Ute Lemper

Ute Gertrud Lemper(German pronunciation:[ˈuːtəˈlɛmpɐ]; born 4 July 1963) is a German singer and actress. Her roles in musicals include playingSally Bowlesin the original Paris production ofCabaret, for which she won the 1987Molière Awardfor Best Newcomer, andVelma Kellyin the revival ofChicagoin both London and New York, which won her the 1998Olivier AwardforBest 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 Bandat the age of 16. Later, she graduated from the Dance Academy inCologneand theMax Reinhardt SeminaryDrama School inVienna.
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 inChicagoin both London and New York, winning theLaurence Olivier Awardfor her performance in London). She also dubbed the singing voices ofArielinDisney'sThe Little MermaidandEsmeraldainThe Hunchback of Notre Damefor German-speaking audiences.
In 1991, Lemper participated in theSanremo Music Festivalwith a song named "The Photograph", written by Italian songwriterEnzo Jannacci. A painter in theneoclassicalstyle, Lemper's paintings have been showcased in numerous galleries.
Lemper, a mother of four, resides on theUpper West Sidesection ofManhattanin New York City, and performs worldwide. Her autobiography was published in Berlin in 1995;she has also authored several journal articles.
She starred asMarie AntoinetteforL'Autrichienne(1989, directed byPierre Granier-Deferre), and subsequently appeared in films includingProrva,Bogus,Jean Galmot[fr]Prospero's Books,AppetiteandPrêt-à-Porter(in the latter appearing in a well-publicised nude scene filmed while she was pregnant, and she receivedNational Board of Reviewfor Ensemble Cast award). She has contributed to the soundtracks of numerous films, includingThe Voyager,Kissing Jessica SteinandAppetite.
In 2007, Lemper was a juror inLet's Dance, the German version ofDancing with the Stars.
Lemper, namedBillboard'sCrossover Artist of the Year for 1993/1994, is a prolific recording artist, appearing on numerouscast recordingsand compilation concerts, includingRoger Waters'The Wallconcert 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 recordedIllusionsin 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.
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