NJ Singer Turns Heartbreak into Musical Debut on Wedding Date

Noelle Salvati, a singer-songwriter from New Jersey, is set to debut her musical, “Swipe Right: A New Musical,” on October 1, 2023, a date that was originally meant to celebrate her wedding. Just a month before the ceremony, her fiancé canceled their union without explanation, leaving her to navigate the emotional aftermath. Instead of succumbing to heartbreak, Salvati transformed her experience into a creative outlet, sharing her story through music.

Reflecting on the abrupt end to her engagement, Salvati, 41, recalled the moment she realized her fiancé had vanished from her life. “I was supposed to get married October 1st, and I was at my final dress fitting,” she told The Post. “I walked into my apartment and realized I hadn’t heard from my fiancé. I went to call him, and his phone number was no longer in service.” Shortly after, she received an email from him, officially calling off the wedding.

The emotional impact of this experience was profound. Salvati described returning to their shared apartment after he moved out, finding it empty. “I remember dropping to my knees. I was broken. I had a really, really hard time putting myself back together again,” she admitted. The lack of closure from the breakup lingered, but now, with the premiere of her musical, she is reclaiming her narrative.

“Swipe Right” draws inspiration from Salvati’s tumultuous journey post-breakup, featuring songs like “Ghosted” and “Coward,” which reflect her dating life after her split in 2011. Following the end of her engagement, she ventured into the world of online dating for the first time, sharing her experiences with her friend Michael Attanasio, who also serves as the show’s writer. “At one point, Noelle was singing about a date that had gone badly, and I thought, ‘That’s really funny. Maybe we could do something talking about the ridiculousness of online dating,’” Attanasio said.

The musical, set for a single performance at the Triad Theater on the Upper West Side, showcases not only Salvati’s songs but also humorous anecdotes from her dating escapades. She has penned tracks about the various characters she met on platforms like Tinder and Bumble, including one titled “Cross Him Off the List.” One memorable date involved a man who casually mentioned that his ex-wife still lived with him as a roommate. “After one of our dates, he invited me back to his place to listen to some music,” Salvati recounted. “As he was showing me around, he mentioned that one of the rooms was actually his ex-wife’s room.”

The show also incorporates actors sharing their own disastrous first-date stories, adding a comedic twist to the narrative. One story involves a woman who was taken aback when her date asked her if she had ever considered the ethics of cannibalism. “He kind of mentioned very casually, ‘I have a question for you. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to ethically source human meat?’” Attanasio shared. “And she was like, ‘Wait, what do you mean?’”

Despite the challenges she faced, Salvati’s journey reflects resilience and creativity. As she prepares to unveil her musical, she continues to search for love, embracing the humorous and painful moments of her past. The debut performance not only marks a significant moment in her career but also serves as a celebration of personal growth and artistic expression, transforming heartbreak into a source of inspiration.