LoveMusik is a musical written by Alfred Uhry, using a selection of music by Kurt Weill. The story explores the romance and lives of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya, based on Speak Low (When You Speak Love): The Letters of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya, edited and translated by Lys Symonette and Kim H. Kowalke.[1] Harold Prince had read Speak Low and suggested the idea for a musical to Uhry. Uhry and Prince worked on LoveMusik for four years to develop it into a stage work.[2] The story spans over 25 years, from the first meeting of Lenya and Weill as struggling young artists, to their popularity in Europe and America, to Weill's death from a heart attack at age 50.
| LoveMusik | |
|---|---|
 Poster for LoveMusik | |
| Music | Kurt Weill |
| Lyrics | Various |
| Book | Alfred Uhry |
| Basis | Lives of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya |
| Productions | 2007 Broadway 2016 Buenos Aires |
Productions edit
The musical was produced on Broadway as a limited run by the Manhattan Theatre Club at the Biltmore Theatre beginning previews on April 12, 2007, opening on May 3, 2007, and closing on June 24, 2007.[3] The show was directed by Harold Prince with musical staging by Patricia Birch and starred Michael Cerveris as Kurt Weill, Donna Murphy as Lotte Lenya, David Pittu as Bertolt Brecht and John Scherer as George Davis. The ensemble included Judith Blazer, Edwin Cahill, Herndon Lackey, Erik Liberman, Ann Morrison, Graham Rowat, Rachel Ulanet and Jessica Wright.
The production received mixed to positive reviews. It was noted for the performances of Donna Murphy and Michael Cerveris. For example, the TheaterMania reviewer wrote: "Cerveris – calculatedly diffident and consistently sympathetic as the dour Weill."[4] Ben Brantley, reviewing for The New York Times, wrote: "Two luminous, life-infused portraits glow from within a dim, heavy frame at the Biltmore Theater, where LoveMusik opened last night. This bio-musical about the marital and professional relationship of the German-born composer Kurt Weill and the actress Lotte Lenya, directed by Harold Prince, is sluggish, tedious and (hold your breath) unmissable—at least for anyone who cherishes stars who mold songs into thrilling windows of revelation."[5]
Japanese production edit
A production of LoveMusik was confirmed for Japan for the 2009–2010 Japanese theatre season. The production was translated entirely into Japanese. Masachika Ichimura was cast as Kurt Weill in the Japanese production.[citation needed]
Plot synopsis edit
- Act I
In 1924, Weill is visiting a friend in Europe, and Lenya is sent to meet him. They are immediately attracted to each other and their subsequent romance and marriage follow the course of events in pre-World War II Germany. Weill collaborates with Bertolt Brecht, and the two write The Threepenny Opera, among other important works. But Brecht's ego and politics cause a rift, and the two part. Weill and Lenya divorce and later remarry. As the Jewish Weill becomes a popular and successful composer, Weill and Lenya are forced to leave Germany.
- Act II
Now in the United States, Weill has successful musicals produced on Broadway, such as Lady in the Dark, and also spends time in California. The couple have an open marriage – both have other romantic interests; and Weill is a workaholic. But they remain with each other until his death in 1950. Lenya, although devastated at his loss, is urged to return to the stage in Weill's The Threepenny Opera.
The musical uses songs written by Weill for stage musicals such as One Touch of Venus, The Threepenny Opera, Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, Street Scene, Knickerbocker Holiday, and Happy End, as well as individual songs.
Musical numbers edit
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Recording edit
LoveMusik (the world premiere recording) was recorded in July 2007 at Avatar Studios in New York City and was released on November 27, 2007, by Ghostlight Records (an imprint of Sh-K-Boom Records).[citation needed]
Awards and nominations edit
Original Broadway production edit
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Michael Cerveris | Nominated |
| Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | Donna Murphy | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | David Pittu | Nominated | ||
| Best Orchestrations | Jonathan Tunick | Nominated | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Musical | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Book of a Musical | Alfred Uhry | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Michael Cerveris | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Donna Murphy | Won | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | David Pittu | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Choreography | Patricia Birch | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Harold Prince | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Orchestrations | Jonathan Tunick | Won | ||
| Outstanding Set Design | Beowulf Boritt | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Costume Design | Judith Dolan | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Howell Binkley | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Sound Design | Duncan Robert Edwards | Nominated | ||
References edit
- ^ Kurt Weill; Lotte Lenya (1996). Lys Symonette; Kim H. Kowalke (eds.). Speak Low (When You Speak Love): The Letters of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520078536.
- ^ Article from NPR.com
- ^ "LoveMusik Will Ends Its Run June 24", Playbill, June 18, 2007
- ^ Finkle, David. Review TheaterMania, April 30, 2007
- ^ Brantley, Ben (May 4, 2007). "Speaking Love With Kurt and Lotte". The New York Times. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
External links edit
- LoveMusik at the Internet Broadway Database
- Review from Variety[dead link]
- "Review: Lost in the Stars" by Hilton Als, The New Yorker, May 7, 2007