• Biography

Biography

Composer John Kander (born March 18, 1927 in Kansas City, MO.) teamed with lyricist Fred Ebb (born April 8, 1935 in New York, NY) to forge one of the longest-running and most successful creative partnerships in Broadway history, giving rise a series of enormously popular and provocative musicals including “Cabaret,” “Chicago,” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” The two met in 1962 and soon collaborated on the songs "My Coloring Book" and "I Don't Care Much," both later recorded by Barbra Streisand. Kander/Ebb's collaboration on 1966's “Cabaret,” a brilliant examination of fascism in pre-war Berlin, rocketed the duo to massive critical and commercial success, winning seven Tony awards (including Best Musical) on its way to a run of 1,166 performances and an Oscar-winning film adaptation. In 1975, Kander/Ebb launched “Chicago,” which was largely overlooked during its original run but was revived to massive success two decades later. In 1977, they scored Martin Scorsese's film musical “New York, New York.” The title song later became a signature hit for Frank Sinatra as well as the Big Apple's unofficial theme; also that year, the duo launched “The Act on Broadway” - both projects starred Liza Minnelli. After a four-year absence from the stage, Kander/Ebb returned with 1981's “Woman of the Year,” a vehicle for Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall which earned four Tonys; three years later, the duo debuted “The Rink.” Their 1991 induction into the New York Theatre Hall of Fame coincided with the premiere of “And the World Goes 'Round,” an off-Broadway tribute revue featuring dozens of their songs. 1993's “Kiss of the Spider Woman” returned Kander/Ebb to their past prominence, netting Best Musical honors from the New York Drama Critics as well as a handful of Tony awards, including Best Actress accolades for star Chita Rivera. “Steel Pier” followed in 1997, and later that same year Kander/Ebb were announced as recipients of the 21st annual Kennedy Center Honors.