Review: Ute Lemper Connects Epochs at Joe's Pub

For over four decades, Ute Lemper has stood as arguably the definitive interpreter of Kurt Weill’s music, combining fierce artistic integrity with a deep understanding of the historical and cultural forces that shaped his work. Her commitment to preserving and reimagining Weill’s legacy began in 1980s Berlin, where her groundbreaking recordings helped revive interest in his music. On November 26 and 29, anticipating Weill’s 125th birthday in 2025, Lemper brought decades of insight to Joe’s Pub, demonstrating why she remains unmatched in her ability to make these historic works speak to contemporary audiences.

Lemper transformed Joe’s Pub into something between a Weimar cabaret and a historical salon, creating an intimate evening that was equal parts performance, history lesson, and political commentary. Opening with “Pirate Jenny” from The Threepenny Opera, she immediately established the evening’s central tension between past and present. “I’m looking around and I’m not happy. Something is not right with this world,” she declared, before diving into a scathing critique of privilege that connected Weimar-era concerns to contemporary anxieties. Her interpretation moved fluidly between German and English, her delivery transforming from eerie grace to controlled fury as Jenny imagines violent revenge against her oppressors.

Lemper’s genius lies in her ability to make historical context feel urgently relevant. “Welcome to Weimar,” she announced, rattling off prices in millions of marks for basic necessities, including ”350 million paper marks for a loaf of bread,” drawing explicit parallels to modern inflation and democratic instability. Her reference to Hitler’s 1924 trial, noting how “he was so convincing he almost put the republic on trial,” landed with chilling resonance. “The Saga of Jenny” became a masterclass in temporal dialogue. Lemper transformed what could be a simple cautionary tale about female decisiveness into a nuanced exploration of agency and consequences. Her delivery of lines about Jenny’s memoirs causing wives to shoot their husbands created a complex commentary on female empowerment and its backlash.

The evening traced Weill’s artistic evolution through three crucial periods: Weimar Germany, Paris exile, and finally America. Lemper captured the dark irony of “Army Song,” while her interpretation of “Youkali,” written during Weill’s sojourn in Paris, combined dream and lament. Her voice carried both hope and pathos in lines that translate to “It’s a dream, a folly / There’s no such place as Youkali,” making the utopian vision feel impossible yet necessary.

 

Her command of the diseuse style — emphasizing dramatic delivery while maintaining musical sensibilities — particularly shone in songs like “Stranger Here Myself,” where Venus’s bewilderment at modern conventions becomes both comedy and social commentary. The performer’s interaction with the audience was masterful, asking for language preferences, and incorporating an audience member into the action. When discussing how Weill “started to call himself Kurt Weill” (with American pronunciation) in the United States, she touched on themes of immigration and reinvention that resonated powerfully with current debates.

After 40 years of performing this music, Lemper proves herself not just a performer but a crucial cultural translator. Her achievement lies in showing how Weill’s music, born from specific historical circumstances, transcends its moment to address universal themes of justice, love, and human dignity. In her hands, these songs might as well have been written for today.

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Learn more about Ute Lemper and where to follow her at www.utelemper.com

See more upcoming shows at Joe's Pub on their website.

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