Fun Trivia : Kander and Ebb

Structure Sub-topic of: Composers and Lyricists Quizzes Other encyclopedia entries of interest: Cabaret | Chicago | Interesting Questions, Facts and Information There are a total of 50 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.

Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information

Kander and Ebb

The song 'The World Goes Round' was originally from what show?

And The World Goes Round And Round Songs Of Kander


New York New York.



'Mr. ___________ Mr. ____________, should have been my name. Mr.__________, cause you can look right through me, walk right by me as if I wasn't there'. Who am I? Mr.__________________

And The World Goes Round And Round Songs Of Kander


Cellophane .



What show was the previous song from?

And The World Goes Round And Round Songs Of Kander


Chicago.



In the show '70 Girls, 70', you could get your coffee in?

And The World Goes Round And Round Songs Of Kander


a cardboard cup.



Same Song, Same Show... 'no one knows the meaning of utopia, like dining in your (where?) _____________ ______________'.

And The World Goes Round And Round Songs Of Kander


corner cornucopia .



In the show 'The Act', when could you see Arthur?

And The World Goes Round And Round Songs Of Kander


In The Afternoon.



Which one wrote the music and which one wrote the lyrics? Music__________________ Lyrics ______________?

And The World Goes Round And Round Songs Of Kander


Kander, Ebb.



One of John Kander's first professional jobs in New York City was with the 1959 musical "Gypsy". What was his role?

Kander & Ebb


Dance music arranger. "Gypsy" has music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. John Kander arranged the dance music.



Before Kander and Ebb had a show on Broadway, they had a hit popular song. What was that song?

Kander & Ebb


My Coloring Book. "My Colouring Book" was featured on an early 1960s TV variety show and became an instant hit. It was later featured in the 1991 revue of Kander and Ebb songs, "And the World Goes Round".



What was Kander and Ebb's first Broadway show?

Kander & Ebb


Flora, the Red Menace. "Flora" starred a then unknown Liza Minnelli, and began Kander and Ebb's long relationship with her. George Abbot (the show's director) initially did not want Minnelli, but when the girl he had cast as Flora dropped out, Kander and Ebb (and producer Hal Prince) got their way and cast Minnelli. The show was a flop, but earned Liza her first Tony.



What song from "Cabaret" did a prominent Jewish leader urge Kander and Ebb to cut, claiming that it was an actual NAZI anthem?

Kander & Ebb


Tomorrow Belongs to Me. Kander's eerie refrain certainly evokes NAZI imagery (as it was intended), however it was all his own composition. The leader was insistent that the song was an actual NAZI propaganda song. "Tomorrow belongs to me" remained in, however a line in the song "If you could see her" was changed to bow to pressure from Jewish groups. This line was reinstated to the original in the 1987 and 1998 revivals.



What year was a "Happy Time" for Kander and Ebb on Broadway?

Kander & Ebb


1968. "The Happy Time", a forgettable musical set in Quebec, played Broadway in 1968, the same year as "Zorba". It starred Robert Goulet.



Who starred as Billy Flynn in the original 1975 production of "Chicago"?

Kander & Ebb


Jerry Orbach. Jerry was great in the role. He went on to star in the long running musical "42nd Street" which premiered in 1980, and of course TV's "Law and Order".



Another "Chicago" question: What is "understandable", according to Mary Sunshine and Billy Flynn?

Kander & Ebb


Roxie's defence. The bridge in "We both reached for the gun" (which goes "understandable, understandable...") is the ONLY piece of music in the entire show in the meter 3/4.



What was Lauren Bacall in 1981?

Kander & Ebb


Woman of the Year. "Woman of the Year" is absolutely hilarious! Bacall does an excellent job as Tess Harding, and won her second Tony for this role. "Coco" is a forgettable 1970s musical, "Madwoman..." was Phyllis Newman's 1980s one-woman show (Kander and Ebb contributed a song to that one) and "Chief Cook..." is a song from "The Rink".



Who is the voice of the animated cat on the recording of Kander and Ebb's 1981 musical?

Kander & Ebb


Fred Ebb. Ebb is the voice you will hear on the recording of "Woman of the Year". Another example where the lyricist makes a cameo on the recording is in the original recording of "Gypsy" in which we hear Sondheim bellow, "You ain't getting 88 cents from me, Rose!"



Kander and Ebb songs are often quite biting and full of double meanings. One of my favourite songs is from "The Rink" called "What happened to the old days?". According to the ladies who sing this song, what happens if you see some boy with bulging trousers?

Kander & Ebb


He's got a gun. I love this song! It's sung by Chita Rivera and two male chorus members dressed as old women, lamenting the deterioration of the neighbourhood. "The Rink" also featured a then relatively unknown Jason Alexander (of "Seinfeld" fame).



"Life's a party, why don't you come to the Steel Pier?" 1997 was the last time Broadway saw a new Kander and Ebb musical, "Steel Pier". The opening number, quoted above, was compared by critics to which other Kander and Ebb song?

Kander & Ebb


Cabaret. "Life is a cabaret, old chum! Come to the Cabaret." The score of "Steel Pier" sounds tired, despite a few gems like "Everybody's Girl". Steel Pier lasted less than 80 performances.



In 1999, Kander and Ebb's new musical "Over and Over" premiered at the Signature Theatre in Washington, DC. What play was the basis for this musical?

Kander & Ebb


The Skin of our Teeth. "Over and Over" never made it to Broadway and to date I don't think there are any plans for a recording. It starred the late great Dorothy Louden as the stage manager.



In 2001, "The Visit" premiered at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, starring the immortal Chita Rivera. Chita was not the original leading lady that Kander and Ebb had in mind, however. Who was she?

Kander & Ebb


Angela Lansbury. Angela attended several workshops of "The Visit" but had to bow out due to her husband's illness. It would have been incredible to see her work with Kander and Ebb, as she has worked with some of the great musical theatre talents of this era; Jerry Herman ("Mame", "Dear World") and Stephen Sondheim ("Sweeney Todd"). "The Visit" was supposed to be on Broadway in 2004, but was cancelled late 2003 when a backer pulled out.



Who wrote the book to "Steel Pier"?

Kander and Ebb


David Thompson. "Most people associate dance marathons and the Great Depression with people being desperate for money and nobody having a good time, but in 1933 Atlantic City was also a magical place where all the big bands came to play. Fred Ebb remembers being taken there as a child and how elegant it was." ~David Thompson



What was John Kander's involvement in the original production of "Gypsy"?

Kander and Ebb


Dance Arrangements and Rehearsal Pianist. This was John Kander's first official job on Broadway.



Who writes the music?

Kander and Ebb


John Kander. Kander and Ebb Musicals include: "Flora the Red Menace" (1965) "Cabaret" (1966) "The Happy Time" (1968) "Zorba" (1968) "70 Girls 70" (1971) "Chicago" (1972) "The Act" (1978) "Woman of the Year" (1981) "The Rink" (1984) "And The World Goes 'Round" (1991) "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (1992) "Steel Pier" (1997) "Fosse" (1999) "The Skin Of Our Teeth" (1999) "The Visit" (2001).



The musical "Chicago" is based on a play by whom?

Kander and Ebb


Maurine Dallas Watkins. The story is actually based on real events, which were fashioned into a play, then a non musical movie, then a musical.



Who were the original leads in "The Rink", in the London production?

Kander and Ebb


Josephine Blake and Diane Langton. Chita Rivera and Liza Minelli origanted the roles on Broadway, and when it moved to London a completely new cast was found.



Which Kander and Ebb role did Brent Carver create on Broadway?

Kander and Ebb


Molina ("Kiss of the Spider Woman"). Brent Craver won the Tony for his performance, and also created the role of Leo Frank in Jason Robert Brown's "Parade".



In Walter Boobie's revival of "Chicago" how many actors are on the jury in the courtroom scene?

Kander and Ebb


One. The one actor plays all twelve jurors, changing roles and costumes as the show continues.



Kristin Chenoweth made her Broadway debut in which show?

Kander and Ebb


Steel Pier. Kristen originated the role of Precious Mcguire in Kander and Ebb's "Steel Pier", winning a Theatreworld award for her performance.



What was the first musical that Kander and Ebb collaborated on for Broadway?

Kander and Ebb


Flora, The Red Menace. "Flora the Red Menace" opened May 11, 1965, and ran for just 87 regular performances.



When Gwen Verdon became ill during the original run of "Chicago", who stepped in to fill her place?

Kander and Ebb


Liza Minnelli. Gwen Verdon contracted a throat infection from swallowing a feather off one of her costumes, that lodged in her throat and became infected. Liza Minnelli stepped in with only five days' rehearsals, and insisted that there be no advertising to sell her performances.



Which Kander-Ebb song was included in the movie "Cabaret" but not in the stage version?

Kander & Ebb & Liza


Maybe This Time. Kander and Ebb's "Maybe This Time" was included on another one of Liza's pre-"Cabaret" solo albums. When Liza won the role of Sally Bowles in "Cabaret" she and John and Fred persuaded Bob Fosse to include it; the song was NOT a part of the original Broadway "Cabaret" score.