Ute Lemper is an extraordinary performer, a ‘once in a generation phenomenon’, and on Wednesday night she wowed her audience with a mesmerizing two hour show. During the course of the evening Lemper presented songs in German, French, Spanish and English and with her powerful, versatile voice penetrated the heart of each song. She sang songs by Kurt Weill, Jacque Brel, Astor Piazzolla and Friedrich Hollaender amongst others and it was wonderful to hear these pieces presented with such mastery in a mix of languages – all of which the singer managed as if a native speaker. Lemper is not just a singer though, rather a multi-faceted performer whose acting and dancing match her vocal talent; a born story teller, this ‘phenomenon’ has her audience in the palm of her hand with every twist and turn of her magically stitched together program. The evening felt seamless as one song melted into the next and music from different cultures and times created the show: Angels Over Berlin.
Ute Lemper’s voice at first seems deep and husky and it’s not until she lets fly that you realize she’s in possession of an extremely versatile instrument with a considerable range. She produces varying tonal colours from dark and warm to bright and nasally and commands her vibrato to serve her artistic needs. Improvisation is also used, as is scatting and growling which are employed as much for humour as for expression. Some snippets of songs presented towards the end of the evening – ‘Cabaret’ and ‘All that Jazz’ - were only recognizable by the words, so far had the performer deviated from the melodic structure of the original song. Thanks to this fresh approach Miss Lemper and her band managed to create something completely new rather than just thrashing out old songs in the conventional way. Whatever approach the band took, each song was performed uniquely a la Ute Lemper and I couldn’t help thinking about some staid and un-innovative performances I have seen in recent times - all performed by larger, better funded organizations! If only more performers would interpret works in an original way then art could really live!
Wednesday’s performance felt more like a nostalgic journey to cities and places from the past rather than a ‘song recital’. Lemper and her band created two hours of magic by smoothly transitioning one piece to the next with story-telling and a piano accompaniment of haunting harmonies. Not wanting to be bogged down by the idea of angels and spirits from the past however, there was also room for plenty of humour - which surprisingly enough Lemper did as well as she sang! There was an impression of Marilyn Monroe singing ‘Happy birthday Mr. President’ – in this case happy birthday Mr. Rudd – interspersed with dog noises and Miss Lemper cheekily swinging her rear-end (I dare say Therese would have been jealous!) and also a funny story about an offending red boa - her only prop along with a black hat - which has made this extraordinary artist a convicted criminal in Australia!! (Don’t forget to declare any feathered items to customs dear readers!) There was also some collaborative whistling of ‘Mack the Knife’ which had lots of us giggling in our seats and in a jolly mood by the end of the evening, which alas arrived all too soon. Lemper sang a selection of Brel songs as an encore and finished with ‘Ne Me Quitte Pas’, a heart-breaking love song, and as I left the theatre I heard someone say: ‘I would have paid ninety-five dollars for a ticket just to hear her sing that last song!’; such is the magic of Ute Lemper.
Ute Lemper
Angels Over Berlin
Sydney
State Theatre
Wednesday, 19 May 2010 at 8pm
Adult $95 Concession $89
Phone 136 100 or www.ticketmaster.com.au
Brisbane
QPAC Concert Hall
Thurs 20 May 8pm
QTIX. Phone 136 246 or www.qpac.com.au
Melbourne
Arts Centre, Hamer Hall
Fri 21 May 8pm
1300 182 183 or www.theartscentre.com.au and Ticketmaster 1300 136 166
Adelaide
Her Majesty's Theatre
Sat 22 May 8pm
Bass 131 246 or www.bass.net.au
