Ute LemperClient Information
3 March, 2025Print
Acclaimed Singer & Actress Ute Lemper Releases “Mack the Knife”
From New Album Pirate JennyCelebrating Revolutionary Composer Kurt Weill's 125th Birthday
Out April 25
“Fierce, multilingual chanteuse Ute Lemper” - The New York Times
“She may channel the likes of Dietrich and Piaf, with a strong sense of Jean Ross, but Lemper is still very much her own woman” - The Guardian
"A chanteuse of unique range and ability across all media" - The Washington Post
“It’s about building a bridge between eras, where Weimar meets the club.”
- Ute Lemper on Pirate Jenny
March 3, 2025 - To celebrate revolutionary composer Kurt Weill’s 125th birthday on March 2, acclaimed singer & actress Ute Lemper released “Mack the Knife,” the new single & video from her album Pirate Jenny, out April 25 via The Audiophile Society.
Composed by Kurt Weill with the lyrics of Bertolt Brecht in 1928, the song originally appeared in The Threepenny Opera, brimming with satirical critiques of societal injustices and corruption that still resonate today. Lemper embodies the charming yet ruthless criminal Macheath, who evades justice despite his violent actions. In the video, Lemper embodies various personas - the young, the old, the jester, the murderer - running loose in New York City.
“Mack the Knife”: Watch / Listen
Since 1985, from experimental theaters in West Berlin to Carnegie Hall, Lemper has been singing the songs of Jewish composers from the Weimar era, who were banned and persecuted by Nazis. She notes that Brecht and Weill's works remain as relevant today: "Exotic characters fight for survival, rising from the ashes of racism, disadvantage, and neglect—stories that feel strikingly contemporary.”
Lemper will release more singles from the album, including title track “Pirate Jenny” (a revolt against the ruling party of the rich) from The Threepenny Opera and “Speak Low” from One Touch of Venus - full tracklist below. Sultry vocals and atmospheric beats are brought to life with The Audiophile Society’s immersive Mega-Dimensional Sound™, transporting longtime fans and new listeners alike to a smoky Berlin jazz club outside of time, reminiscent of Lemper’s award-winning roles as Cabaret's Sally Bowles in Paris and Chicago's Velma Kelly in New York and London.
“This project is about creating a new audience for Kurt Weill,” says Lemper. “By blending his timeless melodies with a groove. I’m opening the door for younger listeners who might not know his work. It’s about building a bridge between eras, where Weimar meets the club.”
A Billboard Crossover Artist of the Year, Lemper has reimagined icons like Marlene Dietrich (Rendezvous with Marlene is based on a three-hour phone call between Dietrich and Lemper), Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel, alongside more modern collaborations with artists like Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, and Roger Waters (The Wall: Live in Berlin, 1990).
Lemper will perform some of Weill’s eternal classics live at 54 Below on Tuesday, May 27, and Thursday, May 29 - tickets here.
Track List
Mack the Knife
Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht / Music: Kurt Weill
The Threepenny Opera
English adaptation by Marc Blitzstein
Speak Low
Lyrics: Ogden Nash / Music: Kurt Weill
One Touch of Venus
Surabaya Johnny
Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht / Music: Kurt Weill
Happy End
English adaptation by Marc Blitzstein
My Ship
Lyrics: Ira Gershwin / Music: Kurt Weill
Lady in the Dark
Pirate Jenny
Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht / Music: Kurt Weill
The Threepenny Opera
English adaptation by Marc Blitzstein
Le Grand Lustucru
Lyrics: Jacques Deval / Music: Kurt Weill
Marie Galante
Ballade vom Ertrunkenen Mädchen
Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht / Music: Kurt Weill
The Flight of Lindbergh
The Salomon Song
Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht / Music: Kurt Weill
The Threepenny Opera
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