THE PROJECT:
To present a staged, choreographed, lit and costumed
workshop production of Siren’s Den, a
new rock musical, in April 2016 in NYC.
The show will be performed in the East Village at Under St. Mark’s, an
exclusive 40 seat venue with an underground rock club vibe. Audience feedback will help to further develop
the piece for future festivals and larger productions.
THE SHOW:
Siren’s Den is a
full length rock musical with book, music and lyrics by Rori Nogee (Star of
Off-Broadway’s acclaimed Showgirls, the
Musical! and writer of Down This
Road). Siren’s
Den is a cautionary tale about the emptiness of fame, the
blindness of love, and the healing powers of writing through the darkest times. The 23 original songs in the score are in the
vein of 90’s rock meets Spring Awakening
and Rent, with haunting melodies and story-driving lyrics. The cast is comprised of 12 powerhouse triple
threat performers.
MULTIMEDIA:
Check out sneak peeks of the songs on Soundcloud!
https://soundcloud.com/sirens-den-musical
"Siren's Den" is featured in the blog, Call Me Adam! Read the article here:
http://www.callmeadam.com/interviews/2016/2/18/call-redialed-rori-nogee-sirens-den.html#.Vsag2lKJnzK
THE GOAL:
We hope that the presentation of this musical will be an
invaluable experience to all involved.
The writer will see and hear her work on its feet and gage the reactions
of its first live audience; the audience will see a world premiere of a piece
in development and give constructive feedback to further improve the show; the
actors will have an opportunity to perform professionally on a NY stage and create
a new work from the ground up.
THE PLOT:
Siren’s Den is a
dark, modern twist on the myth of the ancient Greek sirens who lured sailors to
their deaths with their songs. Here,
the turbulent sea is the music industry, and the siren is Skylar Cole, a seductive
indie rock singer in NYC.
Skylar’s biggest fan is Remy Morgan, a young, aspiring
singer who finds that her songwriting is fueled by her time spent with
Skylar. Although Remy and Skylar form an
immediate bond, their attempts at connection are thwarted by Skylar’s hungry
fans, the Vultures, her possessive personal assistant, her suspicious
boyfriend, and her own sordid past.
Soon, Remy finds herself drawn into a world of drugs,
lust and empty promises, where some
idols don’t deserve pedestals and some dreams come with dire consequences.
Will Remy find success?
Or will she fall prey to Skylar’s siren song forever?
WHERE THE MONEY GOES:
All of the money raised will go to funding the workshop
production. Expenses include:
-Paying the 12 actors
-Paying the creative team
-Paying the musicians who help make arrangements for the
backing vocal tracks
-Paying for the transcription of sheet music
-Paying for the use of the performance space in the East
Village
-Paying for 2 weeks of rehearsal space, which includes large
dance studios to choreograph the explosive dance numbers
-Paying for audition space to cast the talented actors
-Paying for a piano accompanist for the singing auditions
-Paying for the printing of scripts for the entire company
-Paying for the printing of advertising postcards
-Paying for the printing of audience programs
-Paying for costume pieces to complete the look of the show
-And most importantly, it will help to make a dream come true!
PROJECT HISTORY:
Siren’s Den has
been in development since 2012. It
received a table read at CAP 21 Studios in May 2014, and 15 minutes of the show
was presented as part of the West Village Musical Theater Festival in June 2014.
CREATIVE TEAM:
Rori Nogee(Book/Music/Lyrics):As a performer, Rori has appeared on Broadway (Joseph…Dreamcoat), Off-Broadway (Showgirls, the Musical!), in national and North American tours (Disney Junior’s, Chuggington, Live!) and in regional productions including Rent(Maureen), Grease(Rizzo), Gypsy(Mazeppa), Murder Ballad(Narrator) and Arizona Broadway Theater’s upcoming Rock of Ages(Regina). Rori has also appeared in the NYC Fringe and Midtown International Theater Festivals and on America’s Got Talent. Her voice can be heard on the Love Quirks concept album. She can currently be seen in Truffles! at The Cutting Room.
As a writer, Rori’s play, Down This Road, was selected for readings with Sink or Swim Rep, Chelsea Rep Lap, and Identity Theater’s Self-Aware Reading Series. Her concept musical, Fragments, was presented at Don’t Tell Mama. She also has two completed screenplays and is currently writing two other full length plays entitled Borderline and Aftershocks. Rori’s training includes The Lee Strasberg Institute, Circle in the Square, and the LAByrinth Theater Intensive. She started writing music at 16, which incidentally, is also the year she first fell in love.
Marishka Phillips(Director): Broadway actress, accomplished director, and thespian guru, Marishka S. Phillips is an actor’s actor with an extraordinary wealth of talent. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Marishka began performing at age of eight, and by the time she was thirteen, was cast in the European tour of Raisin, a musical version of the popular play A Raisin In The Sun. Upon graduating from Springfield Gardens High School, Mariskha honed in on her skills at the prestigious Alvin Ailey School of Dance, the Broadway Dance Center, and Fordham University, where she studied theater arts. As an actress, singer, and dancer, Marishka is bona fide triple threat, and has performed and toured with Sean P.Diddy Combs, Christian Castro, and CeCe Winans, just to name a few. As an acting coach, in 2011, Marishka founded the Marishka Phillips Theatrical Preparatory. Having coached and trained some of the Hollywood’s biggest names, including Deborah Cox, Kerry Washington, Terri Vaughn, Rafael Sadiiq, Tasha Smith and Elizabeth Rohm, Marishka’s ingenious acting method combines the traditional art of story telling through a spiritual connection. On screen, she made her directorial debut with Love Always, Eartha, a short film that takes an in-depth look at the life of Eartha Kitt in 1955. Marishka lives and resides in New York City, and is also an official New York Casting Director. And has penned a dramatic screenplay entitled, MELINDA, currently seeking funding.
William Bailey(Choreographer/Costumes):William has done choreography for multiple recording artists. As well as being a part of Broadway national tours and Broadway cast recordings, he's been on shows like Watch what happens live with Andy Cohen. He has also choreographed shows like Cats, High School Musical, and a spot on Nickelodeon, and been dance captain for multiple shows including Fame, Freckleface Strawberry, and Once on this Island. William also is a prominent drag queen in NYC that goes by the name Jada Valenciaga, which you can see in the upcoming documentary "Dragged" and a new film called "party of one"
Ricky Romano(Musical Director): Ricky is an active Music Director, Piano Instructor, and Vocal Coach in the New York Metropolitan area. He is currently the Music Director of the Off-Broadway revival Ruthless! The Musical at St. Luke’s Theatre, working in tandem with it’s original book writer and composer, Joel Paley and Marvin Laird, respectively. Aside from theatre, Ricky is a sought after pianist/keyboardist for vocalists, bands, and recording studios. Previously, he was the keyboardist/vocalist for Flat Five, an alternate rock band. They have performed extensively throughout the Tri-State area inducing appearances at The Chance Theatre, The Bitter End, Jones Beach Theatre, and The Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square. Ricky received a bachelor’s degree in Music Business and Business Administration from SUNY Potsdam. Other Music Directing credits - Off-Broadway: Ruthless! The Musical (Triad Theatre), Choices: A New Rock Musical (2012 West Village Musical Theatre Festival). Industry Readings: Love Quirks. Regional: Gypsy (Yorktown Stage), [title of show] (Westchester Sandbox Theater).
Stage Manager: Lauren Arneson
Musical Arrangements: Frank Perri and Jaden Nogee
Lighting Design: James Prez Carter