Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Rori Nogee of New York

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Rori Nogee. Check out our conversation below.

Rori, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
To be fully transparent, I am in a strange head space right now. I am at once filled with excitement for dreams that have just come to fruition, and with despair over the devastating loss of a friendship with someone I loved with my whole soul. I wish I could share the good news with him. But life doesn’t stop for grief. So. I am proud of the opportunities I continue to create and show up for, even on the days it is hard to get out of bed. I was recently invited to play original music at Breaking Sound NYC at The PinkFrog Cafe in Williamsburg. I wanted my songs to be heard the way I always imagined them. It was an incredibly ambitious undertaking to put together a rock band for “Siren’s Den,” a folk band for “The Impatiens,” and 8 singers to bring songs from both of my musicals to life. I was fortunate to perform amongst people who really wanted to be there, and to look out into a packed house of friends and strangers alike. I was especially proud to premiere the new folk songs, as “The Impatiens” is the most optimistic and hopeful thing I have ever written. It’s about patience, second chances and how everything happens in its time. I can’t say when anything will make me laugh again, but that October concert night reminded me that I can still experience joy whilst creating and performing.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am an actress, singer, playwright and composer. As an actress, I have appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, at Carnegie Hall, in national tours, regional theaters, cabarets and in films. As a writer, my works have had productions in various festivals and off-off-broadway theaters, including Theater for the New City and the Gene Frankel Theater. My songs have been heard at 54 Below (A Night of New Works), The Cutting Room, The Laurie Beechman, Don’t Tell Mama, The Green Room 42, The Duplex and in UNC Greensboro’s “Hear Our Voices” song cycle.

My crowning achievement of late is that I recently released the demo of “Siren’s Den: A Rock Musical” on Spotify! It’s the first time my music has been available to stream. Go check it out!

I think what makes my pieces unique is their rawness. Everything is inspired by or based on real life experiences. As a highly sensitive empath who feels things very deeply, I am able to capture these feelings and turn them into something universal, relatable, and human.

When not performing or working on passion projects, my other titles include: Licensed NYC Tour Guide, Escape Room Game Master and Brand Ambassador.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that chases people who do not choose me. The part of me that keeps proving my worth over and over again to people who refuse to see it. I cannot do anymore chasing. I am tired of being the only one to keep connections alive. I have tried everything and have only failed in the end. I need to sit with myself and understand that no matter what, I am enough.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
You are lovable during the in-between times; when not starring in a show, when there are no big announcements to make, or when you haven’t been productive. You are not your accolades. When you are sad or unemployed or just need to rest, you are still worthy of love.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
I used to believe that being on Broadway was the end-all be-all of a performing career, that being on Broadway meant “making it.” However, the industry has shifted. Shows today are often incredibly short-lived and don’t guarantee longevity of employment. While audiences crave new stories and original music, producers prefer to play it safe with jukebox musicals or recycled movie blockbusters. While those jobs can still be rewarding, I find myself being pulled more and more towards the process of creating new works. It’s a scary time when AI is on the verge of taking over our songwriting and acting jobs. It is more important than ever for art to come from human beings with real pain and real life experiences to draw from. I still love seeing Broadway shows, but I no longer think working on Broadway is the definitive peak of any career. There is so much art to be made.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What light inside you have you been dimming?
These past couple of years, loving someone has resulted in shrinking myself. It’s so hard to reconcile when the person who saw you, really saw you, more than anyone ever had, turns on you and suddenly resents everything about you that they once loved and admired. There was so much walking on egg-shells to not trigger them, to not make them pull away further, to not be “too much,” even though I only ever asked for the bare minimum. I made myself so small that I lost myself entirely. I put all of my self-worth into his hands, offering up endless energy and support, while neglecting my own needs. The result was being discarded, replaced, and feeling completely worthless. I continued to go to my various day jobs and carry out my daily routine, but no one was really home. It was a struggle to show up at auditions and put myself out there when I felt invisible and like I had to apologize for my existence.

I recently worked on a musical contract out of town. Onstage, I did the job well, but off-stage, I was isolated. I didn’t connect with anyone. I didn’t fully live the experience. On top of the emotional distress, I dealt with excruciating stomach pain that lasted relentlessly for days at a time. I could barely eat or stand up straight. I’d say to myself, “let me just get through the show tonight.” I couldn’t enjoy the thing I usually loved doing the most.

I have slowly been coming back to myself. I am working on taking the power back. I am excited to say that I have just signed with a literary agent. Someone believes in me enough to represent all of my written works and submit them to theaters around the globe. I hope this partnership will help to bring about my ultimate goal, which is to have my shows produced for new audiences. When people see my work, I want them to know that they aren’t alone in their heartbreaks, traumas and moments of joy. I want viewers to feel inspired and seen for all of their flaws, quirks, and mistakes. I look forward to this new chapter in my career. The people who are going to miss out on what happens next…it’s their loss.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rorinogee.com
• Instagram: @roareen, @sirensdenmusical, @aftershocks_play
• Other: Spotify:
  https://open.spotify.com/album/71HqjFJankVDHa7i48dvyZ?si=eSIgfbh4SOaxPMq_wI1p9A

Image Credits
Headshot:
Photo by Billy Bustamante

Mermaid Pic:
Rori in “Disenchanted” at Prima Theatre

Concert pic:
Breaking Sound NYC, PinkFrog Cafe

For the instruments photo:
Pictured: Alex DeSuze, Rori Nogee, Chase Wolfe, Steven Edward and Matt Liu

For “The Impatiens” logo:
Graphic design by Amara Nogee

The solo onstage pic:
Rori at The Bluebird Cafe