Lenya, The Legend

Published to celebrate the centenary of her birthday, "Lenya, The Legend" celebrates the singer and actress whose legend is tied to the music of Kurt Weill and the theatre of Bertolt Brecht. From her performances on stage and screen in such hits as "The Threepenny Opera", "Cabaret" and "From Russia with Love", Lotte Lenya established herself as on of the most exciting and talented performers of the era. Born Karoline Blamauer in 1898, Lenya escaped a destitute childhood in Vienna to begin her career as an actress and a dancer in Zurich. In 1920s Berlin she met and married the young composer Kurt Weill, and the two of them brought their talents to America theatre when they left Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Here are more than 300 photos, most never before published, accompanied by Lenya's own words, taken from interviews, private conversations, letters and other writings. The first visual biography of this extraordinary performer, "Lenya, The Legend" is an intimate and revealing tribute for Lenya fans and theatre and opera buffs.