I’m a Stranger Here Myself – Wainwright Does Weill not only honors Kurt Weill’s legacy but also continues Rufus Wainwright’s lifelong exploration of artists who, like him, live at the crossroads of high art, pop culture, and emotional excess. Known for his theatrical flair and vocal prowess, Wainwright’s fascination with Weill’s music goes back for decades — in his early twenties he wore out the vinyl grooves of Teresa Stratas’ famous Weill album and he has long expressed his admiration for Weill’s unique blend of “pop music with an operatic sensibility, the profane with the divine.” Premiering in May 2023 at New York City’s Café Carlyle, Wainwright Does Weill marked Wainwright’s first extensive exploration of Weill’s repertoire. While Weill’s musical influence can be heard in Wainwright’s own songwriting, he had never before dedicated an entire evening to singing the German musician’s songs. Wainwright followed the sold-out five-night residency in New York by expanding his approach with a fully orchestrated concert version performed on the grand stage of Los Angeles, CA’s Theatre at Ace Hotel in 2024 with the Pacific Jazz Orchestra under the baton of Chris Walden in 2024. Wainwright and the PJO brought a unique interpretation to Weill’s singular compositions, which are celebrated for their fusion of classical, cabaret, and jazz elements. with featured performances of classic songs such as “Surabaya Johnny,” “Je ne t’aime pas,” “September Song,” and “Lost in the Stars.” Now captured on record for the first time and featuring guest appearances by Viola Odette Harlow and the Netherlands’ famed Metropole Orkest, I’m a Stranger Here Myself – Wainwright Does Weill, is at its core less about perfect preservation of the past and more about breathing new life into it – channeling Kurt Weill’s music through a 21st century lens with wit, grandeur, and unapologetic heart.
“The genius of Kurt Weill is something of an enigma – and it is probably his own fault,” writes legendary musician/producer Peter Asher in the album’s exclusive liner notes. “He should be one of the most famous songwriters or composers of any generation, inspiring (as he has) numerous and stylistically diverse iterations of his work – but it is perhaps his own versatility that prevents any single singer from claiming the crown for the definitive interpretation of his songs. From an era when the divisions between pop music and musical theatre, between hit songs and opera, were virtually impenetrable, he ignored them absolutely.
“I would suggest that this album covers all bases. Rufus does not approach these songs as a jazz singer would, nor indeed as classical works. He rather inhabits them as a singer-songwriter might. Throughout, Rufus avoids the tempting jazzy licks, and Chris Walden’s brilliant Pacific Jazz Orchestra arrangements follow him with magical restraint and clarity. The songs all have room to breathe, even when the orchestra does start to really swing vigorously, as it does on the inevitable ‘Mack the Knife.’ It is not incidental that in this live recording Rufus (with his impeccable intonation and phrasing) makes these songs sound easy to sing – which they most emphatically are not!"
I’m a Stranger Here Myself – Wainwright Does Weill follows the recent release of the live London West End cast recording of John Cassavetes’ Opening Night, the first-ever stage musical with music, lyrics, and orchestrations by Wainwright, available now via Center Stage Records HERE. Based on the 1977 film Opening Night by groundbreaking filmmaker John Cassavetes and featuring a book and direction by Ivo van Hove, John Cassavetes’ Opening Night premiered in London at the Gielgud Theater in the spring of 2024. Recorded live over the show’s final four performances in May 2024, John Cassavetes’ Opening Night (Original West End Live Cast Recording) sees Wainwright’s songs for the production performed by the cast including Sheridan Smith, Nicola Hughes, Benjamin Walker, and Olivier Award-nominated actress Amy Lennox. The release of the album was celebrated earlier this month by a sold out triumphant one-night-only concert at New York City’s Town Hall featuring performances by some of Wainwright’s many talented friends in the world of music and theater, including Sara Bareilles, Darren Criss, Patti LuPone, and Elizabeth Teeter, with Wainwright himself joining the cast to sing some of the songs and act as MC, explaining the musical’s story throughout the evening. The show raised over $60,000 for the ACLU.
In addition, Wainwright is slated for a wide range of international live dates through the summer of 2026. Highlights include intimate solo headline shows across North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe as well as a very special performance of his landmark Rufus Does Judy concert set for June 10, 2026 at London’s renowned Royal Albert Hall. For complete details and ticket availability, please visit rufuswainwright.com/tour.
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