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John Kander

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John Kander
Kander in 2023
Kander in 2023
Background information
Birth nameJohn Harold Kander
Born (1927-03-18) March 18, 1927 (age 97)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
GenresMusical theatre, film, television
OccupationComposer
InstrumentPiano
Years active1957–present
Spouse
Albert Stephenson
​
(m. 2010)​

John Harold Kander (born March 18, 1927)[1] is an American composer, known largely for his work in the musical theater. As part of the songwriting team Kander and Ebb (with lyricist Fred Ebb), Kander wrote the scores for 15 musicals, including Cabaret (1966) and Chicago (1975), both of which were later adapted into acclaimed films. He and Ebb also wrote the standard "New York, New York" (also known as "Theme from New York, New York"). The team also received numerous nominations, which include five additional Tony Awards, two Academy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards.

Early life

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John Kander, the second son of Harold and Bernice (Aaron) Kander, was born on March 18, 1927, in Kansas City, Missouri.[2] 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.[3] John attributes his early interest in music (starting at age four) to the family's love of singing around the piano.[4] 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.[5] His 2nd grade teacher discreetly asked his parents permission to use the song since, ironically, he is Jewish. 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 and Madama Butterfly. 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."[6]

Kander attended Westport High School before transferring to the Pembroke Country-Day School. During World War II, Kander joined the U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps. After completing his training in California and sailing between San Francisco and Asia, Kander left the Corps on May 3, 1946.[6] 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.[6]

Kander graduated with a degree in music at Oberlin College in 1951 and went on to graduate studies at Columbia University, where he was a protégé of Douglas Moore[7] and studied composition with Jack Beeson and Otto Luening. He earned his master's degree from Columbia University in 1953.[1]

Career

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Following his studies, Kander began conducting at summer theaters before serving as a rehearsal pianist[1] for the musical West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins in New York. While working, Kander met the choreographer, Jerome Robbins, who suggested that Kander compose the dance music for the show in 1959. [citation needed] After that experience, he wrote dance arrangements for Irma la Douce in 1960.[8]

Kander's first produced musical was A Family Affair in 1962, written with James and William Goldman. The same year, Kander met Fred Ebb through their mutual publisher, Tommy Volando.[1] 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, and Kander and Ebb became a permanent team.[1]

In 1965, Kander and Ebb wrote music for their first show on Broadway, Flora the Red Menace, produced by Hal Prince, directed by George Abbott, and with book by George Abbott and Robert Russell, in which Liza Minnelli made her Broadway debut.[9]

Kander and Ebb have since been associated with writing material for both Liza Minnelli[10][11] and Chita Rivera (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.[citation needed]

The Broadway musicals Cabaret and Chicago have been made into films. The film version of Chicago won several 2002 Academy Awards, including for best picture, film editing, costume design, art direction and sound.[12] 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's The Berlin Stories, was an "ideal vehicle for Kander and Ebb's brittle and self-referential brand of musical theater."[13] This insight also holds true for Chicago.

Kander, along with Ebb, also wrote songs for Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth, and it was set to premiere in London, but the rights were pulled by Wilder's nephew. He also says that Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, the writers of The Fantasticks, wrote a musical of Wilder's Our Town and it took them thirteen years to write, only to have the rights pulled as well by the nephew.[14]

Kander's first musical without Ebb in many years, The Landing, with book and lyrics by Greg Pierce, premiered off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre on October 23, 2013.[15] The musical, which was a series of three "mini-musicals", was directed by Walter Bobbie and starred David Hyde Pierce and Julia Murney.[16] Kander's musical Kid Victory, with book and lyrics by Greg Pierce, had its world premiere February 28, 2015 at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia.[17] 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.[18]

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, and features Tony Yazbeck and Irina Dvorovenko.[19] Kander collaborated with Lin-Manuel Miranda 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.[20]

James Leve discusses Kander's prolific career and his late musical style in the essay "John Kander: the First Ninety-Two Years".[21]

Personal life

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In 2010, Kander married dancer and choreographer Albert Stephenson, his partner since 1977, in Toronto.[22][23] Kander's grand-nephew Jason Kander was formerly the Missouri Secretary of State.[24]

Works

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Lyrics by Fred Ebb unless otherwise noted

Theatre

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Film

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Kander and Ebb also contributed songs for the following movies:

Film scores

Television

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Awards and nominations

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Organizations Year Category Work Result Ref.
Academy Awards 1975 Best Original Song "How Lucky Can You Get", Funny Lady Nominated [28]
2002 "I Move On", Chicago Nominated [29]
BAFTA Awards 2002 Best Original Music Chicago Nominated [30]
Golden Globe Awards 1972 Best Original Song "Mein Herr", Cabaret Nominated [31]
"Money, Money", Cabaret Nominated [31]
1975 Best Original Score Funny Lady Nominated [31]
Best Original Song "How Lucky Can You Get", Funny Lady Nominated [31]
1977 Best Original Song "New York, New York", New York, New York Nominated [31]
Grammy Awards 1963 Song of the Year "My Coloring Book" Nominated [32]
1968 Best Musical Theater Album Cabaret Won [33]
1969 The Happy Time Nominated [34]
1970 Zorba Nominated [35]
1976 Chicago Nominated [36]
1981 Song of the Year Theme from New York, New York Nominated [37]
1982 Best Musical Theater Album Woman of the Year Nominated [38]
1994 Kiss of the Spider Woman Nominated [39]
2004 Best Song Written for Visual Media "I Move On", Chicago Nominated [40]
Primetime Emmy Awards 1973 Outstanding Music Composition for a Special Program Liza With A Z Nominated [41]
Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics Won
1986 Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries or Special An Early Frost Nominated [42]
1993 Outstanding Music & Lyrics "Sorry I Asked", Liza Minnelli Live! From Radio City Music Hall Won [43]
Laurence Olivier Award 1998 Best Musical Chicago Won
Tony Awards 1967 Composer and Lyricst Cabaret Won [44]
1968 The Happy Time Nominated [45]
1976 Best Original Score Chicago Nominated [46]
1978 The Act Nominated [47]
1981 Woman of the Year Won [48]
1984 The Rink Nominated [49]
1993 Kiss of the Spider Woman Won [50]
1997 Steel Pier Nominated [51]
2007 Curtains Nominated [52]
2011 The Scottsboro Boys Nominated [53]
2015 The Visit Nominated [54]
2023 Lifetime Achievement Award Won [55]

Honorary awards

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Organizations Year Award Result Ref.
American Theater Hall of Fame 1991 Inductee Honored [56]
Kennedy Center Honors 1998 Medal Honored [57]
Signature Theater 2018 Stephen Sondheim Award Honored [58]
The Varsity Show 2021 I.A.L. Diamond Award Honored [59]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Green, Stanley (1984). The World of Musical Comedy: The Story of the American Musical Stage as Told through the Careers of Its Foremost Composers and Lyricists. New York, NY: Da Capo. p. 331. ISBN 0498023443.
  2. ^ Kander, John, and Fred Ebb with Greg Lawrence. Colored Lights: Forty Years of Words and Music, Show Biz, Collaboration, and All That Jazz. Faber and Faber, 2003, p.3
  3. ^ Kander, Ebb and Lawrence, pp. 5-7.
  4. ^ Kander, Ebb and Lawrence, pp. 5-6.
  5. ^ Kander, Ebb and Lawrence, pp. 4-5.
  6. ^ a b c Leve, James (2009). Kander and Ebb (Yale Broadway Masters Series). New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 12. ISBN 978-0300114874.
  7. ^ John Kander (April 7, 2010). "Passing Through Curtains". NewMusicBox (Interview). Interviewed by Frank J. Oteri (published May 1, 2010).
  8. ^ "Person List". Playbill. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  9. ^ "Flora, the Red Menace Broadway @ Alvin Theatre - Tickets and Discounts". Playbill. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  10. ^ "Liza Broadway @ Winter Garden Theatre - Tickets and Discounts". Playbill. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  11. ^ Schillinger, Liesl (23 February 2006). "Suddenly Liza". New York. New York Media, LLC. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  12. ^ Lyman, Rick (March 24, 2003). "'Chicago' Is Big Oscar Winner, but 'Pianist' Surprises; Hollywood Glamour Still Stars at Ceremony, but Security and War Play Supporting Roles". The New York Times. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  13. ^ Leve, James (2009). Kander and Ebb. Yale University Press. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-300-11487-4.
  14. ^ Cerasaro, Pat (November 2, 2010). "InDepth InterView: John Kander". Broadway World. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  15. ^ "John Kander, Greg Pierce and Nicky Silver announced for 2013-14 Season". Vineyard Theatre. 23 April 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  16. ^ "The Verdict: Critics Review John Kander-Greg Pierce Musical The Landing, Starring David Hyde Pierce, Off-Broadway". Playbill. October 24, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  17. ^ Clement, Olivia (February 28, 2015). "New John Kander Musical Kid Victory Opens Tonight at the Signature". Playbill. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  18. ^ Clement, Olivia (February 22, 2017). "John Kander's Kid Victory Musical Opens Off-Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  19. ^ Clement, Olivia (May 23, 2018). "World Premiere of Beast in the Jungle Opens Off-Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  20. ^ Legaspi, Althea (2019-11-17). "See Lin-Manuel Miranda Celebrate Diversity in 'Cheering for Me Now' Video". Rolling Stone.
  21. ^ Leve, James (2019). "John Kander: the first Ninety-Two Years". The Routledge Companion to the Contemporary Musical.
  22. ^ Teeman, Tim (October 16, 2012). "John Kander: Life is still a cabaret". The Times. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  23. ^ "Broadway Composer John Kander Reflects On A Career Of 'Hidden Treasures'". Fresh Air. November 25, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  24. ^ Newmark, Judith (June 24, 2012). "John Kander brings his memories to Muny's 'Chicago'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  25. ^ Jones, Kenneth (March 22, 2007). "With Curtains, Kander Writes a Love Letter to Theatre — and to Absent Friends". Playbill.
  26. ^ "Baryshnikov on Broadway". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 23 October 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  27. ^ O'Connor, John J. (May 29, 1986). "'LIZA IN LONDON' PRESENTED ON HBO". The New York Times. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  28. ^ "45th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 4 October 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  29. ^ "75th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 5 October 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  30. ^ "56th BAFTA Awards". BAFTA Awards. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  31. ^ a b c d e "John Kander - Golden Globes". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  32. ^ "5th Annual GRAMMY Awards". Recording Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  33. ^ "10th Annual GRAMMY Awards". Recording Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  34. ^ "11th Annual GRAMMY Awards". Recording Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  35. ^ "12th Annual GRAMMY Awards". Recording Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  36. ^ "18th Annual GRAMMY Awards". Recording Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  37. ^ "23rd Annual GRAMMY Awards". Recording Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  38. ^ "24th Annual GRAMMY Awards". Recording Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  39. ^ "36th Annual GRAMMY Awards". Recording Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  40. ^ "46th Annual GRAMMY Awards". Recording Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  41. ^ "Nominees / Winners 1973 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  42. ^ "Nominees / Winners 1986 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  43. ^ "Nominees / Winners 1993 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  44. ^ "1967 Tony Award Nominations". American Theater Wing. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  45. ^ "1968 Tony Award Nominations". American Theater Wing. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  46. ^ "1976 Tony Award Nominations". American Theater Wing. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  47. ^ "1978 Tony Award Nominations". American Theater Wing. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  48. ^ "1981 Tony Award Nominations". American Theater Wing. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  49. ^ "1984 Tony Award Nominations". American Theater Wing. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  50. ^ "1993 Tony Award Nominations". American Theater Wing. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  51. ^ "1997 Tony Award Nominations". American Theater Wing. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  52. ^ "2007 Tony Award Nominations". American Theater Wing. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  53. ^ "2011 Tony Award Nominations". American Theater Wing. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  54. ^ "2015 Tony Award Nominations". American Theater Wing. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  55. ^ "2023 Tony Award Nominations". American Theater Wing. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  56. ^ "Notes for John Kander". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 4, 2014.[permanent dead link]
  57. ^ "List of Kennedy Center Honorees". John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Archived from the original on November 15, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  58. ^ Gans, Andrew (December 12, 2017). "Tony Winner John Kander Will Receive Signature's Stephen Sondheim Award". Playbill. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  59. ^ "General 1". The Varsity Show. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
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