Look, Broadway’s had some great dames tread its boards. From Auntie Mame to Eva Perón to Jackie Kennedy’s aunt and cousin living in a dilapidated house, it has been a pretty killer run. But never have we gotten a Polish Art Deco Cubist who was an active political participant in both world wars — a giant hole in the repertory, honestly. But now, Lempicka has come to change that. The story of Tamara de Lempicka, the new musical is heading to Broadway on March 19, 2024, following workshops at Williamstown Theater Festival and the La Jolla Playhouse. It is directed by Rachel Chavkin, who is addicted to slaying lately. This will be her third Broadway production, following Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 and Hadestown, and it is coming to Broadway just a few months before the upcoming Great Gatsby adaptation she’s directing, Gatsby, premieres at the American Repertory Theater in May. The musical also has book, lyrics, and original concept by Carson Kreitzer; book and music by Matt Gould; and choreography by Raja Feather Kelly. The production will star Eden Espinosa, who played Lempicka in both Williamstown and La Jolla.
“Tamara de Lempicka’s life spanned some of the most consequential eras in modern history, and her deep and complex story is an ideal subject for exactly the kind of show I love to both see and create: one that is simultaneously intimate and epic,†Chavkin said in a statement. “I think Carson and Matt are visionary storytellers — Carson is an under-recognized leader in the new play field, known for exquisite sparseness and thematic density, and Matt is a wild heart whose music fuses contemporary vibes with classical musical theater … and simply makes your heart swell. How lucky for all of us to have this piece brought to life by a performer as dynamic and brilliant as Eden Espinosa.†The production just released a teaser video, and it’s just as strange and angular as anyone could have dreamed. Get ready for hot Cubist spring.