Falling In Love Again

New Zealand performer Jennifer Ward-Lealand pays homage to legendary Hollywood actress and singer Marlene Dietrich, in a cabaret tribute show, Falling In Love Again. She sings 23 extraordinarily beautiful songs from 1928 to 1955, including numbers by Cole Porter, Edith Piaf, Frederic Hollander and Pete Seeger and vividly captures the essence of timeless style and glamour.

Ward-Lealand has been living and breathing Dietrich for the past 15 years and touring the show since 2005, but this season she brings the show to Sydney for the first time.

Falling In Love Again operates beautifully as a chamber piece and guarantees to be as real to the live concert experience as possible. On grand piano is musical director Grant Winterburn and Aaron Coddel is on double bass, making a trio that are at the top of their game.

The songs take you through her life, entering the music industry, her movies, her performance in front of the troops and travelling all over the world for the war effort, the years in Vegas; all three separate parts of her career.

The idea first came to Ward-Lealand when she was playing the role of Marlene Dietrich in a British play called Marlene by Pam Gems. 

“I had spent so long researching her, at the end of the production I really couldn’t bear to let her go,” Ward-Lealand said.  

Ward-Lealand has really done her homework. She also believes there is not enough glamour in our lives these days. 

“When you are going to play Marlene Dietrich, you have to have an amazing frock and it really is a knock out heavily beaded gown, especially hand made for me. When I walk on the stage in that costume the whole game gets lifted,” she said.

“When you play someone real, someone people have a great love for, you have to do a good job, I think Marlene would approve if she was alive,” she added.

Until Aug 12. Glen St Theatre, Cnr Glen St & Blackbutts Rd. $31-$65+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.glenstreet.com.au

By Mel Somerville.