Kander, John 1927-

views updated

Kander, John 1927-

PERSONAL

Full name, John Harold Kander; born March 18, 1927, in Kansas City, MO; son of Harold S. and Bernice (maiden name, Aaron) Kander. Education: Oberlin College, B.A., 1951; Columbia University, M.A., 1954.

Addresses:

Agent—International Creative Management, 10250 Constellation Way, 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067.

Career:

Composer, director, conductor, and musician. Warwick Musical Theatre, Warwick, RI, choral director and conductor, 1955-57; Niagara University, guest lecturer. Also performs as a pianist.

Member:

Dramatists Guild, National Institute of Musical Theatre, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.

Awards, Honors:

Grammy Award nomination (with Fred Ebb), song of the year, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, 1962, for "My Coloring Book"; Grammy Award (with Ebb), best score from an original cast show album, Antoinette Perry Award (with Ebb), best composer and lyricist, Drama Desk Award (with Ebb), best composer and lyricist, and New York Drama Critics' Circle Award (with Ebb and Joe Masteroff), best new musical, all 1967, London Theatre Critics Award (with Ebb), best musical, Plays & Players, 1968, all for Cabaret; Antoinette Perry Award nomination (with Ebb), best composer and lyricist, and Grammy Award nomination (with Ebb), best score from an original cast show album, both 1968, for The Happy Time; Antoinette Perry Award nomination (with Ebb), best musical, and Grammy Award nomination (with Ebb), best score from an original cast show album, both 1969, for Zorba; Emmy Award (with Ebb), best music, lyrics, and special material, and Emmy Award nomination (with Ebb), best music composition, both 1973, for Liza with a "Z"; Golden Globe Award nomination (with Ebb), best original score for a motion picture, 1976, for Funny Lady; Academy Award nomination (with Ebb), best song, and Golden Globe Award nomination (with Ebb), best original song for a motion picture, both 1976, for "How Lucky Can You Get," Funny Lady; Grammy Award nomination (with Ebb), best cast show album, and Antoinette Perry Award nomination (with Ebb), best score, both 1976, and London Theatre Critics Award (with Ebb and Bob Fosse), best musical, 1979, all for Chicago; Antoinette Perry Award nomination (with Ebb), best score, 1978, for The Act; Grammy Award nomination (with Ebb), song of the year, 1980, for "Theme," New York, New York; Antoinette Perry Award (with Ebb), best score, and Grammy Award nomination (with Ebb), best cast show album, both 1981, for Woman of the Year; Antoinette Perry Award nomination (with Ebb), best score, 1984, for The Rink; Emmy Award nomination, music composition for a miniseries or special (dramatic underscore), 1986, for An Early Frost; honorary doctorate, Oberlin College, 1988; inducted into Theatre Hall of Fame, 1991; Antoinette Perry Award (with Ebb), and New York Drama Critics' Circle Award (with Ebb), both best original score written for the theatre, 1993, and Drama Desk Award (with Ebb), outstanding music, 1993, all for Kiss of the Spider Woman; Emmy Award (with Ebb), best music composition, 1993, for "Sorry I Asked," Liza Minnelli Live! From Radio City Music Hall; honorary doctorate, Niagara University, 1994; President's Award, Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, 1996; Lifetime Achievement Award, Kennedy Center Honors, 1998; Helen Hayes Award (with Ebb), American Express Tribute, 1999; Oscar Hammerstein Award (with Ebb), lifetime achievement in musical theatre, York Theatre Company, 2000; Academy Award nomination (with Ebb), best music—original song, Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music nomination (with Ebb and Danny Elfman), British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 2003, Grammy Award nomination (with Ebb), best song written for a motion picture, television or other visual media, 2004, all for Chicago; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best original score, Drama Desk Award nominations, outstanding lyrics and outstanding music, 2007, all for Curtains; Special Drama Desk Award, 2007, for 42 years of excellence in advancing the art of the musical theatre; also inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame.

CREDITS

Stage Work:

Pianist, The Amazing Adele, New York City, 1956.

Pianist, An Evening with Bea Lillie, FL, 1956.

Conductor, Conversation Piece, Barbizon Plaza Theatre, New York City, 1957.

Dance music arranger, Gypsy, Broadway Theatre, New York City, 1959.

Dance music arranger, Irma la Douce, Plymouth Theatre, New York City, 1960.

Dance music arranger, Gypsy, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1989-90.

Music director, Three Men on a Horse, Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 1993.

Creative consultant, Liza's Back, Royal Albert Hall, London, 2002.

Television Work; Movies:

Producer, Shoot First: A Cop's Vengeance (also known as Cause of Death, Death of a San Antonio Cop, and The San Antonio Cops), NBC, 1991.

Dance music arranger, Gypsy, CBS, 1993.

Television Appearances; Specials:

"The Music of Kander and Ebb: Razzle Dazzle," Great Performances, PBS, 1997.

The 51st Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1997.

The Kennedy Center Honors (also known as The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts), CBS, 1998.

AFI's 100 Years … 100 Songs, CBS, 2004.

Broadway: The American Musical, PBS, 2004.

Presenter, The 61st Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2007.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Dinah! (also known as Dinah! & Friends), 1975.

"Mister Abbott's Broadway," Omnibus, 1994.

"Soundtrack," Walk On By: The Story of the Popular Song (also known as Popular Song: Soundtrack of the Century and The Story of Pop), BBC and ABC, 2001.

Film Work:

Coproducer, Superheroes, 2007.

Film Appearances:

Himself, "Cabaret": A Legend in the Making, 1997.

RECORDINGS

Original Cast Albums:

(With James and William Goldman) A Family Affair, 1961.

(With Fred Ebb) Flora, the Red Menace, c. 1965.

(With Ebb) Cabaret, Columbia, 1967.

(With Ebb) The Happy Time, RCA, 1968.

(With Ebb) Zorba, Capitol, 1969.

(With Ebb) 70, Girls, 70, 1971.

(With Ebb) Chicago, Artist, 1975.

(With Ebb) Woman of the Year, Arista, 1981.

(With Ebb) The Rink, 1984.

(With Ebb) Kiss of the Spider Woman, 1993, second Broadway cast recording, 1995.

A Letter from Sullivan Ballou, RCA, 1994.

Other Albums:

And the World Goes 'Round: The Songs of Kander and Ebb, c. 1991.

(With Lucile Adler) 3 Songs to Poem by Lucile Adler, 1992.

Singles include (with Fred Ebb) "My Coloring Book," Colpix, c. 1962.

WRITINGS

Stage Music:

Second Square, Theatre at Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, 1950.

Opus Two, Theatre at Oberlin College, 1950.

Requiem for Georgie, Theatre at Oberlin College, 1951.

(With James Goldman and William Goldman) A Family Affair, Billy Rose Theatre, New York City, 1962.

Never Too Late, Playhouse Theatre, New York City, 1962.

Flora, the Red Menace (lyrics by Fred Ebb), Alvin Theatre, New York City, 1965, revival with new songs, Vineyard Theatre, New York City, 1987.

Cabaret (lyrics by Ebb), Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1966, published by Random House (New York City), 1967, revised selections published as The Complete Cabaret Collection: Vocal Selections, Carlin America/Hal Leonard, 1999.

The Happy Time (lyrics by Ebb), Broadway Theatre, New York City, 1968.

Zorba (lyrics by Ebb), Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1968, published by Random House, 1969.

70, Girls, 70 (lyrics by Ebb), Broadhurst Theatre, 1971.

Contributor of original material (lyrics by Ebb), Liza, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1974.

Chicago (libretto by Ebb and Bob Fosse; lyrics by Ebb), St. James Theatre, New York City, 1975.

In Person, Chicago, IL, 1977, produced as The Act (lyrics by Ebb), Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1978.

Woman of the Year (lyrics by Ebb), Palace Theatre, New York City, 1981.

"Playing the Palace," Parade of Stars Playing the Palace, Palace Theatre, 1983.

The Rink (lyrics by Ebb), Martin Beck Theatre, 1984.

"A New Pair of Shoes," Night of 100 Stars II, Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1985.

Contributor, Diamonds, Circle in the Square Downtown, New York City, 1985, published by Samuel French (New York City), 1986.

Contributor of special material (lyrics by Ebb) Chita Rivera in the Grove, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami, FL, 1990-91.

Kiss of the Spider Woman (lyrics by Ebb), produced in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1990, then Shaftesbury Theatre, London, 1992, later Broadhurst Theatre, 1992-93, published by Samuel French, 1997.

And the World Goes 'Round: The Songs of Kander and Ebb (lyrics by Ebb), Downstairs, Westside Theatre, New York City, 1991, published by Fiddleback Music Publishing, 1991.

Contributor of special material (lyrics by Ebb) Liza Minnelli: Stepping out at Radio City, Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1991.

Incidental music, The Crucible, Belasco Theatre, New York City, 1991-92.

A Letter from Sullivan Ballou (commissioned by Richard Tucker foundation), Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, 1993.

Steel Pier (lyrics by Ebb), Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York City, published by Samuel French, 1998.

The Visit (lyrics by Ebb), Colonial Theatre, Boston, MA, 1998.

Over and Over (lyrics by Ebb), Signature Theatre, Arlington, VA, 1999.

Lyrics and Lyricists: A Tribute to John Kander and Fred Ebb, Theatre at the 92nd Street Y, New York City, 2000.

70 Girls 70, York Theatre at St. Peter's, New York City, 2000.

The Visit, Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL, 2001.

Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life, Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, New York City, 2005-2006.

Curtains, Al Hirschfeld Theatre, New York City, 2007—.

Also composer for a production of The Skin of Our Teeth.

Stage Plays:

70 Girls 70, York Theatre at St. Peter's, New York City, 2000.

Film Music:

Score, Something for Everyone (also known as Black Flowers for the Bride and The Rook), National General, 1969.

Score, Cabaret (lyrics by Ebb), Allied Artists, 1972.

Score, Norman Rockwell's World … an American Dream (short; lyrics by Ebb), 1972.

Songs (lyrics by Ebb), "How Lucky Can You Get," "I Like Him/Her," and "Let's Hear It for Me," Funny Lady, Columbia, 1975.

Songs (lyrics by Ebb), "Get While the Gettin' Is Good" and title song, Lucky Lady, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1975.

Score, A Matter of Time (also known as Nina; lyrics by Ebb), American International Pictures, 1976.

Score, New York, New York (lyrics by Ebb; includes theme song), United Artists, 1977.

Score, French Postcards (lyrics by Ebb), Paramount, 1979.

Score, Kramer vs. Kramer (lyrics by Ebb), Columbia, 1979.

Song (lyrics by Ebb), "New York, New York," They All Laughed, 1981.

Score, Still of the Night, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1982.

Song (lyrics by Ebb), "New York, New York," Tempest, 1982.

Score, Blue Skies Again, Warner Bros., 1983.

Score, Places in the Heart (lyrics by Ebb), TriStar, 1984.

Score, I Want to Go Home (also known as Je veux rentrer a la maison), MK2, 1989.

Score, Billy Bathgate, 1991.

Title song (lyrics by Ebb), Stepping Out, 1991.

Score, Hasidism in America, 1996.

Score, Chicago (lyrics by Ebb), Miramax, 2002.

Film Music Adapter:

(Purcell's Sonanta) Kramer vs. Kramer, Columbia, 1979.

Television Music; Specials:

Liza with a "Z" (also known as Singer Presents "Liza with a ‘Z’"; lyrics by Ebb), NBC, 1972.

Sorbas, 1972.

Contributor of special musical material, Magnavox Presents Frank Sinatra (also known as Frank Sinatra: Ol' Blue Eyes is Back), 1973.

"Story 2," in Three for the Girls (lyrics by Ebb), CBS, 1973.

Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back (lyrics by Ebb), 1974.

Gypsy in My Soul (lyrics by Ebb), CBS, 1976.

Goldie and Liza Together (lyrics by Ebb), CBS, 1980.

Baryshnikov on Broadway (lyrics by Ebb), 1980.

Standing Room Only: Liza in London (lyrics by Ebb), HBO, 1986.

(With others) Liza Minnelli in Sam Found Out: A Triple Play (also known as Liza Minnelli: Triple Play and Sam Found Out: A Triple Play; lyrics by Ebb), ABC, 1988.

Contributor of special music material (with Ebb), The 60th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1988.

Contributor of special music material (with Ebb) Liza Minnelli Live! From Radio City Music Hall, PBS, 1992.

"Ladies Day at Last" (lyrics by Ebb), The 65th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1993.

Television Music; Movies:

An Early Frost, NBC, 1985.

Breathing Lessons, CBS, 1994.

The Boys Next Door, CBS, 1996.

Television Theme Songs; Series:

"Mama Malone" (lyrics by Ebb), Mama Malone, 1984.

"We're All Right" (lyrics by Ebb), The Thorns, ABC, 1988.

Memoir:

(With Fred Ebb as told to Greg Lawrence) Colored Lights: Forty Years of Words and Music, Show Biz, Collaboration, and All That Jazz, Faber & Faber, 2003.