Kander and Ebb

Composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb wrote together for more than four decades, giving Broadway Cabaret, Chicago, and the song New York, New York. Their shows often wrap dark subjects in razzle-dazzle showbiz numbers. This page walks through their work in order and suggests where to begin.

Who Kander and Ebb are

John Kander, the composer, was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 18, 1927. Fred Ebb, the lyricist, was born in New York City on April 8, 1928, and died on September 11, 2004. They were introduced in 1962 by the music publisher Tommy Valando and stayed partners until Ebb's death.

Their signature move is the show-within-a-show. Cabaret uses a seedy Berlin nightclub to comment on the rise of the Nazis, Chicago stages a murder trial as a string of vaudeville acts, and Kiss of the Spider Woman lets a prisoner escape into movie musical fantasies. Kander's music is catchy and theatrical, full of vamps and big finishes, while Ebb's lyrics are sharp and often cynical. They worked closely with director and choreographer Bob Fosse and with performers such as Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera, and they wrote songs for the Emmy-winning TV special Liza with a Z (1972).

Kander and Ebb's Broadway shows in order

Their first Broadway musical was Flora the Red Menace (1965), which brought Liza Minnelli to Broadway. Cabaret (1966) followed and won the Tony for Best Musical. Next came The Happy Time and Zorba (both 1968) and 70, Girls, 70 (1971).

Chicago opened in 1975, and its 1996 revival is now the longest-running American musical in Broadway history. Woman of the Year (1981), starring Lauren Bacall, and The Rink (1984) were followed by Kiss of the Spider Woman, which opened on Broadway in 1993 and won Best Musical. Steel Pier came in 1997.

Several shows reached Broadway after Ebb died: Curtains (2007), completed with Rupert Holmes, The Scottsboro Boys (2010), and The Visit (2015), starring Chita Rivera. Kander kept writing with new partners, and New York, New York, a new musical inspired by the 1977 film with additional lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, opened on Broadway in 2023.

Legacy and where to start

Kander and Ebb won three Tony Awards for their scores: Cabaret (1967), Woman of the Year (1981), and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993). They received the Kennedy Center Honors together in 1998, and Kander received a special Tony for lifetime achievement in 2023. Their songs also reached film: Bob Fosse's 1972 Cabaret won eight Academy Awards, and the 2002 Chicago film won Best Picture. The theme from New York, New York became a Frank Sinatra standard.

Start with Chicago, which is still running on Broadway and is packed with songs like All That Jazz and Cell Block Tango. Then try Cabaret for something darker and more powerful. Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Scottsboro Boys are rewarding next steps for fans who want to hear how the team used showbiz styles to tell hard stories.

Kander and Ebb: frequently asked questions

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