.[1] As James Leve remarks in his bookKander and Ebb (2009), "The turning point in Kander and Ebb's collaboration occurred when Kander suggested that they try a ballad. The result, 'My Coloring Book,' became an instant hit."[2]Sandy Stewart performed the song, and it was nominated for a 1962 Grammy Award.Barbra Streisand andDusty Springfield later covered "My Coloring Book". This song established what was to become Kander and Ebb's iconic musical style, deceptively sophisticated harmonic progression with lyrics and melodies that are accessible to audiences. As Leve writes, "what best defines their voice is the contradictory nature of their collaboration: the composer and lyricist have strikingly different artistic temperaments, the former demonstrably sentimental, the latter campy and cynical."[3]
Kander and Ebb collaborated on an unproduced musical calledGolden Gate, which producer-directorHarold Prince called "...basically a test to see if the collaboration was any good." They wroteFlora the Red Menace, their first musical to be produced onBroadway, in 1965, in which Liza Minnelli made her Broadway debut. Another early collaboration was theindustrial musicalGeneral Electric presents Go Fly a Kite written withWalter Marks forGeneral Electric's 5th Electric Executives Conference inWilliamsburg, Virginia, in 1966.
Kander's and Ebb's greatest acclaim came from the musicalCabaret (1966) and the1972 film version. The musical, directed by frequent collaboratorHarold Prince, was a major success, with a Broadway run of over 1,100 performances. It won aTony Award as the season's best musical, and its original cast recording won aGrammy Award. The film, directed byBob Fosse, won eightAcademy Awards. The musicalChicago (1975) after an excellent initial run of 936 performances was revived on Broadway in 1996 to become an even greater hit. It has become the longest-running revival in Broadway history, and the2002 film version was also a great success, including an Oscar nomination for the collaboration. Other Broadway successes includedWoman Of The Year (1981),Kiss of the Spider Woman (1992), and, posthumously for Ebb,Curtains (2006), their final musical.
Minnelli became strongly associated with Kander and Ebb, with Ebb producing Minnelli's Emmy-winning television specialLiza with a Z. They appreciated the actress's excellent musicianship and found her congenial to work with. Kander said, "One of the nice things about writing for Liza is that you don't have to write for Liza. She can do anything. You know that whatever you do write, she's going to deliver it exactly the way you intended it. It's really the same with Chita Rivera, the other woman in our lives."[4]
Kander's and Ebb's fascination with the collaborative process began with their work onCabaret, where a long experimental period permitted actors such asJoel Grey to contribute ideas toward the creation of their characters. The creative team often met at Harold Prince's home to discuss ideas. These sessions are discussed in the Kander and Ebb biography,Colored Lights, as “what if” sessions.[5]
In 1998, Kander and Ebb were recognized for their contributions to theatre and music withKennedy Center Honors.
In 1994, they were granted honorarydoctorate degrees fromNiagara University, inLewiston, New York.
The Scottsboro Boys played onBroadway for a short time in 2010.[6] The book was written byDavid Thompson and choreographed and directed bySusan Stroman.
Susan Stroman and David Thompson would collaborate again, as director/choreographer and book writer respectively, for Kander & Ebb'sNew York, New York, musical[7] which uses songs from Scorsese's movie but weaves them into a new story set during the same time period.[8] The show ran April 26 – July 30, 2023.[9]