Photograph by Alex Martinez
At age 35, Loren Rosko was ready to turn in her stilettos. “I was considering moving away from live performing,” says the sultry singer and social media star. She and her husband, real estate developer Sean Rosko, were trying to start a family. After traveling with the band Party on the Moon for five years, performing at weddings and corporate events, Rosko discovered TikTok during the Covid-19 pandemic, and soon shifted her attention to filming short videos and growing her following to nearly 2 million fans. The Suwanee native was browsing Goodwill one day when she received a call from an unknown number. It was film and theater casting director Peter Wise. “My wife follows you on TikTok,” he said.
Otis Sallid, a Broadway choreographer and Grammy Award–winning creative director, and Dave Green, founder of The Select restaurant in Sandy Springs, were launching a cabaret at The Works on the Westside. They wanted Rosko to be the chanteuse. “I told him no—my top priority was getting pregnant,” she says. After a few conversations, she reconsidered and signed a two-month contract that has since been extended. This was her dream job, after all.
Photograph by Alex Martinez
Ever since third grade, Rosko had fantasized about being like Jessica Rabbit, the curvy cartoon supper-club singer in the 1988 movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit. When assigned to decorate a cardboard cutout to represent her future career, Rosko cut an hourglass shape and added a velvet dress, blond hair, red lips, and a microphone. “I used to watch black-and-white movies with my mom, where you see the audience dressed up, drinking fancy martinis, having a meal, and watching a show,” she says. “I never thought I would have the opportunity to do that.”
Now she does: Five nights a week, you can find Rosko onstage at Damsel, dressed in burlesque attire and singing her heart out. The 10,000-square-foot supper club and cabaret offers a lavish menu inspired by Roaring Twenties, Gatsby-style parties—think lobster cones and truffle arancini. A series of small-plate courses is served between musical acts; after the dinner show, patrons can move to the bar, the members-only lounge, or upstairs for dessert. Between Thursday and Saturday, the dining room transforms into a late-night dance club, and at midnight, breakfast is served on the roof.
Photograph by Alex Martinez
Damsel evinces a sophisticated, dramatic vibe from the moment you enter. Chandeliers, a winding staircase, and touches of velvet and bronze all set the mood for a variety of sensual acts. To develop the show, Sallid worked with Rosko and seven dancers on the choreography, rehearsing 8 to 10 hours a day for two months. The varied list of acts explores genres and styles; for the pièce de résistance—an enchanting medley of jazz covers—Rosko performs in a custom-designed Jessica Rabbit dress.
“Loren is a super talent,” says Green. “She’s natural on stage and professional in every way. She personifies the essence of what Damsel is about: greatness.”
When she’s not onstage, Rosko keeps busy filming TikTok videos about her life (she recently shared one on how to make “sushi” with StarKist Thai Chili tuna); running Schaf Apparel, the clothing line she founded with her sister; and sharing songs she wrote herself. She also chats with fans online. “Every comment that I respond to and start a conversation with, that’s a new fan,” Rosko says. “It’s a new relationship, and I want to have that bond with people.”
Photograph by Alex Martinez
But Rosko can separate herself from the virtual world whenever necessary. She and Sean abide by a no-phone rule when they’re together, making space for typical couple activities like binge-watching Stranger Things and Fallout. When they have spare time—rarely—they like to wander through upmarket neighborhoods admiring the architecture.
As for the future, Rosko hopes to stay at Damsel through Christmas, taking the opportunity to showcase her holiday vocals. Afterward is anyone’s guess, as family remains her primary goal. She thinks about being a “mom influencer,” sharing her life with her audience from home, and imagines popping up at weddings and bar mitzvahs when she gets the itch to perform.
“I [basically] came out of the womb singing,” Rosko says. “I’m going to be singing until I die.”
This article appears in our August 2024 issue.
