Ute Lemper Revives Kurt Weill’s Revolutionary Spirit in a Modern Soundscape

"Welcome to Weimar — the year 2025," Ute Lemper declared as she opened her intimate performance.

The German-born singer and actress welcomed an audience gathered at the Birdsong Society’s cozy Gramercy Park space to experience selections from her latest album, a tribute to composer Kurt Weill, whose work she has passionately promoted for over forty years.

Launching into the album’s centerpiece, "Pirate Jenny," Lemper leaned toward a nearby listener, her expression fierce and intense. This song, from "The Threepenny Opera," one of Weill’s most renowned collaborations with playwright Bertolt Brecht, has been interpreted by artists ranging from Nina Simone to Judy Collins. Uniquely, it tells the tale from the perspective of a hotel maid who anticipates a pirate ship’s arrival to exact violent revenge on the guests.

"It’s a song about uprising and defiance," Lemper explained in a pre-show interview. Offstage, she is more composed, though her striking features and slender frame still convey the poise and presence of a seasoned performer as she approaches 62.

In her native Germany, Lemper was once seen as a provocateur when her 1988 release, "Ute Lemper Sings Kurt Weill," emerged. Originating from a modest Berlin project a few years earlier, the album earned her international acclaim — except in Germany.

"The Germans rejected it," Lemper recalled. "There was a reluctance to confront the past." At the time, Decca Records executive Roland Kommerell had launched an initiative to revive music banned during the Nazi era, including compositions by Jewish artists persecuted or exiled, like Weill.

"It was a painful chapter to reopen," Lemper said. "Suddenly, I found myself answering hundreds of questions about this music. I became almost a spokesperson for my generation in Germany, shaped by the Cold War era."

Lemper spent time living in Paris and London, where she starred in musicals inspired by Brecht and Weill, notably earning an Olivier Award for her role as Velma Kelly in "Chicago," a character she also portrayed on Broadway. Since 1998, New York has been her home, where she lives on the Upper West Side with her second husband, percussionist Todd Turkisher.

Turkisher contributed percussion to "Pirate Jenny," along with other tracks such as "Mack the Knife," "My Ship," "Speak Low," and "Surabaya Johnny." Co-produced with frequent collaborator David Chesky, the album envelops Lemper’s vivid and nuanced vocals—shaped by her interpretations of artists from Jacques Brel to Philip Glass—in atmospheric and haunting arrangements.

The project was inspired by a conversation between Lemper and Chesky, who released the album on his Audiophile Society label. Recognizing that 2025 marked the 125th anniversary of Weill’s birth, Lemper proposed a fresh approach. Chesky suggested blending the classic songs with a contemporary, groovy edge that would appeal to new listeners without diluting the powerful narratives.

Chesky commented in correspondence, "Ute has an unparalleled command of Weill’s repertoire and a deep understanding of the Brecht-Weill world. We envisioned placing these timeless songs within a dark, late-night Berlin cabaret atmosphere, infused with modern electronic elements, creating versions that honor the originals while resonating with today’s audiences."

Adrienne Haan, a fellow German-born singer based in New York who also performs Weill’s works, recalled discovering Lemper as a teenager. "Many artists influenced me from the 1920s through the ’50s, but Ute was closer to my generation and a formidable interpreter," said Haan. "There was a certain steel in her voice, and it was inspiring to see someone from Germany, just a generation older, succeed in America."

Lemper remains an active live performer, with upcoming shows on May 27 and 29 at Manhattan’s cabaret venue 54 Below, where she will explore Weill’s life and songs. Earlier this month, she performed "Rendezvous With Marlene" at the Neue Gallerie, a program inspired by a lengthy phone conversation she had in the late 1980s with Marlene Dietrich, the German actress and vocal opponent of Hitler.

Lemper reached out to Dietrich in her late 80s to "apologize" for comparisons drawn between them and to express gratitude for the inspiration Dietrich provided to generations of women.

"Marlene was ahead of her time," Lemper reflected. "She confronted gender norms a century ago—being bisexual and dressing in men’s clothing. She became an American citizen, entertained troops during World War II, and opposed the Nazis. Despite her patriotism, many Germans later branded her a traitor."

Mindful of history’s repeating shadows, Lemper is cautious about comparisons involving recent political figures. "There is only one Hitler," she stated firmly, but she acknowledged current troubling developments as a concerning new chapter.

In 2023, Lemper expanded her artistic expression by releasing "Time Traveler," an album of original songs, alongside a German-language memoir with the same title, "Die Zeitreisende." The book features an epilogue by her daughter, Stella, who recently earned a master’s degree in creative writing from Columbia University.

"I had published a memoir at 30," Lemper said. "An East German publisher asked me to write again because so much had happened with my career and living through the fall of the Berlin Wall." She hopes the new memoir, translated into Italian, will also be published in English. "It weaves stories from those times and follows decades of life, motherhood, and personal challenges. I value aging immensely—though I wouldn't mind a little less back pain and perhaps a new hip."

Lemper is contemplating a replacement hip but only when her busy schedule permits. This spring alone, she participated in a German revival of Brecht and Weill’s "The Seven Deadly Sins," a production she first performed over thirty years ago. "We plan to bring it to Paris next year, then London," she said. "I still have much to offer, and I give my all at every show. The more you give, the more you receive."