Following in the great tradition of Anjelica Huston, Jessica Lange (pictured at right) sang Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson’s “September Song” in season 4, episode 6 of “American Horror Story: Freak Show” on the FX Network on 12 November 2014. Lange plays Elsa Mars, the owner of a 1950s traveling freak show, and she has been wowing viewers all season with her powerful portrayal and featured musical performances. In this episode, she tries out the song for her lover before an upcoming television appearance. As she finishes the bittersweet song she quips, “A little culture for the TV viewers. God knows they need it.” The Academy Award-winning actress has said she never thought of herself as a singer, but creator Ryan Murphy (Glee) has clearly brought out a hidden talent.

Lange’s rendition can be downloaded from iTunes. We look forward to more stars bringing “September Song” to needy television audiences. The song is almost eighty years old, but it continues to stir us powerfully.