By Magda Katz***Ute Lemper’s tribute to Marlene Dietrich at 54 Below was a captivating blend of storytelling, music and cinematic nostalgia, honoring the legendary icon on what would have been her 125th birthday. The music direction was by pianist Vana Gierig, whose sensitive and elegant accompaniment beautifully supported Lemper’s vocal interpretations.
The show’s origin was as compelling as its execution. While performing Cabaret in Paris, Lemper was told she carried a trace of Dietrich in her performance. At the time, Dietrich was living a famously reclusive life there, rarely leaving her apartment but still maintaining connections through long phone conversations. On a whim, Lemper wrote her a letter, sharing that she had been told she possessed Dietrich-like qualities—never expecting a reply. To her astonishment, one day she returned from a performance to learn that Dietrich had called and would ring back in ten minutes. True to her word, Dietrich called, and that extraordinary conversation became the inspiration for this show.
Onstage, Lemper interspersed memories of that exchange with songs forever associated with Dietrich, creating a deeply personal and theatrical portrait of the screen siren’s life and legacy. Among the highlights were “Falling in Love Again” (Friedrich Hollaender, Sammy Lerner), “Just a Gigolo” *Leonello Casucci, Julius Brammer and Irving Caesar), “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” (Pete Seeger, Joe Hickerson) and two of the most iconic songs linked to Dietrich: “The Boys in the Back Room” (Hollaender, Frank Leosser) and “Lili Marleen” (Norbert Schultze, set to a poem by Hans Leip).
As Lemper sang, a video montage of Dietrich’s classic film clips played behind her, deepening the emotional resonance and transporting the audience through time. The result was not merely a concert, but a living conversation between two artists across generations—an elegant, moving homage that celebrates Dietrich’s enduring mystique, while showcasing Lemper’s extraordinary artistry and interpretive power.
