Ute Lemper brings her tango to Greece

German performer to appear in Athens, Thessaloniki

Multifaceted German-born artist Ute Lemper returns to Greece this month for three performances. Lemper is scheduled to appear at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall on February 18, before taking the Athens Concert Hall stage on February 20 and 21.

Renowned for performances that often combine music, song and theater,

this time round, the German chanteuse comes with “Ultimo Tango,” a music journey tracing the genre from Buenos Aires to Paris, Berlin and New York, using as its vehicle some of the world’s best-known love songs. “Ultimo Tango” includes works by Astor Piazzolla, along with songs by Jacques Brel, Kurt Weill, Norbert Schultze and Michel Emer.

Both in Athens and Thessaloniki, Lemper will interpret a number of Piazzolla works, among them “Balada para mi muerte,” “Oblivion,” “Balada para un loco,” “La ultima grela,” “Los Pajaros Perdidos” and “Yo soy Maria,” along with favorites such as Brel’s “Ne me quitte pas,” Weill’s “Surabaya Johnny,” Schultze’s “Lili Marlene” and Emer’s “L’Accordeoniste.”

Born in Munster, Germany, in 1963, Lemper graduated from the Dance Academy in Cologne and the Max Reinhardt Seminar Drama School in Vienna, before embarking on her career by initially performing Fassbinder plays in Stuttgart. Musicals were up next, playing Velma Kelly in “Chicago,” Lola in “The Blue Angel” as well as the lead in “Peter Pan.”

A noted interpreter of Kurt Weill works, Lemper is known for exploring world cultures but always returning to her German roots. She currently resides in New York.

In Thessaloniki, tickets are on sale at the Aristotelous Square box office and the Thessaloniki Concert Hall (25th Martiou & Paralia, tel 2310.895.800). For more information, visit www.tch.gr. In Athens, tickets are available at 8 Omirou Street and the Athens Concert Hall (1 Kokkali & Vas. Sofias, tel 210.728.2333. Visit www.megaron.gr for further details.