A SWEEPING MUSICAL PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN
WHO CHANGED ART AND CULTURE FOREVER
Lempicka, the musical about the Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka, will begin performances at Broadway‘s Longacre Theatre on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, ahead of an official opening night on Sunday, April 14 (info here, tickets here). Amber Iman, Beth Leavel, Andrew Samonsky and more have joined Matt Gould (Witness Uganda) and Carson Kreitzer’s show, a hit at both the Williamstown Theatre Festival and La Jolla Playhouse. Directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin (Hadestown) and featuring by choreography by Raja Feather Kelly (A Strange Loop), the fascinating musical stars Eden Espinosa (Falsettos), who originated the title role.
Eden Espinosa portrays Tamara de Lempicka (Matthew Murphy / La Jolla Playhouse)
The work follows the true story of Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka (pronounced lem-PEETS-ska) — pseudonym of Tamara Rosalie Gurwik-Górska — a young aristocrat-turned-artist who flees with her husband from the turmoil of the Russian Revolution for exile in Paris. Once there, Tamara meets her new muse, Rafaela, and claws her way to success as an exponent of the Art Déco artistic movement. The book, lyrics, and original concept are by Kreitzer, with Gould co-writing the book and penning the music. Spanning decades of political and personal turmoil and told through a thrilling, pop-infused score, Lempicka boldly explores the contradictions of a world in crisis, a woman ahead of her era, and an artist whose time has finally come.
Natalie Joy Johnson as the openly gay singer Suzy Solidor at Le Monocle,
the historic nightclub that was a haven for queer Parisians
(Matthew Murphy / La Jolla Playhouse)
Opposite Espinosa in the titular role, Iman, Leavel, and Samonsky will star as Rafaela, The Baroness, and Tadeusz Lempicki, respectively. The cast wll also feature George Abud as Marinetti, Natalie Joy Johnson as Suzy Solidor, Zoe Glick as Kizette, and Nathaniel Stampley as The Baron. Espinosa, Iman, Abud, Johnson, and Samonsky are reprising their roles from the La Jolla Playhouse production.
Autoportrait (Self-Portrait in the Green Bugatti), the best-known Lempicka piece
(Tamara de Lempicka Estate, ARS 2022)
The production will feature scenic design by Riccardo Hernández, costume design by Paloma Young, lighting design by Bradley King, sound design by Peter Hylenski and Justin Stasiw, projection design by Peter Nigrini, hair and wig design by Mia Neal, music supervision by Remy Kurs, music direction by Charity Wicks, orchestrations by Cian McCarthy, and casting by The Telsey Office. Peter Duchan is serving as creative consultant, and Cody Renard Richard will be production stage manager.
The cast of Lempicka at a Southeby's Event (photo by Kevin Doan)
