Fred Ebb
Birth Place: USA
FLORA THE RED MENACE Will Come to Lakewood Theatre Company (Apr 3, 2026)
Review: CHICAGO at the Kennedy Center (Apr 2, 2026)
How Liza Minnelli Found a New Audience with ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT Role (Apr 1, 2026)
BIO
As a writer, lyricist, composer and director, Fred Ebb made incalculable contributions to the New York theatrical community. Mr. Ebb is a Tony, Grammy, Emmy, Olivier and Kennedy Center Honors Lifetime Achievement Award winning recipient. Fred Ebb's first professional songwriting assignment came in 1953 when he and Phil Springer were hired by Columbia Records to write a song for Judy Garland called "Heartbroken." Mr. Ebb was introduced to composer John Kander in 1964 by music publisher Tommy Valando and became one of the most legendary songwriting teams in American history. The first successful collaboration was on the song "My Coloring Book," recorded by Barbra Streisand. Their second theatrical collaboration, Flora, the Red Menace, created a star out of Liza Minnelli in her Tony Award-winning Broadway debut. In 1966, their collaboration Cabaret, opened and received seven Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score. A 1972 movie version of Cabaret starring Liza Minnelli was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won eight awards and was nominated for nine Golden Globe Awards and won three including Best Picture, Musical or Comedy. The same year, the songwriting team wrote a number of songs for Minnelli's television special "Liza With a Z," which received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Program - Variety or Popular Music. In 1975, the two wrote the Broadway musical Chicago, directed by Bob Fosse and starring Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera and Jerry Orbach. The musical was successfully revived 20 years later at City Center ENCORES! and subsequently transferred to Broadway where it is currently the longest running revival in Broadway history. In 1977, the team collaborated with Martin Scorsese on the movie New York, New York; the title song was introduced by Minnelli and later recorded by Frank Sinatra becoming the unofficial theme song of New York City. The Minnelli Broadway vehicle The Act also opened that year. After a four-year absence, Mr. Ebb and Mr. Kander returned with Woman of the Year (1981), The Rink (1984), Kiss of the Spiderwoman (1985) and Steel Pier (1997). They were honored by the Kennedy Center with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. Miramax's 2002 feature film Chicago was nominated for 13 Academy Awards and won six, including Best Picture and was nominated for eight Golden Globe Awards and won three, including Best Picture, Musical or Comedy.
Photos
STAGE CREDITS
Productions
Writing
Bookwriter
Lyricist
Lyricist
Lyricist
Lyricist
Bookwriter
Lyricist
Lyricist
Awards and Nominations
Fred Ebb, The Visit
Fred Ebb, The Visit
Fred Ebb, The Scottsboro Boys
winner
Fred Ebb, The Scottsboro Boys
Fred Ebb, The Scottsboro Boys
Fred Ebb, Curtains
winner
Fred Ebb
Fred Ebb, Curtains
winner
Fred Ebb
Fred Ebb, Steel Pier
winner
Fred Ebb, Kiss of the Spider Woman
winner
Fred Ebb, Kiss of the Spider Woman
Fred Ebb, The Rink
winner
Fred Ebb, Woman of the Year
Fred Ebb, Chicago
Fred Ebb, The Act
Fred Ebb , Chicago
Fred Ebb, Chicago
winner
Fred Ebb, Zorba
Fred Ebb, The Happy Time
winner
Fred Ebb, Cabaret
winner
Fred Ebb, Cabaret
Videos
Video: Whitney Leavitt Gets Tattoo to Celebrate Breaking CHICAGO Ticket Record
by Michael Major - 2026-03-18 16:25:40
Video: Watch Alex Newell Sing 'When You're Good to Mama' in CHICAGO
by Michael Major - 2025-11-25 13:40:31
Video: Jennifer Lopez New Musical Clip from KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN on THE TONIGHT SHOW
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-10-08 11:12:13
Video: Jennifer Lopez Opens Up About Seeing Her First Broadway Show
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-10-06 13:44:57
Video: Jennifer Lopez Talks Lifelong Love of Musicals on CBS SUNDAY MORNING, Previews KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-09-29 11:43:08
Listen: Tonatiuh Sings 'She's a Woman' From KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-09-26 11:49:34
Video: Jennifer Lopez, Tonatiuh, & More on Bringing KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN to Life
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-09-22 15:43:17
Video: Watch CABARET AT THE KIT KAT CLUB Take Its Final Bow on Broadway
by Michael Major - 2025-09-22 09:48:28
Video: Jennifer Lopez Sings Title Song From KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN
by Stephi Wild - 2025-09-05 07:51:03
Video: Watch Jacqueline B. Arnold Sing 'When You're Good to Mama' in CHICAGO
by Michael Major - 2025-08-28 14:01:40
Video: KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN Film Trailer, Starring Jennifer Lopez
by Stephi Wild - 2025-08-20 09:34:10
Video: Billy Porter on the Difference Between His Directing and Performance Styles: 'I'm About Love'
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-07-25 10:25:23
Video: Billy Porter Says He is Returning to a 'Better' Broadway in CABARET
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-07-23 10:20:16
Video: Billy Porter Talks Fulfilling Dream Role as Emcee in Broadway’s CABARET
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-07-21 12:00:41
Video: Look Back on Chita Rivera Singing 'Buenos Aires' From EVITA in Throwback Performance
by Michael Major - 2025-07-07 15:11:33
News
by Stephi Wild - Apr 3, 2026
Lakewood Theatre Company will present FLORA THE RED MENACE on April 10 and 11 as part of its Lost Treasures Collection series, featuring the first Broadway collaboration of Kander and Ebb in a concert-style production in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
by Mary Lincer - Apr 2, 2026
When the original production of Chicago opened on Broadway in 1975, its subtitle read “A Musical Vaudeville.” And as distinctively Bob Fosse-style as it was (and is in this excellent touring production of the 1996 revival), Chicago has always been a slight history of vaudeville.
by Josh Sharpe - Apr 1, 2026
Liza Minnelli is looking back on her storied career in Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!. In her memoir, Minnelli shares why she took on a role in the hit TV series Arrested Development and how it led her to a new group of fans.
by Gregory Fletcher - Mar 30, 2026
Star Lorna Luft, one of Judy Garland's daughters, returrns to the Beechman on 4/25, 5/21 and 6/27. She doesn’t just “accentuate the positive”—she embodies it. Read a review of the 3/27 show.
by Adela González Pérez - Mar 27, 2026
El elenco y equipo técnico del musical festejaron este hito con tarta y globos antes de subir el telón de la noche.
by Stephi Wild - Mar 24, 2026
The Tony Award-winning musical CHICAGO will return to Toronto, captivating audiences with its classic tale of fame and fortune. Learn more about the show here!
by Stephi Wild - Mar 23, 2026
OFC Creations Theatre Center in Rochester, NY, will present its 2026-2027 Broadway in Brighton Series featuring shows like HAIRSPRAY, MISS SAIGON, and the regional premiere of THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK.
by Michael Major - Mar 18, 2026
Whitney Leavitt is celebrating her Chicago box office milestone in a big way! The tattoo comes after she and her husband, Conner Leavitt, decided she would get a tattoo if she broke the ticket sale record in Chicago. Watch the video!
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 18, 2026
The USM Department of Theatre will present CABARET this spring in Gorham, Maine. The production will include a fundraising gala performance. Tickets are available now.
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 17, 2026
Rehearsal photos have been released for the upcoming UK revival of KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, opening at Curve in Leicester before touring to Bristol Old Vic and Mayflower Southampton Studios.
by Michael Major - Mar 17, 2026
Whitney Leavitt, who has extended her run as 'Roxie Hart' through May 3, 2026 continues to break box office records at the Ambassador Theatre and has garnered audience and critical acclaim.
by Jim Caruso - Mar 12, 2026
Today, March 12, 2026, the great Liza Minnelli turns 80 years old, and her birthday isn't the only thing she has to celebrate this week. Her new memoir, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This, is now available where books are sold. To mark both occasions, we're looking back on an conversation with the legend, shared by Jim Caruso.
by Stephi Wild - Mar 12, 2026
The London premiere staged concert of Joey Contreras' In Pieces has added a fourth and final performance at The Other Palace on Tuesday 31 March at 11am due to demand with all tickets throughout the house priced at £35.
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 5, 2026
Pace University's Sands College of Performing Arts faculty members Eric Price, Phillip Christian Smith, and Adam J. Rineer have earned major national recognition in musical theatre writing, with Price and Smith named 2026 Kleban Prize winners and Rineer selected as a 2026 Jonathan Larson Grant recipient.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 2, 2026
Chicago on Broadway, currently starring Whitney Leavitt as 'Roxie Hart' will offer $20 rush tickets to the added matinee performance. $20 RUSH tickets will be available in person day of beginning at 10AM.
by Stephi Wild - Mar 2, 2026
Elvira Tortora will reprise her 2024 Bistro Award-winning and MAC Award-nominated show The Bookmaker's Daughter at Chelsea Table + Stage on Saturday, April 11, at 7:00 PM.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 27, 2026
The Stage Door Foundation revealed the artists and productions who will debut NEW NEXT NOW, a ground-breaking pipeline for the development of new musicals.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 27, 2026
Transport Group will present Liza! at 80: A Celebration in Song and Dance, celebrating the legendary performer’s extraordinary career and 80th birthday.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 24, 2026
The TADA Theatre will be holding auditions for the production of Chicago in March! This award-winning musical, features book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse and music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 24, 2026
Gulfshore Playhouse has announced its 2026–2027 season at the Baker Theatre and Education Center. The lineup includes THE WORLD GOES ’ROUND, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, HEIST, FUNDRAISER: A PLAY, GUYS AND DOLLS, JOB, and TARTUFFE.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Fred Ebb has written 34 shows including By Jupiter (Additional Material), Put It in Writing (Material), Morning Sun (Bookwriter), Flora, the Red Menace (Lyricist), Go Fly a Kite (Lyricist), Cabaret (Lyricist), The Happy Time (Lyricist), Zorba (Lyricist), 70, Girls, 70 (Bookwriter), An Evening with Fred Ebb and John Kander (Lyricist), Liza (Bookwriter), Chicago (Bookwriter), Shirley MacLaine (Bookwriter), 2 by 5 (Lyricist), The Act (Lyricist), The Madwoman of Central Park West (Lyricist), Woman of the Year (Lyricist), The Rink (Lyricist), Diamonds (Lyricist), How Lucky Can You Get? (Lyricist), And the World Goes 'Round (Lyricist), Kiss of the Spider Woman (Lyricist), Steel Pier (Lyricist), Over and Over (Lyricist), Fosse (Lyricist), Minnelli on Minnelli (Bookwriter), The Visit (Lyricist), Barbara Cook's Broadway! (Lyricist), Curtains (Lyricist), Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life (Lyricist), First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb (Lyricist), The Scottsboro Boys (Lyricist), Come Fly Away (Lyricist), New York, New York (Lyrics).
Fred Ebb has been nominated for several awards throughout his career. Some of his notable nominations include Outstanding Lyrics at the Drama Desk Awards for "The Visit," Best Original Score at the Tony Awards for "The Visit" and "The Scottsboro Boys," Outstanding Music and Outstanding Lyrics at the Drama Desk Awards for "The Scottsboro Boys," Outstanding Lyrics at the Drama Desk Awards for "Curtains," Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre at the Drama League Awards, Best Original Score at the Tony Awards for "Curtains," The American Express Tribute at the Helen Hayes Awards, Best Original Score at the Tony Awards for "Steel Pier," Best Musical at the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for "Kiss of the Spider Woman," Best Original Score at the Tony Awards for "Kiss of the Spider Woman," Best Original Score at the Tony Awards for "The Rink," Best Original Score at the Tony Awards for "Woman of the Year," Musical of the Year at the Olivier Awards for "Chicago," Best Original Score at the Tony Awards for "The Act," Best Book of a Musical at the Tony Awards for "Chicago," Best Original Score at the Tony Awards for "Chicago," Outstanding Lyrics at the Drama Desk Awards for "Zorba," Best Original Score at the Tony Awards for "The Happy Time," Best Musical at the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for "Cabaret," and Best Original Score at the Tony Awards for "Cabaret."
Fred Ebb has won several awards throughout his career. He received the Outstanding Lyrics award at the Drama Desk Awards for his work on The Scottsboro Boys. He was also honored with the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre award at the Drama League Awards. The Helen Hayes Awards presented him with The American Express Tribute. Ebb's musical Kiss of the Spider Woman won the Best Musical award at the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards, and he was also recognized with the Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre award at the Tony Awards for this production. Additionally, Ebb won the Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre award at the Tony Awards for Woman of the Year. He received the Outstanding Lyrics award at the Drama Desk Awards for Zorba. Lastly, Ebb's musical Cabaret won the Best Musical award at the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards, and he was honored with the Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre award at the Tony Awards for this production as well.
Videos