Ghosts of Weimar Past

Aug 29

Ghosts of Weimar Past, starring chanteuse Artemisia LeFay and the Orchestra of the Depraved, will make its Rockwood Music Hall debut this Friday, September 2nd at 8:30pm on Stage 3.

Ghosts of Weimar Past is the brainchild of 25-year-old LeFay who is joined on the stage with pianist Hannah Mount, accordionist Mary Spencer Knapp and violinist Tiffany Weiss. The show celebrates the music of Jewish composers Spoliansky, Weill, Hollaender, Jary and is a program of musical time travel. It honors the spirit of cabaret and vaudeville from the birth to the death of Weimar Berlin.

From the gritty 20s, tumultuous 30s, and uncertain 40s, cabaret existed— most importantly, as a way to criticize and defy the faults of society. Ghosts of Weimar Past is full of Marlene Dietrich standards, snippets from Anita Berber’s “Dances of Depravity”, and the LGBTQ+ anthems and anti-Nazi songs that were sung under the very nose of fascism.

Ghosts of Weimar Past made its 2019 debut at Don't Tell Mama as well as a debut at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in March 2020. Following the pandemic shut down, it made its reappearance back at Don't Tell Mama and had 2021-22 debuts at The Triad, Pangea and Birdland Jazz Theater with return invitations to all these venues as well as Laurie Beechman Theater, The Green Room 42, Chelsea Table + Stage and more for 2022-23. It was nominated for a 2021 Broadway World Cabaret Award for Best Show.