Publication: Interludes
By: drediman
Date: May 29, 2025

Over the past week or so, I’ve augmented my regularly scheduled performing arts programming to take in some wonderful cabaret entertainment at 54 Below. Read on for my thoughts on these nightcaps in “Broadway’s living room” with both the old and the new guard.

UTE LEMPER SINGS KURT WEILL
54 Below

This week at 54 Below, legendary German cabaret star Ute Lemper is treating her fans to her incomparable renditions of the defiant songs of Kurt Weill (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). Over the years, Lemper has pretty much become the foremost interpreter of the Weill songbook, who this year is celebrating his 125th birthday. Well-researched and gorgeously delivered, the statuesque German beauty captivated the audience with an in-depth overview of Weill’s tumultuous, eventful life alongside her distinctive singing, most of which centered around the composer’s collaboration with Bertolt Brecht (primarily from The Threepenny Opera). Lemper is unique in her ability to get into the guts of songs. Although at times the resulting sound is not pretty in the conventional sense, her guttural, emotionally naked approach creates a pungent atmosphere that few can replicate, which she established right off the bat with “The Bilbao Song” from The Seven Deadly Sins and “Army Song” from The Threepenny Opera. Once Lemper had the audience where she wanted them, she launched into a trenchant take on perhaps the composer’s most famous tune, “Mortitat von Mackie Messer” (also known as “Mack the Knife”). The heart of the show was her devastating, slow-burning account of “Surabaya Johnny” from Happy End, which led into a slicing “Pirate Jenny” (again from Threepenny). Other highlights included startling versions of “Youkali”, as well as a pair of standards from the Weill and Ogden Nash collaboration One Touch of Venus (“Stranger Here Myself” and “Speak Low”). Throughout, Lemper was accompanied instinctively on keys by music director Vana Gierig.

HENRY PATTERSON & ANNA ZAVELSON — BROADWAY: THE NIGHT IS YOUNG
54 Below

Then we have the new guard, as was represented last week by an evening with Henry Patterson and Anna Zavelson (RECOMMENDED) (Zavelson made an exquisite impression in her turn as Clara in the Encores! revival of Adam Guettel’s The Light in the Piazza a few years ago). Fittingly entitled Broadway: The Night Is Young, the one-night-only late show was mostly comprised of Broadway show tunes, albeit in largely non-traditional arrangements (jazz was the prominent mode). Although Patterson and Zavelson are relatively young — both are only in their early twenties — they displayed an impressive knowledge of the Broadway songbook, especially in their spectacularly dense, Moulin Rouge-style love duet mash-up (a whopping twenty songs culled from a wide gamut of musicals). The most radically reconceived songs were a swinging “All I Ask of You” from Phantom and a beguilingly funky “The Beauty Is” from Piazza (it shouldn’t have worked, but it did), as well as an amusing gender-bent “Popular” from Wicked. More straightforward was Patterson’s foray into Sondheim material (e.g., a moving medley of “Loving You” from Passion and “Losing My Mind” from Follies). Also welcome was the duo’s mini-tribute to the late Charles Strouse in the form of their performances of a trio of songs from Annie — “N.Y.C.”, “Maybe”, “I Don’t Need Anything But You”. Throughout, they were the epitome of youthful optimism and exuded easygoing, natural chemistry. Patterson in particular has a charmingly self-possessed demeanor that suggests that he will be a fixture on cabaret stages for years to come. Zavelson, on the other hand, sings like an absolute dream, her pure upper register reminding me of a young Kelli O’Hara. Brilliantly stepping in at the last minute to fulfill music director duties on keys was the great Tedd Firth (although you’d hardly pick up on it if the circumstance wasn’t mentioned).

Publication :  That Eric Alper
By : Eric Alper
Date : March 8, 2025

To celebrate revolutionary composer Kurt Weill’s 125th birthday on March 2, acclaimed singer & actress Ute Lemper released “Mack the Knife,” the new single & video from her album Pirate Jenny, out April 25 via The Audiophile Society.

Composed by Kurt Weill with the lyrics of Bertolt Brecht in 1928, the song originally appeared in The Threepenny Opera, brimming with satirical critiques of societal injustices and corruption that still resonate today. Lemper embodies the charming yet ruthless criminal Macheath, who evades justice despite his violent actions. In the video, Lemper embodies various personas – the young, the old, the jester, the murderer – running loose in New York City.

Since 1985, from experimental theaters in West Berlin to Carnegie Hall, Lemper has been singing the songs of Jewish composers from the Weimar era, who were banned and persecuted by Nazis. She notes that Brecht and Weill’s works remain as relevant today: “Exotic characters fight for survival, rising from the ashes of racism, disadvantage, and neglect—stories that feel strikingly contemporary.”

Lemper will release more singles from the album, including title track “Pirate Jenny” (a revolt against the ruling party of the rich) from The Threepenny Opera and “Speak Low” from One Touch of Venus – full tracklist below. Sultry vocals and atmospheric beats are brought to life with The Audiophile Society’s immersive Mega-Dimensional Sound™, transporting longtime fans and new listeners alike to a smoky Berlin jazz club outside of time, reminiscent of Lemper’s award-winning roles as Cabaret’s Sally Bowles in Paris and Chicago’s Velma Kelly in New York and London.

“This project is about creating a new audience for Kurt Weill,” says Lemper. “By blending his timeless melodies with a groove. I’m opening the door for younger listeners who might not know his work. It’s about building a bridge between eras, where Weimar meets the club.”

A Billboard Crossover Artist of the Year, Lemper has reimagined icons like Marlene Dietrich (Rendezvous with Marlene is based on a three-hour phone call between Dietrich and Lemper), Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel, alongside more modern collaborations with artists like Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, and Roger Waters (The Wall: Live in Berlin, 1990).

Lemper will perform some of Weill’s eternal classics live at 54 Below on Tuesday, May 27, and Thursday, May 29 – tickets here.

Ute Lemper’s decades-long career spans stage, film, and music, with over 30 recordings. Renowned for her interpretations of Berlin Cabaret, Kurt Weill, Brecht, and chanson legends like Marlene Dietrich and Edith Piaf, she has also starred in major musicals across Broadway, the West End, Paris, and Berlin. She won the American Theater World Award and the Laurence Olivier Award for her performance as Chicago’sVelma Kelly in the West End and on Broadway, the Molière Award for her performance as Cabaret’s Sally Bowles in Paris, among others, and earned Grammy nominations.

Her global tours feature diverse projects, including Rendezvous with Marlene, Songs for Eternity, and tributes to Piazzolla and Brecht. She has composed music inspired by Bukowski, Neruda, and Coelho and released a bestselling autobiography in 2023. She released her self-penned and contemporary album Time Traveler just last year. Singing in five languages, she continues to perform worldwide. A longtime New York resident, she lives there with her family and four children.

The Audiophile Society is the brainchild of composer, pianist, and audio pioneer David Chesky. The new label will focus on bringing even more realistic three-dimensional recordings to market with their Mega-Dimensional Sound™, The Audiophile Society’s name for their unique two-channel 3D audio that can play on all existing two-channel stereo while showcasing emerging artists working in a multitude of genres. The ultimate goal of The Audiophile Society is to change the way you hear music.

Click here to read the article on thatericalper.com

Publication: Basler Zeitung
By: Lukas Nussbaumer
Date: 07.01.2024

Die grosse Cabaret- und Chanson-Sängerin teilte sich am Samstag die Bühne mit dem Kammerorchester und den Basler Madrigalisten. Ein denkwürdiger Abend.

Vor über zehn Jahren war Ute Lemper zum letzten Mal im Stadtcasino zu Gast, damals zusammen mit dem Astor-Piazzolla-Sextett und Musik des argentinischen Tango-Meisters. Am Samstagabend stand sie nun, zusammen mit dem Kammerorchester und den Basler Madrigalisten, endlich wieder auf der Bühne des Musiksaals – und die Rückkehr war fast schon triumphal.

Vor dem grossen Auftritt Lempers spielte das Kammerorchester unter der Leitung des französischen Dirigenten Pierre Bleuse Richard Strauss’ gescheiterte Theatermusik «Der Bürger als Edelmann». Gescheitert deshalb, weil Strauss und sein langjähriger Librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal ursprünglich eine neue Bühnenmusik zur Ballettkomödie Molières schrieben, diese jedoch keinen Anklang fand. Strauss aber liess nicht locker und arbeitete das Stück schliesslich doch noch erfolgreich in eine Orchestersuite um.

Entsprechend dem barocken Vorbild – die ursprüngliche Musik zu Molières Komödie hatte Jean-Baptiste Lully geschrieben –, ist auch Strauss’ Suite eindeutig im Barock verwurzelt, der deutsche Komponist erweitert die Klangsprache aber durch spätromantische und moderne Harmonien, Satztechniken und Klangeffekte stark. Die Musik ist untypisch für Strauss – oft klingt sie leicht, bunt und humorvoll. Letzteres arbeiteten Bleuse und das Kammerorchester gut heraus. Der Dirigent bewegte sich tänzerisch und teilweise theatralisch mit der Musik und wirkte so fast selbst wie der Edelmann im Stück. In verschiedenen Solo-Passagen – besonders eindrücklich Geige, Cello und Fagott – konnten die Musikerinnen und Musiker ihr technisches Können beweisen.

Stadtcasino-Publikum verlangte drei Zugaben

Darauf betrat Lemper, zusammen mit den Basler Madrigalisten, die Bühne. Mit den «Sieben Todsünden» von Kurt Weill und Bertolt Brecht brachte sie eines ihrer Lieblingsstücke mit, das sie vor 40 Jahren in Berlin zum ersten Mal einstudierte. Dass Lemper die Musik bis in die letzten Feinheiten verinnerlicht hat, war nicht zu überhören – mit grosser Überzeugungskraft und ihrer unvergleichlichen Stimmgewalt sang sie Brechts satirischen Kommentar auf die religiöse Moral. Der klassisch-kirchliche Vortrag der Madrigalisten traf den ironischen Geist des Stücks perfekt, und so kamen Witz und Schärfe wunderbar zur Geltung.

Nach der Pause präsentierte Lemper dann ein orchestriertes Medley bekannter Cabaret-Stücke aus der Weimarer Republik, die sie durch gesprochene Intermezzi in Bezug zur heutigen Zeit setzte. Damit machte sie deutlich, dass viele Anliegen, für die vor hundert Jahren gekämpft wurde – Gleichstellung, Meinungsfreiheit, Minderheitsrechte –, heute noch genauso aktuell sind wie damals. Lieder wie «Raus mit den Männern» von Friedrich Holländer, «Mackie Messer» von Kurt Weill oder «Alles Schwindel» von Mischa Spoliansky sind nicht nur gesellschaftspolitisch relevant, sondern textlich und musikalisch einfach grossartig geschrieben. Und authentischer als Lemper trägt sie vermutlich niemand vor.

Click here to read article on BazOnline

Publication: EinPresswire
By: Andrew Gesner
Date: May 15, 2023

Ute Lemper has cut revelatory versions of songs by many popular artists. “TIME TRAVELER” makes clear that it isn’t only the world that’s changing: we are, too.

GERMANY, May 15, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — In his science fiction classic The Time Machine, H.G. Wells describes the exhilarating (and terrifying) experience of watching the years flutter by like the pages of a flipbook. Moments significant and mundane blur together into a single story of perpetual change. “TIME TRAVELER,” the new video from German musical legend Ute Lemper, brings this vision to life in dazzling color and subtle but resonant strokes. While the singer tells her story from the picture window of her ship on the seas of time, the clock accelerates. Battlefields become temples, the wilderness is tamed and grows wild again, ordinary men morph into historical figures, and the earth itself seems to shiver under the weight of history.

It’s dramatic and fascinating to watch but also a metaphor for Lemper’s award-winning career. Through music, the vocalist has always bridged the distance between past and present – and she’s kept a keen eye on the future, too. Lemper has earned a reputation as one of the most formidable interpretive singers in the world, cutting revelatory versions of songs by Kurt Weill and Brecht, The Berlin Cabaret, Tom Waits, Philip Glass and Nick Cave, and many others. Her reanimation of the work of Edith Piaf revealed the cornerstone French singer to be an artist grounded in tradition but perpetually relevant. Lemper’s imaginative performances in musical theater — The Blue Angel, Peter Pan, Cabaret, and Chicago, to name a few of the shows she’s starred in — have established her as a cornerstone of the European stage and Broadway.

“TIME TRAVELER,” too, feels simultaneously contemporary, anticipatory, and rooted in the classics. This is a sophisticated jazz-pop sung written by the artist herself, an impeccable vocalist — but it’s also playful, and its starry-eyed lyrical hook will resonate with romantics of all kinds. And as the clip for “TIME TRAVELER” makes clear, it isn’t only the world around us that’s changing: we’re changing, too. The video shows us a version of Ute Lemper unshackled by time. Sometimes we’re shown the youthful Lemper who scaled the walls of contemporary theater with her dazzling talent, sometimes we get the current masterful Lemper, and sometimes we see the artist in transition, growing into her next challenge. The continuity is visible, and the message is clear. Time can’t lay a glove on her. No matter where she’s been or who she’s portrayed, she’s always been her brilliant self.

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Andrew Gesner
HIP Video Promo
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