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Ute Lemper | |
|---|---|
 Ute Lemper | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ute Gertrud Lemper |
| Born | (1963-07-04)4 July 1963 (age 61) Münster,West Germany |
| Genres | Cabaret |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Labels | Decca/Universal Classics |
| Website | utelemper |
Ute Gertrud Lemper (German pronunciation:[ˈuːtəˈlɛmpɐ]ⓘ; born 4 July 1963) is a German singer and actress. Her roles in musicals include playingSally Bowles in the original Paris production ofCabaret, for which she won the 1987Molière Award for Best Newcomer, andVelma Kelly in the revival ofChicago in both London and New York, which won her the 1998Olivier Award forBest Actress in a Musical.
Born inMünster, (Germany), Ute Gertrude Lemper was raised in a Roman Catholic family. She joined the jazz-rock music group known as the Panama Drive Band[1] at the age of 16. Later, she graduated from the Dance Academy inCologne and theMax Reinhardt Seminary Drama School inVienna.[2]
Her diverse credits include musicals, such as her breakthrough role in the original Viennese cast ofCats, the title role inPeter Pan, a recreation of theMarlene Dietrich-created Lola inThe Blue Angel, the original European Sally Bowles in a Paris production ofCabaret, and Velma Kelly inChicago (Lemper has played the role of Velma Kelly inChicago in both London and New York, winning theLaurence Olivier Award for her performance in London). She also dubbed the singing voices ofAriel inDisney'sThe Little Mermaid andEsmeralda inThe Hunchback of Notre Dame for German-speaking audiences.
In 1991, Lemper participated in theSanremo Music Festival with a song named "The Photograph", written by Italian songwriterEnzo Jannacci. A painter in theneoclassical style, Lemper's paintings have been showcased in numerous galleries.
Lemper, a mother of four, resides on theUpper West Side section ofManhattan in New York City, and performs worldwide. Her autobiography was published in Berlin in 1995;[3] she has also authored several journal articles.
She starred asMarie Antoinette forL'Autrichienne (1989, directed byPierre Granier-Deferre), and subsequently appeared in films includingProrva,Bogus,Jean Galmot [fr]Prospero's Books,Appetite andPrêt-à-Porter (in the latter appearing in a well-publicised nude scene filmed while she was pregnant, and she receivedNational Board of Review for Ensemble Cast award). She has contributed to the soundtracks of numerous films, includingThe Voyager,Kissing Jessica Stein andAppetite.
In 2007, Lemper was a juror inLet's Dance, the German version ofDancing with the Stars.
Lemper, namedBillboard's Crossover Artist of the Year for 1993/1994, is a prolific recording artist, appearing on numerouscast recordings and compilation concerts, includingRoger Waters'The Wall concert in 1990. As a solo artist, her extensive discography includes ubiquitously well-reviewed interpretations ofKurt Weill'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 recordedIllusions in 1992, devoted to the songs of Marlene Dietrich andÉdith Piaf. She has recorded numerous pop albums, variously in English, French, and German.Punishing Kiss (2000) featured songs written especially for her by the likes ofScott Walker,Nick Cave,Tom Waits,Elvis Costello,Philip Glass, andNeil Hannon, 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 tributeCity of Strangers, containing a particularly mannered version of theElaine Stritch-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.
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Drei gegen Drei [de] | Marianne |
| 1990 | L'Autrichienne | Marie Antoinette |
| 1990 | Jean Galmot, aventurier | Arlette Simon |
| 1991 | Prospero's Books | Ceres |
| 1991 | Pierre qui brûle | Hanna |
| 1992 | Coupable d'innocence ou Quand la raison dort | Catherine Gless |
| 1992 | Prorva | Anna |
| 1994 | Bogus | Babette |
| 1994 | Prêt-à-Porter | Albertine |
| 1997 | Combat de fauves | Carole Valmer |
| 1997 | River Made to Drown In | Eva Kline |
| 1998 | Appetite | Greta |
| 2014 | Magic in the Moonlight | Cabaret Singer |
| 2024 | Eterno Visionario |
Media related toUte Lemper at Wikimedia Commons
