John Harold Kander (born March 18, 1927) is an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...

, known largely for his work in the musical theater. As part of the songwriting team

Kander and Ebb Kander and Ebb were a highly successful American songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander (born March 18, 1927) and lyricist Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004). Known primarily for their stage musicals, which include ' ...

(with lyricist

Fred Ebb Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004) was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Riv ...

), Kander wrote the scores for 15 musicals, including ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dinin ...

'' (1966) and ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

'' (1975), both of which were later adapted into acclaimed films. He and Ebb also wrote the standard "

New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

" (also known as "Theme from ''New York, New York''").

Early life

John Kander, the second son of Harold and Bernice (Aaron) Kander, was born on March 18, 1927, in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the List of United States cities by populat ...

. He has stated that he grew up in a loving, middle-class Jewish family and maintained a lifelong close relationship with his older brother, Edward, who became a sales manager at a brokerage house in the city. John attributes his early interest in music (starting at age four) to the family's love of singing around the piano. His first composition was a Christmas carol, written during second-grade mathematics class; his teacher's encouragement led to the school choir singing it for a holiday assembly. He attended his first opera performances at the age of nine, when the San Carlo Opera came to Kansas City with their productions of ''

Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 Decemb ...

'' and ''

Madama Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lu ...

.'' According to Kander, "My mother took me and we sat in the first row. There were these giants on the stage, and my feet were dangling over my seat. It was overwhelming for me, even though I could see the strings that held the beards on the Egyptian soldiers.... My interest in telling a story through music in many ways derived from early experiences like those." Kander attended Westport High School before transferring to the Pembroke Country-Day School. During the 1940s, Kander joined the

United States Merchant Marine United States Merchant Marines are United States civilian mariners and U.S. civilian and federally owned merchant vessels. Both the civilian mariners and the merchant vessels are managed by a combination of the government and private sectors, an ...

Cadet Corps. After completing his training in California and sailing between San Francisco and Asia, Kander left the Corps on May 3, 1946. However, due to rule changes governing national service, Kander was forced to enlist in the Army Reserves in September of the same year, after having already completed one semester at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. During the Korean War, Kander was ordered back into active duty, but he was forced to remain in New York City for six months of observation after a medical physical revealed scars on his lungs. He was officially discharged on July 3, 1957. Kander graduated with a degree in music at

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second oldest continuously operating coeducational institute of highe ...

in 1951 and went on to graduate studies at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, where he was a protégé of

Douglas Moore Douglas Stuart Moore (August 10, 1893 – July 25, 1969) was an American composer, songwriter, organist, pianist, Conducting, conductor, educator, actor, and author. A composer who mainly wrote works with an American subject, his music is genera ...

and studied composition with Jack Beeson and Otto Luening. He earned his master's degree from Columbia University in 1953.

Career

Following his studies, Kander began conducting at summer theaters before serving as a rehearsal pianist for the musical ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play '' Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid ...

'' by

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

and

Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...

in New York. While working, Kander met the choreographer, Jerome Robbins, who suggested that Kander compose the dance music for the show in 1959. After that experience, he wrote dance arrangements for '' Irma la Douce'' in 1960. Kander's first produced musical was '' A Family Affair'' in 1962, written with James and

William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He first came to prominence in the 1950s as a novelist before turning to screenwriting. He won Academy Awards for his screenplays '' ...

. The same year, Kander met

through their mutual publisher, Tommy Volando. The first song Kander and Ebb wrote together, "My Coloring Book", was made popular by a recording from Sandy Stewart and their second song, "I Don't Care Much", was made famous by

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

, and Kander and Ebb became a permanent team. In 1965, Kander and Ebb wrote music for their first show on Broadway, ''

Flora the Red Menace ''Flora the Red Menace'' is a musical with a book by George Abbott and Robert Russell, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The original 1965 production starred Liza Minnelli in the title role in her Broadway debut, for which she won ...

'', produced by

Hal Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th century America ...

, directed by

George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades. Early years Abbott was born in Forestville, New Y ...

, and with book by George Abbott and Robert Russell, in which

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...

made her Broadway debut. Kander and Ebb have since been associated with writing material for both

and

Chita Rivera Chita Rivera (born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson; January 23, 1933), is an American actress, singer and dancer best known for originating roles in Broadway musicals including Anita in ''West Side Story'', Velma Kelly in ''Chic ...

(including the musicals ''Zorba'', ''Chicago'', ''The Rink'', and ''Kiss of the Spider Woman'') and have produced special material for their appearances live and on television, such as ''Liza with a Z''. The Broadway musicals ''

'' and ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

'' have been made into films. The film version of ''Chicago'' won several 2002

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

s, including for best picture, film editing, costume design, art direction and sound. In his musicological and biographical study of the collaboration of Kander and Ebb, James Leve discusses the full history of ''Cabaret'' and ''Chicago'' in chapters titled "The Divinely Decadent Lives of ''Cabaret''" and "''Chicago'': Broadway to Hollywood". As Leve notes, ''Cabaret'', which is a musical adaptation of

Christopher Isherwood Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood (26 August 1904 – 4 January 1986) was an Anglo-American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, autobiographer, and diarist. His best-known works include ''Goodbye to Berlin'' (1939), a semi-autobiographical ...

's ''The Berlin Stories'', was an "ideal vehicle for Kander and Ebb's brittle and self-referential brand of musical theater." This insight also holds true for ''Chicago.'' Kander, along with Ebb, also wrote songs for

Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes — for the novel '' The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and '' The Skin of Our Teeth'' — ...

's ''

The Skin of Our Teeth ''The Skin of Our Teeth'' is a play by Thornton Wilder that won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It opened on October 15, 1942, at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, before moving to the Plymouth Theatre on Broadway on November 18, ...

'', and it was set to premiere in London, but the rights were pulled by Wilder's nephew. He also says that

Harvey Schmidt Harvey Lester Schmidt (September 12, 1929 – February 28, 2018) was an American composer for musical theatre and illustrator. He was best known for composing the music for the longest running musical in history, '' The Fantasticks'', which ran of ...

and

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...

, the writers of '' The Fantasticks'', wrote a musical of Wilder's ''

Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 thr ...

'' and it took them thirteen years to write, only to have the rights pulled as well by the nephew. Kander's first musical without Ebb in many years, ''The Landing'', with book and lyrics by Greg Pierce, premiered

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

at the Vineyard Theatre on October 23, 2013. The musical, which was a series of three "mini-musicals" was directed by Walter Bobbie and starred

David Hyde Pierce David Hyde Pierce (born April 3, 1959) is an American actor and director of stage, film and television. He starred as psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom '' Frasier'' from 1993 to 2004, and won four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Scree ...

and

Julia Murney Julia Kathleen Murney (born January 14, 1969) is an American actress and singer, also known for television commercial voice-overs. Until 2005, she was commonly known as the Broadway actress who had technically never appeared on Broadway. This ...

. Kander's musical ''

Kid Victory ''Kid Victory'' is a musical with the story by John Kander and Greg Pierce, and music by John Kander, book and lyrics by Greg Pierce, co-produced by Vineyard Theatre and Signature Theatre. Production The musical premiered at the Signature T ...

'', with book and lyrics by Greg Pierce, had its world premiere February 28, 2015 at the Signature Theatre in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county ...

. ''Kid Victory'' premiered Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre on February 1, 2017 in previews, and opened officially on February 22, 2017. Direction is by Liesl Tommy with choreography by Christopher Windom. The cast features Jeffry Denman and Karen Ziemba. Kander (music) and David Thompson (lyrics) wrote the dance play ''The Beast in the Jungle'' which opened Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre. The play is directed and choreographed by

Susan Stroman Susan P. Stroman (born October 17, 1954) is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director and performer. Her notable theater productions include '' The Producers'', '' Crazy for You'', ''Contact'', and '' The Scottsboro Boys''. She is ...

, and features

Tony Yazbeck Tony Yazbeck (March 14, 1979) is an American actor, singer, and dancer, best known for his work on the Broadway stage, including the revival of '' On the Town'', for which he received 2015 Tony Award and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for ...

and Irina Dvorovenko. Kander collaborated with

Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and '' In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animat ...

for Miranda's Hamildrop series: “Cheering for Me Now” (lyrics Miranda and music Kander) is an uplifting track about New York's ratification of the constitution. James Leve discusses Kander's prolific career and his late musical style in the essay, "John Kander: the First Ninety-Two Years".

Personal life

In 2010, Kander married dancer and choreographer Albert Stephenson, his partner since 1977, in Toronto. Kander's grand-nephew, Jason Kander, was formerly the

Missouri Secretary of State The people below have served as the Secretary of State of the U.S. state of Missouri. List Gallery File:Warren E. Hearnes.jpg, Warren E. Hearnes File:James C. Kirkpatrick.jpg, James C. Kirkpatrick File:Rep Roy Blunt.jpg, Roy Blunt File:Mattb ...

Works

''Lyrics by Fred Ebb unless otherwise noted''

Stage musicals

*'' A Family Affair'' (1962) – lyrics by William Goldman *''

'' (1965) *''

'' (1966) *''Go Fly a Kite'' (1966) – music and lyrics also by Walter Marks *''

The Happy Time ''The Happy Time'' is a 1952 American comedy-drama film directed by the award-winning director Richard Fleischer, based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Robert Fontaine, which Samuel A. Taylor turned into a hit play. A boy, played by Bobb ...

'' (1968) *'' Zorba'' (1968) *'' 70, Girls, 70'' (1971) *''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

'' (1976) *'' The Act'' (1978) *'' Woman of the Year'' (1981) *'' The Rink'' (1984) *''

Diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...

'' (1984) – two songs: "Winter In New York" and "Diamonds Are Forever" *'' And The World Goes 'Round'' (1991) *'' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (1992) *'' Steel Pier'' (1997) *'' Fosse'' (1999) *''Over and Over'' (1999) – working title: ''The Skin Of Our Teeth'' *'' The Visit'' (2001) *''

Curtains A curtain is a piece of cloth or other material intended to block or obscure light, air drafts, or (in the case of a shower curtain), water. A curtain is also the movable screen or drape in a theatre that separates the stage from the auditorium ...

'' (2006) – additional lyrics by Kander and

Rupert Holmes David Goldstein (born February 24, 1947), better known as Rupert Holmes, is a British-American composer, singer-songwriter, dramatist and author. He is widely known for the hit singles "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" (1979) and " Him" (1980). ...

*'' All About Us'' (2007 revision of ''Over and Over'') *'' The Scottsboro Boys'' (2010) (Additional lyrics by Kander) *''The Landing'' (2013) - lyrics by Greg Pierce *''

'' (2015) - lyrics by Greg Pierce *''The Beast in the Jungle'' (2018)

Film and television

Kander and Ebb also contributed songs for the following movies: *''

'' (1972) – 12 songs (mostly originally from the musical of the same name) *'' Funny Lady'' (1975) – 6 songs *''

Lucky Lady ''Lucky Lady'' is a 1975 American comedy-drama film directed by Stanley Donen and starring Liza Minnelli, Gene Hackman, Burt Reynolds and Robby Benson. Its story takes place in 1930 during Prohibition in the United States. The film is notable fo ...

'' (1976) – 2 songs *'' A Matter of Time'', aka ''Nina'' (1976) – 2 songs *''

'' (1977) – 4 songs *'' French Postcards'' (1979) – 1 song *'' Stepping Out'' (1991) – 1 song ("Stepping Out") *''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

'' (2002) – 15 songs (mostly originally from the musical of the same name, plus one song cut from the original show, which runs under the end credits) ;Film scores *''

Something for Everyone ''Something for Everyone'' is a 1970 American black comedy film starring Angela Lansbury, Michael York, Anthony Higgins, and Jane Carr. The film was based on the novel ''The Cook'' by Harry Kressing, with a screenplay by Hugh Wheeler. The pl ...

'' (1970) *''

Kramer vs. Kramer ''Kramer vs. Kramer'' is a 1979 American legal drama film written and directed by Robert Benton, based on Avery Corman's 1977 novel of the same name. The film stars Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, and Justin Henry. It tells the stor ...

'' (1979) *'' Still of the Night'' (1982) *'' Blue Skies Again'' (1983) *''

Places in the Heart ''Places in the Heart'' is a 1984 American film written and directed by Robert Benton. It stars Sally Field, Lindsay Crouse, Ed Harris, Ray Baker, Amy Madigan, John Malkovich, Danny Glover, Jerry Haynes and Terry O'Quinn. The film's narrative ...

'' (1984) *'' An Early Frost'' (TV film, NBC, 1985) *'' I Want to Go Home'' (1989) *''

Billy Bathgate ''Billy Bathgate'' is a 1989 novel by author E. L. Doctorow that won the 1989 National Book Critics Circle award for fiction for 1990, the 1990 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the 1990 William Dean Howells Medal, and was the runner-up for the 1 ...

'' (1991) *''

Breathing Lessons ''Breathing Lessons'' is a Pulitzer Prize–winning 1988 novel by American author Anne Tyler. It is her eleventh novel and won the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Plot The story describes the joys and pains of the ordinary marriage of Ira and ...

'' (TV film, CBS, 1994) *'' The Boys Next Door'' (TV film, CBS, 1996) ;Television *''Liza!'' (1970) *'' Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back'' (1973) (Frank Sinatra) *'' Liza with a Z'' (1972) *''Gypsy In My Soul'' (1976) (

Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...

) *''Baryshnikov on Broadway'' (1980) *''Liza in London'' (1986) *''Sam Found Out, A Triple Play'' (1988) *''Liza Minnelli, Live From

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and theater at 1260 Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplace of the Nation", it is the headquarters for ...

'' (1992)

Awards

*''

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

'', Composer and Lyricist, 1967, for ''Cabaret'' *''

'' , Original Score, 1981, for ''Woman Of The Year'' *''

'' , Original Score, 1993, for ''Kiss Of The Spider Woman'' * ''

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

'', Outstanding Lyrics, 2010, for ''The Scottsboro Boys'' *''

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

'', 1998, for the London production of ''Chicago'' *''

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

'', 1973, for ''Liza With A Z'' *''

'', 1993, for ''Liza Minnelli Live! From Radio City Music Hall'' *''

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

'', 1967, for ''Cabaret'', Original Cast Album *''

'', 1998, for ''Chicago'', Musical Show Album The team also received numerous nominations, which include five additional Tony Awards, two

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, and four

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

. Kander, like Ebb, is also a member of the

American Theater Hall of Fame The American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the organization's Executive Committee. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the ...

, having been inducted in 1991. In 1998, Kander and Ebb received the

Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five hono ...

award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2018, Kander was awarded the Stephen Sondheim award by Tony-winning Signature Theater. In 2021, Kander was honored as a Columbia alum with the I.A.L. Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts by The Varsity Show

References

External links

* * * *
archive
* Kander biography, AllMusic {{DEFAULTSORT:Kander, John 1927 births Living people American musical theatre composers Male musical theatre composers Broadway composers and lyricists Columbia University alumni Grammy Award winners American male composers American male songwriters Kennedy Center honorees Oberlin College alumni Musicians from Kansas City, Missouri Military personnel from Missouri United States Merchant Mariners United States National Medal of Arts recipients LGBT composers LGBT Jews LGBT people from Missouri American gay musicians Songwriters from Missouri Jewish American songwriters Jewish American composers 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people 21st-century American Jews