Ute Gertrud Lemper (; born 4 July 1963) is a German singer and actress. Her roles in musicals include playing

Sally Bowles Sally Bowles () is a fictional character created by English-American novelist Christopher Isherwood and based upon 19-year-old cabaret singer Jean Ross. The character debuted in Isherwood's 1937 novella ''Sally Bowles'' published by Hogarth Press ...

in the original Paris production of ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

'', for which she won the 1987

Molière Award The Molière Award recognises achievement in live French theatre and is the national theatre award of France. The awards are presented and decided by the ''Association professionnelle et artistique du théâtre'' (APAT) and supported by the Min ...

for Best Newcomer, and

Velma Kelly Velma Kelly is one of the main characters in the successful 1975 Broadway musical ''Chicago''. Kelly is based on the character "Velma", who first appeared in the 1926 play, also called ''Chicago'', who was in-turn inspired by the life of Belva Ga ...

in the revival of ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

'' in both London and New York, which won her the 1998

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...

for Best Actress in a Musical.

Biography

Born in

Münster Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state distr ...

, (Germany), Ute Gertrude Lemper was raised in a Roman Catholic family. She joined the jazz-rock music group known as the Panama Drive Band at the age of 16. Later, she graduated from the Dance Academy in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

and the

Max Reinhardt Seminar The Max Reinhardt Seminar (Reinhardt Seminar) is the School of Drama at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria. It is located in the Palais Cumberland, Penzingerstraße 9, in Vienna's 14th district (). History A ''Lehr ...

y Drama School in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. Her diverse credits include musicals, such as her breakthrough role in the original Viennese cast of ''

Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...

'', the title role in ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...

'', a recreation of the

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

-created Lola in ''

The Blue Angel ''The Blue Angel'' (german: Der blaue Engel) is a 1930 German musical comedy-drama film directed by Josef von Sternberg, and starring Marlene Dietrich, Emil Jannings and Kurt Gerron. Written by Carl Zuckmayer, Karl Vollmöller and Rober ...

'', the original European Sally Bowles in a Paris production of ''

'', and Velma Kelly in ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

'' (Lemper has played the role of Velma Kelly in ''Chicago'' in both London and New York, winning the

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...

for her performance in London). She also dubbed the singing voices of

Ariel Ariel may refer to: Film and television *Ariel Award, a Mexican Academy of Film award * ''Ariel'' (film), a 1988 Finnish film by Aki Kaurismäki * ''ARIEL Visual'' and ''ARIEL Deluxe'', 1989 and 1991 anime video series based on the novel series ...

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

's ''

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a h ...

'' and Esmeralda in ''

The Hunchback of Notre Dame ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story o ...

'' for German-speaking audiences. In 1991, Lemper participated in the

Sanremo Music Festival The Sanremo Music Festival, officially the Italian Song Festival () and commonly known as just (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria. It is the longest-running annual ...

with a song named "The Photograph", written by Italian songwriter

Enzo Jannacci Vincenzo Jannacci (3 June 1935 – 29 March 2013), more commonly known as Enzo Jannacci (), was an Italian singer-songwriter, pianist, actor and comedian. He is regarded as one of the most important artists in the post-war Italian music scene. ...

. A painter in the neoclassical style, Lemper's paintings have been showcased in numerous galleries. Lemper, a mother of four, resides on the

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...

section of

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

in New York City, and performs worldwide. Her autobiography was published in Berlin in 1995; she has also authored several journal articles.

Film and television work

She starred as

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child a ...

for (1989, directed by

Pierre Granier-Deferre Pierre Granier-Deferre (27 July 1927 – 16 November 2007) was a French film director and screenwriter His 1971 film ''Le Chat (film), Le Chat'' (The Cat) won the Silver Bear for Best Actor, Best Actor and Silver Bear for Best Actress, B ...

), and subsequently appeared in films including '' Prorva'', '' Bogus,'' ' ''

Prospero's Books ''Prospero's Books'' is a 1991 British Experimental film, avant-garde film adaptation of William Shakespeare's ''The Tempest'', written and directed by Peter Greenaway. John Gielgud, Sir John Gielgud plays Prospero, the protagonist who provide ...

,'' ''

Appetite Appetite is the desire to eat food items, usually due to hunger. Appealing foods can stimulate appetite even when hunger is absent, although appetite can be greatly reduced by satiety. Appetite exists in all higher life-forms, and serves to regu ...

'' and (in the latter appearing in a well-publicised nude scene filmed while she was pregnant, and she received

National Board of Review The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...

for Ensemble Cast award). She has contributed to the soundtracks of numerous films, including ''

The Voyager ''Voyager'' (german: Homo Faber, links=no) is a 1991 English-language drama film directed by Volker Schlöndorff and starring Sam Shepard, Julie Delpy, and Barbara Sukowa. Adapted by screenwriter Rudy Wurlitzer from the 1957 novel ''Homo Faber'' ...

'', ''

Kissing Jessica Stein ''Kissing Jessica Stein'' is a 2001 American independent romantic comedy film, written and co-produced by the film's stars, Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen. The film also stars Tovah Feldshuh and is directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld. I ...

'' and ''Appetite.'' In 2007, Lemper was a juror in '' Let's Dance'', the German version of ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...

''.

Recording

Lemper, named ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

's'' Crossover Artist of the Year for 1993/1994, is a prolific recording artist, appearing on numerous

cast recording A cast recording is a recording of a stage musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording or OCR, as the name implies, features the voices of the sho ...

s and compilation concerts, including

Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. In 1965, he co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Waters initially served as the bassist, but following the departure of singer-so ...

' ''

The Wall ''The Wall'' is the eleventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest/EMI and Columbia/CBS Records. It is a rock opera that explores Pink, a jaded rock star whose eventual self-imp ...

'' concert in 1990. As a solo artist, her extensive discography includes ubiquitously well-reviewed interpretations of

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...

's compositions from the late 1980s, in addition to German cabaret songs, which were very political songs sung in underground locations in 1930s Berlin and elsewhere. She recorded ''Illusions'' in 1992, devoted to the songs of Marlene Dietrich and

Édith Piaf Édith Piaf (, , ; born Édith Giovanna Gassion, ; December 19, 1915– October 10, 1963) was a French singer, lyricist and actress. Noted as France's national chanteuse, she was one of the country's most widely known international stars. Pia ...

. She has recorded numerous pop albums, variously in English, French, and German. ''

Punishing Kiss ''Punishing Kiss'' is a studio album by German singer Ute Lemper, released in 2000 by Decca Records. It is the product of a collaboration between Lemper and the Divine Comedy and includes songs by the latter artist, as well as Nick Cave, Elvis ...

'' (2000) featured songs written especially for her by the likes of Scott Walker,

Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Ca ...

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

, and

Neil Hannon Edward Neil Anthony Hannon (born 7 November 1970) is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter. He is the creator and front man of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy, and is the band's sole constant member. Hannon wrote the theme tunes for ...

, the latter of whom performed with her on two of the album's tracks. Lemper is known for wild interpretations on discs like the Sondheim tribute ''City of Strangers'', containing a particularly mannered version of the

Elaine Stritch Elaine Stritch (February 2, 1925 – July 17, 2014) was an American actress, best known for her work on Broadway and later, television. She made her professional stage debut in 1944 and appeared in numerous stage plays, musicals, feature films a ...

-popularized song " The Ladies Who Lunch". In 1998, a Lemper compilation, '' All That Jazz: The Best of Ute Lemper'', was released. In 2003 and 2006, Lemper's songwriting talents were shown on her discs from those years as she moved from being an interpretive singer to a singer-songwriter.

Discography

* ''Cats'' (original German cast recording, 1983) * ''Ute Lemper singt Kurt Weill'' (1987) * ''Life is a Cabaret'' (1987) * ''Ute Lemper Sings Kurt Weill'' (1988) * ''Starlight Express'' (original German cast recording, 1988) * ''Crimes of the Heart'' (1989) * ''

Die Dreigroschenoper ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music ...

'' (1990) * ''The Seven Deadly Sins'' (1990) * ''

The Wall – Live in Berlin ''The Wall – Live in Berlin'' was a live concert performance by Roger Waters and numerous guest artists, of the Pink Floyd studio album ''The Wall'', itself largely written by Waters during his time with the band. The show was held in Berlin ...

'' by

- Sings on ''The Thin Ice'' and ''The Trial'' (1990) * ''Arielle, die Meerjungfrau'' (1990) * ''

'' (1991) * ''Ute Lemper Live: Ihre Großen Tournee-Erfolge'' (1991) * ''

The Michael Nyman Songbook ''The Michael Nyman Songbook'' is a collection of art songs by Michael Nyman based on texts by Paul Celan, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, William Shakespeare and Arthur Rimbaud. It was recorded as an album with Ute Lemper in 1991, and again as a conce ...

'' (1991) * ''Homo Faber'' (1991) * ''Guarda La Fotografia'' (1991) * ''Illusions'' (1992) * ''Komisch' Wetter'' (1992) * ''Ute Lemper Sings Kurt Weill – Volume 2'' (1993) * ''Espace Indécent'' (1993) * ''Portrait of Ute Lemper'' (1995) * ''City of Strangers: Songs by Sondheim, Prévert...'' (1995) * ''Die Eisprinzessin'' (1995) * ''Der Glöckner von Notre-Dame'' (1996) * ''Berlin Cabaret Songs'' (versions in English and German, 1996/1997) * ''Nuits Étranges'' (1997) * '' All That Jazz: The Best of Ute Lemper'' (1998) * ''Chicago'' (London cast recording, 1998) * ''Kurt Gerrons Karussell'' (1999)Red Moon/WEA 3984-27075 * ''

'' (2000) * '' But One Day...'' (2002, Decca/Universal Classics) * ''Blood & Feathers: Live from the Café Carlyle'' (2005) * ''Between Yesterday and Tomorrow'' (2009) * ''Paris Days, Berlin Nights'' (2012) * ''Forever: The Love Poems of Pablo Neruda'' (2013) * ''The 9 Secrets'' (based on texts from

Paulo Coelho Paulo Coelho de Souza (, ; born 24 August 1947) is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters since 2002. His novel ''The Alchemist'' became an international best-seller and he has published 28 more books ...

's book "Manuscript Found in Accra") (2015) * ''Rendezvous With Marlene'' (2020)

Filmography

Film

References

External links

*
Interview on Australian Radio
– Interview on SBS Radio * *
Video including Lemper's performance as Ariel

Ute Lemper performs
"

The Saga of Jenny "The Saga of Jenny" is a popular song written for the 1941 Broadway musical ''Lady in the Dark'', with music by Kurt Weill and lyrics by Ira Gershwin, considered now as a blues standard. The music is marked "Allegretto quasi andantino"; Gershwin ...

" by Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin (public domain)
Ute Lemper German Interview with Pictures
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lemper, Ute 1963 births 20th-century German actresses 21st-century German actresses Cabaret singers German expatriates in the United States 20th-century German women singers 21st-century German women singers German film actresses German musical theatre actresses German stage actresses German Roman Catholics Laurence Olivier Award winners Living people People from Münster Theatre World Award winners Torch singers