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Ute Lemper

About this Artist

UTE LEMPER has made her mark on the stage, in films, in concert, and as a recording artist. She has been universally praised for her interpretations of Berlin cabaret songs, French chanson, and the works of Kurt Weill, and for her portrayals on Broadway and in London's West End.

Her professional debut on the musical stage was in the original Vienna production of Cats in the roles of Grizabella and Bombalurina. She went on to play Peter Pan in Peter Pan (Berlin) and Sally Bowles in Jerome Savary's production of Cabaret in Paris, for which she received the Molière Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Her recent stage work includes the role of Velma Kelly in the London production of Chicago, for which she received the 1998 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Lemper made her Broadway debut in September 1998.

Lemper's solo concerts have been produced throughout the world at prestigious venues such as La Scala, Piccolo Teatro (Milan), Théâtre de la Ville, Sydney Opera House, Royal Festival Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the Westwood Playhouse in Los Angeles. Her symphony concerts include The Seven Deadly Sins, Songs from Kurt Weill, Songbook, and Songs from Piaf and Dietrich with many of the major orchestras of Europe and North America.

Her celebrated recordings for Decca include Weill's Threepenny Opera and The Seven Deadly Sins, both conducted by John Mauceri; her newest release, But One Day (2003), features the first recordings of her own compositions. Punishing Kiss (Decca/Universal, 2000) is a collection of songs composed for her by Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Philip Glass, and Nick Cave. Lemper was named Billboard's Crossover Artist of the Year for 1993/1994.

Her many film credits include L'Autrichienne, Prospero's Books, Prêt-à-Porter, and her most recent projects, Combat de Fauves, A River Made to Drown In, and Appetite. She has appeared on television in The Dreyfus Affair, Tales from the Crypt (HBO), Ute Lemper Sings Kurt Weill (Bravo), and many others.

Lemper currently lives in New York with her two children, Max and Stella.