Man Meets With John Kander After Discovering He Had a Relationship With His Grandfather in College

A man and his family recently met with Broadway composer John Kander after learning that he shared a special relationship with his grandfather in college.

Sama'an Ashrawi took to Twitter to tell the remarkable story, sharing that his Grandpa Dave "was sure he was gay" when he was moving into college his freshman year and met a boy "with the prettiest eyes." After Dave's passing, his family learned that that boy was none other than John Kander.

Kander is, of course, a legendary Broadway composer, and the musical partner of the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb. Together, the pair created several iconic Broadway shows including Flora the Red Menace (1965), Cabaret (1966), Chicago (1975), and Curtains (2007). They also contributed material to fourteen films and television specials over their forty-year association. Independently, Kander supplied the scores to many films, including Something For Everyone (1970), Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Places in the Heart (1984), and Billy Bathgate (1991).

Ashrawi said that he "always thought that was so cool, that grandpa and this guy Kander were in love", but he recently discovered a vinyl on a bookcase that was inscribed "Our Boy" with the year 1951, and Kander's name listed as the composer.

Ashrawi learned that it was a song written by Kander for his grandpa, but he wanted to learn more, so he took to the internet to track Kander down. He got in contact with a family member, who put him in contact with Kander, who shared more information about the "Our Boy" record.

"He told me the record we have isn't just a song, it's a whole entire one-act musical called 'Our Boy' that he wrote at the age of 22; and not only that, he wanted my grandfather to be the lead," Ashrawi shared. "It was a play about a boxer grappling with the existential feelings of defeat."

Kander also showed Ashrawi some photos from the college production, featuring Grandpa Dave, donning his "shiny boxing shorts, looking young and curious and serious all at once."

Recently, Ashrawi and his family had the chance to meet up with John Kander himself in New York City.

They got lunch together, and Kander told Ashrawi more about his and his grandfather's relationship.

Ashrawi said that Kander told them, "We were honest with each other. Not in terms of not lying, but honest about who we were and who we were becoming. [Your grandfather] was a great gift to me."

Read the full thread on Ashrawi's Twitter account here.