A Lotta Lenya

The story of Lotte Lenya gets physical at the Dairy Center.

Comments (0) By Susan Froyd Thursday, Apr 23 2009

Actress and singer Lotte Lenya has long been an object of fascination for physical theater artist Sondra Blanchard, whose mentor lent her a biography of Lenya ten years ago. But it wasn’t until the talented graduate of Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre moved to Boulder to complete her MFA at the Naropa Institute that she began to mold a work out of her ongoing absorption in the life of Lenya, a female icon who gave voice to the music of composer Kurt Weill on such popular Brechtian tunes as “Mack the Knife” and “Alabama Song.” Lenya’s story, four husbands (including Weill) and all, is the subject of the finally finished work, The Wife Album, a non-linear combination of music, dance, dramatic text and movement that Blanchard calls a “hybrid that borders on a musical, although a non-traditional one.”

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Blanchard and a small cast will perform the piece at 8 p.m. April 24 and 25 at Wesley Chapel, 1290 Folsom Street in Boulder; admission is $8 to $15 on a sliding scale at the door (cash or check only). For reservations and information, call 720-891-1882.
Fri., April 24, 8 p.m.; Sat., April 25, 8 p.m., 2009