Ute Lemper in CHICAGO

[clarky]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 6:10pm

Hey folks! Did any of you guys see Ute Lemper as Velma in Chicago? I was wonderin how that was.

PS: If there was already a thread about this, I apologize. I just couldn't find it.

[pab]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 6:22pm

When I saw her perform the role in London a few years ago and she was quite good.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 8:12pm

All of my friends that saw her in London have told me that she's arguably the best Velma Kelly from the revival. Plus, since she was the original Velma in London and the show was such a hit that the energy on the stage was so vibrant, as soon as she appeared for All That Jazz people went wild so apparently that enhanced her performance.
Anyone can say anything about her chemistry with Ruthie Henshall?

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 9:48pm

I didn't see her.

But the real Chicago fanatics who have seen the show tons & tons of times - all tell me Ute was fantastic.

Ute had a totally different interpretation from Chita and Bebe, and for some it didn't work.

Those who saw Bebe refused to think Ute was as good. But I'm sure those who saw Chita would think Bebe was just as good.

It seems to me the 3 best Velmas have been Chita, Bebe, and Ute.

I heard Ute had INCREDIBLE high kicks - which practically went over her head.


You can see her full ALL THAT JAZZ number on her dvd "The thousand and one lives of.." It also features her rehearsing with Ruthie Henshall, Ann Reinking, and features clips of Ute & Ruthie doing the HOT HONEY RAG.

She did win the Oliver for Best Leading Actress. I would love to have seen her.

Here is a review of when Ute played Velma on Broadway.
http://www.curtainup.com/chicasec.html

Updated On: 12/30/05 at 09:48 PM

[Tom-497]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 11:07pm

I went to the Las Vegas production of "Chicago" specifically to see Ute. I thought she, Chita Rivera, and Ben Vereen were all very good, but I wasn't thrilled by the production.

The focus was largely on dancing, and my own tastes are more oriented toward Ute as a singer. Now, after half-a-dozen years, I can picture Ute's legs (and body generally), and also some of the wry looks she'd give the audience. But Ernie Sabella's "Mr. Cellophane" is the only vocal performance that's stuck with me in any way. To me, he was the highlight of the show.

[fiatlux]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 11:20pm

Ute Lemper was superb - one of the best. She gave the part such a raw, street intelligence - you would not want to be on the wrong side of her :)

There was an interesting BBC documentary following the opening of the show in London. The growth of a tension between Ruthie Henshall and Lemper - was palpable, having been in the show and seen the same thing happen between the leading ladies in that one - I wonder if that is something that just happens...On the first night Henshall had a dramatic failure of nerve and that is also captured in the documentary.

Apart from all that drama, one of my abiding memories of the documentary was the obsession of the producers with the guest list and venue for the opening night party - you could have almost been forgiven for thinking that was the most important thing.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 11:48pm

She was supposedly quite wonderful, but didn't enjoy the experience. She apparently hated the repitition, and said she doesnt plan to do theater anymore, because of that. She seems to have a successful concert/cabaret career, though.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 11:58pm

She didn't enjoy the experience because the Weisslers were NOT good to her.

[DAME]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 11:59pm

Is there a copy of the documentary floating around?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 12:05am

Aww, I didn't know Ruthie Henshall and Ute Lemper didn't really get along during Chicago, that's disappointing. For some reason whenever I see Ute Lemper on a video or pictures she always looks like she's about to poison your drink or something. I would love to see that documentary though, it sounds like pure golden.
Didn't the Weisslers put Ute on the tour or something? I know they were rude to her, it's kind of a different story than what happened with Bebe.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 12:11am

She was on Broadway for a little while at least. I feel like it was only a few weeks, though.

[fiatlux]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 12:18am

She was certainly hesitant about accepting the part - because she was used to the freedom of being a solo artist.

I don't want to give the impression that Ruthie and Ute were at each others throats - but two very strong women, playing two very strong women - with the show riding on their backs - provided a lot of sparks Perhaps a better way of decribing it would be a creative tension.

And as a member of the audience, it paid dividends in the performances.

That's really what I meant when I said that from my experience of being in the show, I wondered if that sort of tension is necessary for it to be successful.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 12:37am

Well Ute did do Broadway but then I believe what happened is the Weisslers sent her to the touring company which was not what they had initially promised.
Fiatlux, thanks for the clarification, I thought you meant they sort of hated each other like it's happened in other shows. Poor Ruthie, I wonder how she managed having a breakdown during the show. Was Chicago the first time she had such a big part on a West End show?

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 12:43am

Not really.... Ruthie had a 10th Anniversary Concert of Les Mis playin Fantine which is prob a bigger role! I think Ruthie have only played ensemble in Miss Saigon (OLC) and also a role in The Chorus Line. But I nvr understood why she brokedown just before the show and I remember something like she wanted to quite last minute.
For a fact that she and some of the ensemble werent happy about how Ute was always complaining about how tired she is and how tiring the job was and she had to take care of her children. Cuz apparently Ute was always mourning! But anyway, Ruthie said she understood now, now that she had 2 kids of her own!
Totally random! :P

[fiatlux]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 12:49am

"Was Chicago the first time she had such a big part on a West End show?"

No but I think she felt a great deal of pressure with this one. It is a very exposed role. I think I'm right in saying she'd just played Polly in Divorce Me Darling - which was a hoot and a good ensemble show, whereas she was really out there on her own in Chicago.

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 12:56am

Roxie is prob a BIG role in her career until then I have to say. But from what I heard, she dealed with it PERFECTLY! And she's still one of the best Roxies apparently (I can only WISH to have seen her Roxie!!! and oh... with the ever so wonderful Ute Lemper as Velma!)

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 1:18am

Well, I don't think playing Fantine is as big as Roxie Hart just in terms of stage time, dancing-wise, and even acting-wise I believe Fantine is easier to play than Roxie because Roxie has easy traps to fall into and it takes a great actress to pull it off. Anyways, I understand why Ruthie would feel so pressured, especially since the show had great buzz.
Was that a thread-jack? Oh well...

[jimmirae]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 1:27am

Imagine Veronica Lake with the stature of Julie Newmar, That was Ute and she was wonderful!

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 1:35am

Love Ute as a cabaret act, but Broadway obviously wasn't her deal. She quite literally walked out of Chicago mid-show on one occasion. Her understudy, Mamie Duncan-Gibbs, was out of town, and since the show was well underway, her standby had been released from the theatre.

When Ute left, the curtain had to be rung down for 15-20 minutes while her standby was located and sped back. When the curtain rose, Nancy Hess (Ute's standby) quite literally stopped the show with her rendition of (I think) "I Can't Do It Alone". She was brilliant and Ute returned the next day, and finished out her run. It was never spoken of.

So, she was okay, but Broadway is probably not the best gig for her.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 2:15am

Well I believe that's a little disrespctful to the audience. I think an actor's main responsibility is with the audience. I'm one of those people that would have just flown to NYC to see her, and doing that shows that she has no respect for her audience.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 2:22am

Honestly, I think she was just overwhelmed and perhaps ill-suited for the Broadway grind. She was really quite pleasant. While not a Fosse dancer, she moved quite well and had a lovely singing voice.

[fiatlux]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 2:48am

I first saw her in the Paris version of Cabaret - playing Sally Bowles - she was sensational in that - I was taken to that by a college friend of hers from the Cologne Dance Academy. She is used to the shorter runs that European theatres have - she played seven months in London as Velma and I think that was enough for her.

I've only heard of her leaving a show during performance when she was extremely ill and had to leave the stage. It surprises me to hear that she had just walked off.
Updated On: 12/31/05 at 02:48 AM

[clarky]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 5:02am

I saw her back in 83 as Bombalurina in the Original Cast of CATS in Vienna (That was her first job / Munkustrap and Dancs Captain was Steve Barton). That was also her first professional gig. Well she did that for a year and had to rest, because she had vocal problems. She was also first cover of Grizzi. I believe back then she didn't like the long runs as well. And in Vienna you only do 6 Shows a week. If it is sold vell you do more.

Her Biography is quite intersting. Very personal written. I don't know if you can get that book in english, but if you can you should read it.

[Sant]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 7:43am

I never saw Ute as Velma on stage, but I did catch the number they performed in the Royal Variety Gala the season CHICAGO opened in London. Ute sang a couple of verses of "All That Jazz" and "Cell Block Tango" and did "The Hot Honey Rag" with Ruthie. (The performance also included bits from "Me And My Baby" and "All I Care About")

On cd, I don't really like Ute's performance. She has a marvellous voice, but her too-over-the-top performance is not my cup of tea. It's like she's trying too hard to be funny, not trusting the material. But maybe having seen her do it live would have been a different ballgame.

I don't know how well she got along with Ruthie in London, but I do know that Ute's replacement, Nicola Hughes (who was simply fantastic in the role, by the way!!) did have some trouble with Ruthie. I don't know what exactly went on, but it was very hard to get along with Ruthie.

[Horton]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 8:45am

This will sound really stupid, but I always here people talking about the problimes that Bebe Neuwirth had with the Weisslers, and why people said they had a blow out. I really have no clue what happend and always kind of pretend I do when people bring it up . Can you please tell me!

-Horton
Updated On: 12/31/05 at 08:45 AM