Hosta

Lempicka is a stage musical based on the life of Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898–1980). The musical features music by Matt Gould, lyrics by Carson Kreitzer, with a book by Gould and Kreitzer from an original concept by Kreitzer.

The show opened on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre on April 14, 2024 and closed on May 19, 2024 following 41 performances.^[1]

Premise

The musical follows the life of de Lempicka as she flees the Russian Revolution to Paris, France with her husband, Tadeusz, and daughter, Kizette.^[2][3] Facing the rise of fascism, Tamara takes to painting to survive, and when she meets the free-spirited Rafaela, a prostitute on the fringes of Parisian society, she's torn between the life she cherishes with her husband and the passion, ambition, and possibility awoken in her by her new muse.^[4]

Production history

Williamstown (2018)

The musical was originally commissioned by Yale Repertory Theatre and New Dramatists. Between 2011 and 2017, the musical underwent a series of labs and workshops. The musical premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival on July 20, 2018, running through August 1, 2018. The show is choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly and directed by Rachel Chavkin.^[5]

San Diego (2022)

The production made its West Coast premiere on June 14, 2022 at La Jolla Playhouse, running until July 24.^[6]

Broadway (2024)

The musical began previews on Broadway on March 19, 2024 at the Longacre Theatre and opened on April 14, 2024. The production team includes most of the team from La Jolla including Chavkin as director and Raja Feather Kelly as choreographer. Costumes are by Paloma Young and scene design by Riccardo Hernandez.^[7] It closed on May 19, 2024, after 27 previews and 41 regular performances, and following low box office grosses and a mostly negative critical reception.^[8] Despite this, the production received three nominations at the 77th Tony Awards, including Best Actress in a Musical (Espinosa) and Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Iman).^[9]

Musical numbers

Synopsis

Act 1

Lempicka opens with an older version of Tamara de Lempicka muttering to herself while painting. She describes her woes of loving two people at once and reminisces on her life, asking "How did I wind up here?" ("Unseen").

The screen behind Tamara opens up and she changes to become a younger version of herself. Tamara is in a wedding dress, painting, as we are introduced to her mother and then Tadeusz Lempicki, the man she will be marrying. After the wedding, Tadeusz is arrested for plotting with the Tsar as the Russian Revolution is underway. Tamara is able to convince two guards to let her through to her husband by paying them with expensive jewelry, but the third guard is not moved and insists that Tamara give him her body to use for the night. Tamara gives in and frees Tadeusz ("Our Time"). Now, Tamara and Tadeusz are on a train to Paris, with their new daughter Kizette, as Tadeusz ponders how his wife got him out ("Starting Over").

When they arrive, Tamara comments that Paris is the "ugliest beautiful city" she's ever seen. Tadeusz continues asking how she got him out, and Tamara mentions that she could get a job but fails to land work as a hostess. Eventually, Tamara sees a painter selling his work and decides that she could make a living off of painting. She then attempts to create a still life painting of "Three Madeleines" before eating them all, as well as painting Kizette. Tamara attempts to sell art to the Baron and the Baroness, the former of who recommends she goes to see Marinetti to teach her art. Marinetti asks Tamara to show him something he hasn't seen before. Then, the scene switches to Tamara painting in her home, as the Baron shows up and she sells two paintings ("Paris").

Tamara is with Marinetti in his studio as he reprimands her paintings of nude women, telling Tamara that "a painting is not a woman... a painting is a flat surface, covered with paint" ("Plan and Design"). Suddenly, a car drives in with Rafaela on top. She sings about how love is like roulette and not worth it, and Tamara wonders who she is, before Rafaela and Suzy run away due to the arrival of the police ("Don't Bet Your Heart"). Tamara sets out to paint Rafaela, saying that she "won't rest 'til [she has] her.. portrait" ("I Will Paint Her").

Tamara is exhibiting at her first group show, where Marinetti is once again annoyed of all the repetitive art that Tamara and the other artists have created. He sings about futurism and a distaste for humanity, claiming that only machines can acquire perfection. Tamara then asks if she can paint Rafaela, who agrees by being promised immortality as an image ("Perfection"). Then, Tadeusz walks in before applying for his first job, reflecting on his new life and everything he's lost. He isn't sure how to be strong enough for his wife ("Wake Up").

For a moment, Tamara is at the Dead Rat Café searching for Rafaela, where she meets Suzy Solidor instead. Then, she is at home painting as Kizette tries to get her mother to pay attention to her instead of her easel for once ("Mama Look at Me"). Tamara asks Kizette to call her "Chérie" instead of "Mama." The scene shifts back to the Dead Rat, where Tamara discusses with Rafaela her vision for her painting, and they discuss their pasts, as Tamara once again thinks about the situation where she got her husband out. Rafaela asks the band to play "Bracelet in A" ("The Most Beautiful Bracelet"). The two then kiss, and go back to Tamara's studio. Tamara paints Rafaela as she sleeps ("Woman Is").

Act 2

Tamara shows her portrait of Rafaela to the Baron and Baroness, while also signing it as "Lempicka" instead of the male version of her surname. Marinetti then sings about Paris being immovable after World War I, that the stock market crashes will not disturb them, and that there will never be another Great War. Tamara plans for any emergency that would require her family to need to leave the country. She is said to be taking over Paris with her artwork, and that she is the "New Woman." ("Pari Will Always Be Pari").

Tadeusz returns home to see his wife painting, and they discuss not being a normal couple and the fact that they are both seeing other women. Tadeusz questions Tamara's status as a "New Woman" because she is not the same as the woman he fell in love with. He also mentions being offered a job in Warsaw, and wants to leave there with Tamara ("The New Woman"). Now, Tamara and Rafaela go to Suzy's new club, The Monocle. Suzy sings about the beauty of women, and a lot of people in the room talk to and commission Tamara due to her newfound fame ("Women").

Rafaela tells Tamara that she wants to go to one of her art shows, to which Tamara adamantly refuses because she doesn't want anyone to know about them being lovers. Tamara gives Rafaela a better bracelet and professes her love. Rafaela sings about her backstory and about how she might stay with a lover for once, juxtaposing her previous assertion that "love is for fools." When Rafaela is alone, Kizette enters the studio and manipulates Rafaela into seeing Tamara at the International Exposition. Tamara relates herself to her painting of Adam and Eve.

Rafaela walks into the exposition, and Kizette drags Tadeusz there as well. Tadeusz and Rafaela see each other and discuss Tamara's view of both of them; Tadeusz says he is sure Tamara will stay with him, while Rafaela says she is the only one who can make her feel alive ("What She Sees"). They both confront Tamara, and the Baron and Baroness show up, along with Marinetti — he reveals that he has joined the Italian Fascists, who have adopted Futurism as their official art movement. The Baron and Baroness leave due to this news, and Marinetti tells Tamara that her chance at greatness will shatter if news comes out about her being queer. He says that Paris will not be Paris for long. Tamara reflects on what might happen if she has to leave, and that she wants to be able to paint what is real rather than what is perfection ("Here It Comes").

Tamara confronts Tadeusz about how she has always fought for everything, but he hasn't. Tadeusz says that she doesn't think about what he wants, and mentions that he met a woman named Irene. Tamara backlashes and tells him what she did to rescue him from Russian prison. The scene changes to Rafaela at the Monocle, who attempts to give her bracelet back to Tamara. She says that she doesn't want to be hidden from the world, and asks Tamara to leave Tadeusz to be with her, but Tamara refuses, so Rafaela leaves. Tamara goes back to Tadeusz, but he says it's too late. Marinetti and the Blackshirts arrest Suzy and everybody in The Monocle, and it gets blown up and destroyed ("Speed").

The Baroness visits Tamara in her studio, saying that she has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and doctors have told her she has two more months left to live. She asks that Tamara go to live with the Baron ("Just This Way"). Tamara and the Baron move to Los Angeles, California. Tamara once again reminisces on her new life where she doesn't paint and doesn't exhibit anymore, and nobody seems to know who she is. She mentions how she has outlived everyone, mentioning both the Baron and Rafaela's passings ("In The Blasted California Sun").

Tamara imagines a vision of Rafaela, who tells her she will never know what truly happened to her after their relationship ended. When she asks Rafaela what her life was for with everything and everyone she loved now gone, Rafaela says that the "sleek, powerful" women Tamara painted long ago are now "taking over the world." Some time later, her artwork is rediscovered in Paris, celebrated, and auctioned off for millions of dollars. The myriad of women Tamara painted pass her by, and she realizes that by representing them as unique and diverse, she has fulfilled her vision of the future. Tamara looks out towards the audience, singing that "We do not control the world. We control one flat rectangle of canvas at a time" ("Finale").

Characters and original casts

2024 Broadway production

External links

• Official website
• ​Lempicka​ at the Internet Broadway Database

References