Orfeh (born March 28, 1971
as Orfeh Or
) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Orfeh and her husband,
Andy Karl
Andy Karl (born August 28, 1974 as Andrew Karl Cesewski) is an American actor and singer, best known for performing in musical theatre. He appeared on Broadway in the original productions of the musical version of ''Groundhog Day'' (for which he ...
, performed at the
Lincoln Center's American Songbook Series in 2016,
and in the Broadway musicals ''
Saturday Night Fever
''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American dance drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian-American man from the Brooklyn borough of New York. Manero spends his ...
'', ''
Legally Blonde
''Legally Blonde'' is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Robert Luketic in his List of directorial debuts, feature-length directorial debut, and scripted by Karen McCullah, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith (writer), Kirsten Smith from ...
'', and ''
Pretty Woman
''Pretty Woman'' is a 1990 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall, from a screenplay by J. F. Lawton. The film stars Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, and features Héctor Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy (in his final performance), La ...
''.
Early life and career
Orfeh was born and raised in New York City.
She attended the
LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts and received a record deal shortly after graduation.
Her first release was ''Life in the Movies'', which she released as a part of the group
Genevha with her musical partner
Mike More in 1987. After the release, the duo formed the group Or-N-More and signed with
EMI Records
EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...
.
In 1991, the duo released a self-titled album, their single "Everyotherday" reached number 46 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. The album was awarded gold status, but shortly after the album's success, the duo found out their business manager had mis-managed their finances.
She has been quoted about the situation, "My recording career went wrong. Really, really wrong. We had the business manager that stole all the money, the hit record that was about to become a mega-hit record and suddenly the rug was pulled out from under us. After being on the road for years and devoting my life to recording, I found myself at home saying, 'What do I do now?'"
After Or-N-More disbanded, Orfeh signed a publishing deal with
Warner/Chappell Music
Warner Chappell Music, Inc. is an American music publishing company and a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group. Warner Chappell Music's catalogue consists of over 1.4 million compositions and 65,000 composers, with offices in over 40 countries.
...
and continued to write and produce songs for other artists.
She also remains a member of the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous f ...
, which gives her nominating and voting privileges for the
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
s. She also co-wrote the song "Wishing On You," which appears on the soundtrack of the
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
film ''
Model Behavior
''Model Behavior'' is a 2000 television film that aired on ABC's ''The Wonderful World of Disney'' anthology series. The film starred Maggie Lawson, Justin Timberlake in his film debut, and Kathie Lee Gifford, and was directed by Mark Rosman. I ...
'' that was released in 2000.
Broadway
Orfeh made her
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
debut in 1998 as a swing in ''
Footloose
Footloose may refer to:
* ''Footloose'' (1984 film), a musical film
** ''Footloose'' (1984 soundtrack)
** "Footloose" (song), performed by Kenny Loggins
* ''Footloose'' (2011 film), a remake of the 1984 film
** ''Footloose'' (2011 soundtrack) ...
''.
In early 1999, Orfeh joined the ten-member company of ''
The Gershwins 'Fascinating Rhythm with
Adriane Lenox
Adriane Lenox is an American actress, best known for her performances in Broadway theatre. Her performance in the play ''Doubt: A Parable'' garnered her the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 2005. She received another Tony Award ...
,
Sara Ramirez
Sara Elena Ramírez (; born August 31, 1975) is a Mexican-American actor and singer. Born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Ramírez moved to the United States at eight years old, eventually graduating with a fine arts degree from the Juilliard School.
R ...
and
Patrick Wilson
Patrick Joseph Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is an American actor and director. He began his career in 1995, starring in Broadway musicals. He received nominations for two Tony Awards for his roles in ''The Full Monty'' (2000–2001) and ''Oklahoma ...
. She then starred in the Original Broadway Company of London musical of ''
Saturday Night Fever
''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American dance drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian-American man from the Brooklyn borough of New York. Manero spends his ...
'' as Annette, and in addition to winning positive reviews, Orfeh met her husband,
Andy Karl
Andy Karl (born August 28, 1974 as Andrew Karl Cesewski) is an American actor and singer, best known for performing in musical theatre. He appeared on Broadway in the original productions of the musical version of ''Groundhog Day'' (for which he ...
, while playing the role. In 1999, she appeared on ''
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' is an American daytime variety television talk show created, hosted, and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It premiered on June 10, 1996, and concluded after six seasons on May 22, 2002.
This talk sh ...
'' to promote the musical and perform her solo from the show, ''If I Can't Have You.''
After ''Saturday Night Fever'' closed, Orfeh starred in ''Me and Mrs. Jones'' and ''
Bright Lights, Big City'' at the Prince Theatre in Philadelphia. In 2001, she played
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and musician. One of the most successful and widely known Rock music, rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage ...
in the off-Broadway show, ''
Love, Janis
''Love, Janis'' is a 2001 collection of Janis Joplin's performances interspersed with readings of her personal letters to her family throughout her career. It is a companion to the Love, Janis (musical), Off-Broadway musical of the same title (co ...
''. In 2005, she starred in the off-Broadway musical ''
The Great American Trailer Park Musical
''The Great American Trailer Park Musical'' is a two-act musical, written by David Nehls and Betsy Kelso. It explores the relationships between the tenants at the Armadillo Acres Trailer Park in Starke, Florida, particularly between Pippi, "the s ...
'' as Pippi, a stripper from the wrong side of the tracks.
![Orfeh singing in Make it Fair](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Orfeh_singing_in_Make_it_Fair.jpg)
In 2007, Orfeh was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in the ''
Legally Blonde
''Legally Blonde'' is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Robert Luketic in his List of directorial debuts, feature-length directorial debut, and scripted by Karen McCullah, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith (writer), Kirsten Smith from ...
'' musical. She played the role of Paulette, a down on her luck hairdresser who helps Elle on her journey, while finding love of her own. She also received
Outer Critics Circle
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspa ...
and
Drama Desk
The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...
nominations for her performance.
Her husband,
Andy Karl
Andy Karl (born August 28, 1974 as Andrew Karl Cesewski) is an American actor and singer, best known for performing in musical theatre. He appeared on Broadway in the original productions of the musical version of ''Groundhog Day'' (for which he ...
, starred opposite her as her UPS man, Kyle. Orfeh stayed with the show until it closed on October 19, 2008.
From July 20, 2018, through August 18, 2019, she played the role of Kit De Luca in ''
Pretty Woman
''Pretty Woman'' is a 1990 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall, from a screenplay by J. F. Lawton. The film stars Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, and features Héctor Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy (in his final performance), La ...
'' on Broadway.
Television and film
In addition to television appearances, she is a frequently used voiceover artist and has voiced characters for the videogames ''
Max Payne 2
''Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne'' is a 2003 third-person shooter video game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sequel to 2001's ''Max Payne'' and the second game in the ''Max Payne'' series. Set tw ...
'', ''
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' and ''
The Warriors''.
She also has done voiceover work for
Wachovia
Wachovia was a diversified financial services company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before its acquisition by Wells Fargo and Company in 2008, Wachovia was the fourth-largest bank holding company in the United States, based on total asse ...
bank.
Music
Orfeh released her first solo album, ''
What Do You Want from Me'', on September 30, 2008. In 2014, Orfeh recorded a song for Michael Mott's album, "Where The Sky Ends" which was later released as a dance mix.
In 2015, she released the Christmas-themed single ''Baby Please Come Home''. In 2016, Orfeh and her husband performed at the Lincoln Center's American Songbook series.
That same year, she was featured on the single ''What the World Needs Now is Love'' with other Broadway artists and released the solo single, ''Forget My Name''.
Personal life
In 2001, she married actor
Andy Karl
Andy Karl (born August 28, 1974 as Andrew Karl Cesewski) is an American actor and singer, best known for performing in musical theatre. He appeared on Broadway in the original productions of the musical version of ''Groundhog Day'' (for which he ...
, a three-time Tony-nominated actor whom she met during her time in ''Saturday Night Fever'', and who played opposite her as Paulette's UPS man, Kyle in the original cast of ''Legally Blonde''.
The couple splits their time between Manhattan and Los Angeles.
Discography
Releases
References
External links
Orfeh's official pageat
MySpace
*
*
Star File: Orfeha
Broadway.comQ&A: Orfeha
Broadway.com
{{Authority control
American film actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
American video game actresses
Living people
Actresses from New York City
American musical theatre actresses
1971 births
20th-century American actresses
American voice actresses
21st-century American actresses
20th-century American singers
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
Singers from New York City