In just a few weeks, young aristocrat-turned-artist Tamara de Lempicka's story will be told on Broadway in a brand new musical starring Eden Espinosa. While we wait, the Polish painter's great-granddaughter, Marisa de Lempicka, has shared some personal anecdotes about Lempicka and the life lessons she instilled in her.
"Tamara's story is a story of resilience," says Marisa de Lempicka. She recalls an early memory of watching her great-grandmother touching up a painting one evening. The artist told her to work hard for what she wanted, while also building a safety net: "When we left St. Petersburg, we lost everything...After every painting I would sell, I would buy myself a diamond bracelet, and not stop until I had diamond bracelets from here to here," she told Marisa de Lempicka, gesturing the length from her wrist to her elbow.
Marisa de Lempicka proudly notes that her great-grandmother did wear diamond bracelets from the top of her arm to the bottom, not only as a signature of her style, but as a means of security. "Later in life, I understood that these diamond bracelets were not only beautiful, but also a safety net, because if she ever had to flee again, you can take them with you and start again," shares Marisa de Lempicka in the video interview.
Watch the full interview in the video above to learn more about Marisa de Lempicka's memories of her great-grandmother.
Matt Gould and Carson Kreitzer's Lempicka will begin performances at the Longacre Theatre March 19 ahead of an April 14 opening night. Tony winner Rachel Chavkin is at the helm.
The work follows the true story of Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka, a young aristocrat-turned-artist who flees with her husband from the turmoil of the Russian Revolution for exile in Paris. Once there, Tamara meets her new muse, Rafaela, and claws her way to success. The book, lyrics, and original concept are by Kreitzer, with Gould co-writing the book and penning the music.
Raja Feather Kelly (A Strange Loop) is choreographing. The production will feature scenic design by Riccardo Hernández, costume design by Paloma Young, lighting design by Bradley King, sound design by Peter Hylenski and Justin Stasiw, projection design by Peter Nigrini, hair and wig design by Mia Neal, music supervision by Remy Kurs, music direction by Charity Wicks, orchestrations by Cian McCarthy, and casting by The Telsey Office. Peter Duchan is serving as creative consultant, and Cody Renard Richard will be production stage manager.
The musical has played two earlier runs, in 2019 at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and in 2022 at La Jolla Playhouse. Espinosa starred in both earlier productions, both also directed by Chavkin. The work was also developed at the National Alliance for Musical Theater's Festival of New Musicals in 2016.
Three tracks have been released from a 2022 original cast recording, featuring La Jolla cast members Espinosa, George Abud, and Amber Iman. Click here to stream.
Seaview and Jenny Niederhoffer are producing, with Wagner Johnson Productions serving as executive producers.
Visit LempickaMusical.com.
