Quick Wit: Orfeh

Orfeh may portray the ill-treated, self-destructive Annette in Saturday Night Fever, but away from the lights and applause this delightful woman is witty, frank and very clear on who she is, what’s she’s good at and what she was born to do.

TM: When you were a kid, is this where you thought you’d be in the year 2000?

Orfeh: The thing I always did was try to figure out how old I would be in the year 2000. I didn’t have an image of exactly what I would be doing, but I always knew I would be an entertainer because I never allowed myself to be good at anything else. I mean, I can’t even thread a needle.

TM: What are your favorite lyrics from a musical?

Orfeh: “I gave it all so easily for you my love” from the song I sing in this show. It always gives me chills when I sing it even though I’m singing it. It’s the best lyric I’ve ever gotten to sing, short of the entire song of Someone to Watch Over Me.

TM: Who’s your personal hero?

Orfeh: I think my mother is really, really cool. She’s my hero. And lots of people who make me laugh are my heroes. My friends are my heroes because they’re so good to me. I have really good friends. I am so blessed.

TM: If your character were running from public office, what would her platform be?

Orfeh: Oh my god!…State Slut! Actually I think she’d be the treasurer. She’s so anal-retentive in the ways she tries to make Tony love her that she’d probably be really good with numbers

TM: What’s your favorite four-letter word?

Orfeh: F**k! (laugh)

TM: What role would you like to play that you will never get to?

Orfeh: The role of Margo Channing that Bette Davis played in the film. Maybe if they do a remake when I’m older I could do it.

TM: What gets you choked up?

Orfeh: Music. Really good music or really good singing gets me choked up

TM: Is your cup half full or half empty?

Orfeh: My cup is always half full. I’m one of those people who is eternally optimistic.

TM: What was your favorite childhood game?

Orfeh: I like that awful game Operation. It was wretched and vile, but I really loved not touching the sides. Really! We were all crazy. Whoever had the Operation game we were at that person’s house. It was nuts!

TM: When was the last time you opened your mouth, inserted your foot and chewed it thoroughly?

Orfeh: You know what, I’m really good at not doing that. Because I have such a morbid fear of embarrassment. So I’m very careful about not doing that.

TM: What embarrasses you?

Orfeh: Everything! Anything…having scum in the middle of my eye would embarrass me. I’m really the most embarrassable person on the planet.

TM: So if you walked on stage and tripped would that embarrass you?

Orfeh: It would mortify me.

TM: What would you do?

Orfeh: I’d probably laugh myself into oblivion.

TM: What is your biggest Pet Peeve?

Orfeh: I hate repeating myself.

TM: What?

Orfeh: (Laughter). Really I hate repeating myself. It makes me insane.

TM: Would you rather be a tree, a garden vegetable or a body of water?

Orfeh: A tree would probably give people the most pleasure so I’d like to be that.

TM: How do you think you give people pleasure?

Orfeh: I give people pleasure when I sing. I absolutely love it. There is nothing in the world that I feel more at peace doing.

TM: If you could wake up in the morning with a skill that you don’t already possess, what would it be?

Orfeh: My dream would be to be a master chef in the morning. Cooking…really cooking…you know, I’d be able to find a few dried nasty boxes in the kitchen and bake up something like a flambe. I can’t even boil water. I can make a cobbler and that’s about it.

TM: If you were having a dinner party, what three guests would you invite?

Orfeh: Rosie O’Donnnell because I think she’s the coolest person in the world, Shakespeare and someone really edgy…I’d probably have Satan.

TM: And what would you cook them?

Orfeh: I can only make cobbler!

TM: Morning or Night?

Orfeh: Night

TM: Near or Far?

Orfeh: Near

TM: Yes or No?

Orfeh: Yes

TM: Simpsons or South Park?

Orfeh: South Park

TM: Coffee or Latte ?

Orfeh: Latte

TM: Boxers or briefs?

Orfeh: Boxers.