Colette Ambo and Jelani Dream to Star in FOLK NATIVITY IN CONCERT at 54 Below

54 BELOW, Broadway’s Supper Club, will present Alwin Bully's Folk Nativity In Concert on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 9:30pm. We’ve been dreaming of a green Christmas and it’s coming to town! Colette Ambo and Jelani Dream are thrilled to bring the holiday rhythms of the Caribbean to life at 54 Below! From the brilliant mind of acclaimed West Indian Playwright Dr. Alwin Bully, with music by Dr. Bully and Einstar LeBlanc, Folk Nativity in Concert features enchanting tunes from the well-loved Caribbean Christmas musical, singing a familiar story as you’ve never heard it before. Come let the mesmerizing melodies transport you, as the ensemble of islanders set your holiday spirit ablaze with the warmth of their vibrant folk, reggae, and calypso numbers, and soulful storytelling.

Playwright, the late Dr. Alwin Bully, who passed away earlier this year, was an award-winning Dominican playwright, actor, artist, and cultural administrator. He authored a number of plays including: The Ruler, The Nitebox, and Good Morning Miss Millie; as well as radio serials, short stories, poems, films, and documentaries. He served as the Nature Island’s first Director of Culture and worked in Jamaica for twenty years as Cultural Specialist to UNESCO. He is probably best known among his countrymen as being the designer of the island’s flag. The University of the West Indies awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree for his work in Arts and Culture in the Caribbean Region. It is an honor to bring his work to the stage.   

Folk Nativity in Concert plays 54 Below (254 West 54th Street) on Wednesday, December 20 at 9:30pm. Cover charges are $30-$40 ($34.50-$45.50 with fees.) Premiums are $65 ($73 with fees.) There is a $25 food and beverage minimum. Tickets and information are available at www.54Below.org. Tickets on the day of performance after 7:00pm are only available by calling (646) 476-3551.

MORE ABOUT THE CAST

COLETTE AMBO (Director/Producer) is a performing artist, writer, and producer from the Commonwealth of Dominica and is excited to make her 54 Below début. A product of her island roots and its folk theatre culture, Colette is passionate about her heritage and is a member of the Caribbean folk chorale, Braata Folk Singers. She has worked for several years with the nonprofit Amas Musical Theatre and the cause for representation, equity, and inclusivity in the arts is dear to her heart. @coletteambo

Select credits include: Jabari Dreams of Freedom (National Tour/off-Broadway); Cinderella (Penny Prince); Bring It On (Black Spectrum Theatre/Tonya Pinkins); After the Wall (NY Artists Unlimited); Chicago (Broadway Theatre Project); Greenwood: An American Dream Destroyed (Essence of Acting/Lynnie Godfrey); Dance Credits:  The ChoreoJoey Project (2017 - present).

TIRZON BRAVO was born and raised in Manhattan New York. He has played guitar for over 10 years and has studied music at Lehman College graduating with the Bachelor of Arts in Music. He is now a freelance musician and now works with multiple performing artists.

Andrew Clarke is an award-winning Jamaican-born singer, actor, director, producer and the founder & executive director of the Caribbean Arts nonprofit, Braata Productions. He is passionate about the preservation and celebration of Caribbean culture and heritage, and his organization is a staple in the authentic Caribbean cultural scene in New York City. It has afforded a platform for Caribbean talent to launch their careers in the creative industries. 

Credits Include: Off-Broadway: Suzan-Lori Parks' The Harder They Come (The Public); International: David Heron’s Ecstasy (UK tour); Jamaican adaptation of James Baldwin’s Amen Corner; Other Select Credits: Welcome to America: A Caribbean Musical (co-lyricist & composer); Positive; In Arabia We’d All Be Kings; Space Between Two Heartbeats; Girl Without Wings; A Man Like You; The Black That I Am; Flambeaux
IG: @braatabwoy

KAREEM CLARKE is a seasoned bass guitarist hailing from Queens, NYC, with 15 years of rich musical experience. Known for his versatility, Kareem excels in genres spanning from Gospel to Heavy Metal, R&B to Pop. His talent shines at weddings, corporate events, and recording sessions, making him a sought-after musician in the city.

MILA G. DAVIS is a New York City singer, actor, and music educator. She has previously been seen in the Dreamgirls International Asian Tour (Michelle u/s), The Rebirth Concert with Braata Folk Singer (Singer), Follow De Drum (Dawn Campbell), and so much more. Mila is overjoyed to be returning to the 54 Below stage with this amazing cast! “Special thanks to my husband and family for their love and support.” Colossians 3:23

JELANI DREAM (Music Director/Producer) is a pianist, composer, and creative writer. He has been a music director for Amas Musical Theater, the Kwanzaa Film Festival, and Mickey’s Uncut Hits at the Laurie Beechman Theater. Jelani has also performed as a piano accompanist at the Consulate for the Czech Republic in New York City and the Shrine Club in Harlem. His credits also include La Mama Theatre, Lehman Stages, LIU Brooklyn Media Arts, and The Theater for the New City.

Jelani currently freelances as a musician and composer. He writes screenplays, stage plays, and works in education.

ROOTS FENDER is very grateful to be a part of Folk Nativity in Concert. He is currently performing at The ZACH Theater in Texas. Other stage credits include Scoottsboro Boys, A Bubbly Brown Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, Avenue Q, and Aida. Film credits include Blackkklansman, Black is King (Beyoncé), GFY (Shaggy), and The Carrie Diaries. Roots is also a member of The Braata Folk Singers. He would like to thank Alwin Bully, Omar, Collette, and 54 Below for this opportunity to sing some Caribbean music. 

RAYVON JOHNSON is an AEA musical theater actor who has had the opportunity to perform in multiple countries internationally, perform in multiple musicals such as In the heights in which he played the Piragua Guy, 5 Guys named Moe where he played Eat Moe, directed by Tony Award® winning Ben Harney, sung backup for multiple artist such as Donnie McClurkin, Fantasia and more.  Rayvon not only uses his talent to entertain but to inspire. 

LOELLE JONES is happy to participate in the Folk Navity in Concert and connect with her Caribbean culture. She has participated in the digital musical Cinderella, by Penny Prince, and has done many school plays. She loves singing, dancing, and acting.

DARWIN SEALEY has been drumming for a period of time that has allotted him the opportunity to drum in plays, shows, showcases, drum circles & drum councils. His love for music transcends the basic concept of just playing an instrument. He becomes one with the Indigenous tool. Darwin has a keen ear to hear and pick up on the rhythm that's being created in real time. He connects with his Ancestors while drumming. The joy of music is appreciated and shared! 

Tieisha Thomas is a storyteller hailing from NYC. National Tour: 1776 (Abigail Adams/Rev. John Witherspoon), Elf the Musical (Jovie). Regional: Rocky Horror Picture Show (Magenta). Off Broadway: Hercules (Melpomene), B-Boy Blues the Play (Michi), Chronicle X (Knowledge), Lost in the Disco (Angelina), Midnight Mugshot (Principal Gordon). Virtual: WILMAR (Ugbad /Hamdi), Getting There (Tanaysha). Television: “Only Murders in the Building” (HULU), “Let the Right One In” (SHOWTIME), “Skully and the Mole Crack the Case” (NBC Peacock Kids), “Teaching While Black.” Film: B-Boy Blues (BET+), Unlocked, ‘Istikhaara, New York’, Help Yourself. “A woman’s gifts will make room for her”- Hattie McDaniel/ Instagram: @officialtieishathomas 
GOD Thank you, for without you I am nothing.

KAREEM THOMPSON is a professional steel pannist, born and raised in Brooklyn, NY by his Trinidadian grandparents. While in elementary school Kareem started playing the steel pan, an instrument his grandfather played while in Trinidad in the early 1960’s with Highlanders Steel Orchestra. Kareem attended Florida Memorial University after graduating from Brooklyn High School of the Arts. After attending Florida Memorial University for 3 years, he decided to transfer and attend the world renown Berklee College of Music in Boston MA. Kareem graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2013. 

Kareem has toured the United States and the Caribbean and has recorded an album entitled “Pan Roots Culture” which he released in 2017. Currently Kareem is teaching at Berklee College of Music and continuing to perform and tour the world. 

www.kareemthompsonmusic.com

MORE ABOUT 54 BELOW

54 Below, a recipient of the 2022 TONY AWARDS® Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve the music of Broadway and expand the art of the cabaret while growing opportunities for diverse communities of emerging and established artists and providing unparalleled audience experiences.

It was founded as a place for the Broadway community to celebrate Broadway performers, both established and new, who sing not only the music of Broadway and the Great American Songbook, but also new material intended for Broadway and off-Broadway stages. One of the most in demand venues in the city presenting over 700 shows per year, the club features fine dining and superb scenic, lighting, and sound designs entirely imagined by Broadway designers. For performers, writers, musicians, and more, 54 Below gives opportunities to advance their craft, expand their repertoires, and develop their voices in a way that is more personal, making them stronger as artists.  It gives Broadway fans an opportunity to see their favorite artists in a different way, deepening their relationship and understanding of their talent. 

54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work. It is also a place for innovation in musical songwriting and performance. Collaborations born at 54 Below give rise to and help develop new theatrical projects and new musicals. In addition, its popular streaming video activities and audio recordings support these activities, helping to build a new Broadway audience worldwide, both in age and geography.

Located at 254 West 54th Street, the club presents live shows at 7pm and 9:30pm. Tickets and information at  54below.org.

 

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