Broadway Couple Orfeh and Andy Karl announce separation after 23 years of marriage

Broadway veterans Orfeh and Andy Karl have announced their separation after 23 years of marriage. The couple, celebrated for their onstage roles together in "Saturday Night Fever," "Legally Blonde," and "Pretty Woman," updated fans about their relationship status in a shared statement posted to Karl's Instagram on Tuesday, May 14.

"After 23 years of a wonderful loving relationship, both onstage and off, we have made the decision to separate," the statement read, accompanied by a photo of the actors posing apart.

The couple, typically based in New York, have been living long-distance over the past year as Karl reprised his Tony-nominated role in "Groundhog Day: The Musical." The revival premiered at the Old Vic in London from May to August 2023 and later transferred to the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, Australia, concluding its run on April 20, 2024.

"Keeping a marriage strong can be challenging, especially when working on opposite sides of the world, but we remain committed to building a strong future, whether together or apart," Orfeh and Karl continued. "We ask for respect and privacy at this time."

Orfeh, 53, and Karl, 49, first met in 2001 when Karl joined the cast of "Saturday Night Fever." They married six months later, eloping in South Beach in January 2001.

"I knew instantly," Orfeh recalled in a 2015 Playbill interview. "I thought 'love at first sight' was a total cheesehead concept, but the minute I laid eyes on him, everything else faded from view. I said to my girlfriends: 'Don't let me screw this up. I have to be with this guy.'"

Karl felt the same, though he played it cool. "I had just come into the show, and she was this phenomenon I'd never seen before," he told Playbill. "I didn't think I had a chance, but I tried to strike up conversations. When it came down to it, we were both looking for the same thing."

Throughout their marriage, both built impressive Broadway careers. Karl starred in "Wicked," "Jersey Boys," "The Wedding Singer," and "9 to 5," earning Tony nominations for "On the Twentieth Century" and "Rocky." Orfeh, formerly of the '90s R&B duo Or-N-More, earned a Tony nomination for her role as Paulette in "Legally Blonde: The Musical," where Karl played Kyle, the UPS delivery man. She last appeared on Broadway in "Pretty Woman: The Musical."

Beyond their stage roles, Orfeh and Karl often performed together in concerts and supported the Broadway community at various events. 

In a 2015 interview with Playbill, Karl shared the secret to their long marriage: "She's my champion. I'm the guy that sits back and thinks about things, but she's the go-getter. The two of us work off each other in that way. I've learned so much from her and am still learning."

"We genuinely like each other — above and beyond being in love," said Orfeh. "We're very lucky that we're as different as we are, but we have the same goals, love, and appreciation for things. I think that ultimately is the reason it's worked as long as it has."

She added, "This sounds so esoteric and cheesy — I think we are truly each other's soulmates. I think he and I were meant to be together."