Lempicka

Lempicka was written by female playwright Carson Kreitzer, who based the musical on the real life story of the famous Polish painter and one of her favorite female heroes, Tamara de Lempicka.

Story Developed at Yale University

Kreitzer learned about Lempicka when she studied at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut in 1989. It was at Yale that she studied theatre, literature and earned her Masters in Fine Arts and eventually graduated magna cum laude in Spring 1991.

Master’s Thesis at Yale

Krietzer then wrote Lempicka as part of her Master’s thesis at Yale and had the musical reviewed by the Yale Repertory Theatre (Yale Rep) in 2011 for them to make suggestions and revisions to improve the show’s continuity. Since then, Lempicka premiered in its final form during the July, 2018 Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts and then later went on to make its West Coast premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California.

Broadway Debut Was Originally Set For 2019

Lempicka was set to make its Broadway debut in March 2019 and was to make Carson Kreitzer an official Broadway playwright and overnight success.

Rachel Chavkin was set as the director for this show, known for directing for the Tony Award winning musical Hadestown, which opened in March, 2019 and went on to sweep the Tony Awards that year. The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything and all new show openings were cancelled as Broadway went on hiatus for 18 months.

Tamara de Lempicka's Art Deco Works

Tamara de Lempicka was a grand Polish artist. Born in Warsaw, she made her mark in the high society of Paris and later in the United States. A master of the brush, she was, known for her elegant portraits and bold Art Deco style. Her paintings, shimmered with the spirit of the roaring '20s and '30s, capturing the glamour and sophistication of the time. A true gem of the art world, leaving a legacy that still dazzles today.

Lempicka's Famous Works

Lempicka's famous work is characterized by its sleek, stylized depictions of the human form, often with a focus on elegant and glamorous subjects. She was particularly celebrated for her portraits, which captured the sophisticated and fashionable zeitgeist of the 1920s and 1930s.

Throughout her career, Lempicka's style evolved, and she continued to paint in various genres, including still life and landscapes. After experiencing a resurgence of interest in her work in the late 20th century, Tamara de Lempicka is now regarded as one of the leading figures of the Art Deco movement.