Interview: Universal Studios Japan and MSC Cruise Ship's Passionate Latin Singer, Nadia Rosenchtejer

Nadia Rosenchtejer: A professional vocalist and performer from Argentina. With a captivating presence, her voice has graced prominent stages. Her career with the first cruise ship was in 2018 as a Lead Production Vocalist on MSC. Her powerful voice has also been showcased on Silversea Cruises and at Universal Studios Japan. Nadia has graduated from the Buenos Aires Theater School and participating in courses at the Working Actor Studio (NYC), Broadway Dance Center, and the Collective Creative Initiative (UK).

How did your career with cruise ships started?

It was back in 2018, I was working in Argentina. Working on the cruise ship was my first job abroad as a performer. I’ve always wanted to work abroad and this idea about cruise ships started when I heard someone who worked there. 

I said let's try and did my research on what kind of material they wanted, or how to present myself for these auditions. I created a reel with a few songs in different styles, and sent them everywhere, every company I could find which were not many at the moment.

I also send it to agencies and one agency replied to me in August 2018. They said, “Sure! we will represent you,” and soon they send me the offer for this Italian cruise line. They said it will be around this time and the ship was going to China and Japan. 

Imagine me from Argentina. That's all the way across the world. I was really freaked out and scared and of course this was my first time doing something like that so I wasn't sure. But then they asked me for a demo in Italian because you have to sing in Italian for this company and I got the job and never looked back.

The cruise ship was a very different world. It changed my life. It gave me so many tools. I learned a lot from my colleagues and from my supervisors. And needless to say about traveling. That’s when I went to Japan for the first time, but also Dubai, Southeast Asia and China. 

Sounds like you liked it a lot but it must be some hard times, I bet?

Ship life, being on board for from six to eight months, that contract in particular was eight months and then I did seven and six. So different contracts can be different lengths. But being on board for that long is a lot and not for everyone. 

You have to be okay with being inside a lot, or not really owning your time. That's the biggest difference with any other jobs on land. When you go outside, you always have a curfew. Also you don’t get to cook for yourself. Even if you don't like the food, there's nothing you can do. So there are a lot of challenges. But if you go with the right minds and if it is something for you, it is really cool job.

So how did you end up with working for USJ after that? 

During that first contract, I went to Japan. I spent a month there on and off and I loved it. I thought I actually would love to work and live here, and I was looking into options in 2019.

Then the pandemic happened. A lot of companies started to do online auditions and USJ was one of them. I have to say, it’s one of or the best audition I've ever been a part of. Because whether you get it or not, you’re treated with respect and kindness, but it really is not common. Auditions can be brutal and very cold.

I actually auditioned for three years in a row, 2020, 2021 and 2022. In 2021, I was up to the finals but then they closed the borders in Japan so no one from abroad could get it. Then in 2022, I finally got it. I never thought I would get it because It’s such a big company and there’s so many people auditioning. 

It was an incredible job. Honestly, I wouldn't have changed that year in Japan for anything. There's a lot of very different things especially in terms of culture. But I just had a great time and so many opportunities. I got to create and perform solo shows as well.

What was the hardest part of working for USJ and how did you manage it?

The most challenging part was in terms of the endurance, the physical part and vocal. You have to be really careful with your health. I always carry my portable vocal steamer, nebulizer, and humidifier which I couldn't liv e without

It’s the same as being on Broadway in terms of how much energy and how many hours you're on stage. You would do seven to eight shows a week on Broadway. So I think it trained me to hopefully have a job on Broadway. That would be my dream.

Why did you decide to move on?

I didn’t know what to expect but especially after doing my first solo show, I realized that was really my passion and something moved me inside. So I thought I have to follow this and see where it gets me. 

[Nadia’s first solo show, “Sing it to me!”]

What’s your next plan then?

To work with my shows. I can’t say much yet because I don't have anything confirmed but hopefully, I’ll be performing my own shows on ships or even on land. As I talked about my solo shows, it is a Latin show and that is really special to me because it's me sharing a little bit of our culture and music to people that usually are not Latinos. I'm trying to mix as many genres as possible, salsa Tango Bossa Nova, a little bit of Disney and musical theater in Spanish. And those shows really represent me.

[Nadia’s second solo show, “VIVA Latina”]

So you’re going to be a producer as well?

Yes exactly. So this career that I'm starting is called headliner or a guest entertainer. That means you go on especially cruise ships, you do your shows and you leave. You come with the whole show, lights, visuals, music. Usually you perform with the band on board so you just bring tracks but you produce the whole thing including costumes. And that's been exciting because I never saw myself in this position and I'm learning a lot. 

What is your future career goal?

I've always had a dream to be on Broadway and I'm hoping to get to do that soon or eventually. There's some shows I would absolutely love to be a part of but even if it's not, just musicals are a passion of mine. Since I started studying musical theater when I was 16, I was watching all these Disney movies. My dad loves musicals too so it's been a part of my life.

But honestly, it's so strange because in this industry, you start with the goal like I want to start on cruise ships because that will get me abroad and I never consider the fact that I would love it. I had no idea what it was about. So since I am doing that, I let myself enjoy the process.

Even if I don't get to do musicals soon, I'm enjoying whatever I'm doing and performing my shows. So my dream has changed a little bit as well. Maybe I'll do both, a little bit of musicals and my own thing. That's really exciting, too because it opens my my horizons.

Photo Credit: [Kenshi James, Kanon Hamano, Misaki]

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