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54 Below

A Nonprofit Cabaret Venue

Heart & Music: Songs From Rising Queer Composers

January 16, 2025

This performance will also be livestreamed. For tickets and more information, click here.

Join us at 54 Below for a night of new queer tunes from New York City’s rising composers. Featuring the voices of top talent, this concert will celebrate new works and queer joy via exciting new musicals. Produced by Annie Brown and Lain Walls, 54 Below’s Heart & Music is bound to be an unforgettable evening of discovery and connection celebrating the voices of tomorrow and the rich tapestry of LGBTQ+ narratives in musical theatre.

Featured performers include:

Braden Allison
Aja Simone Baitey (Redwood at La Jolla Playhouse)
Sydney Brown
Emma Christmann
Lauren Coleman (Cirque: The Spirit of Christmas)
Desmond Luis Edwards (How to Dance in Ohio)
Brett Evans
Elisa Galindez (Real Women Have Curves at A.R.T.)
Austin Gebhardt
Sonia Halle
Katherine Howard
Marlee Jones
Molly Kavanaugh
Oliver Richman
Jessie Robin
Jackie Romankow (Regarding the Disappearance of Amy at Playwrights Horizons)
True
Ariana Velasquez
Mike Vigilante
Keith Weiss

Featured songwriters include:

Emma Ashford (1660 VINE, 2024-25 Dramatists Guild Musical Theatre Writing Fellow)
Annie Brown (Cooking with Butter)
Richard Castle & Ron Barnett (Love Stings at Northern Sky Theatre)
Andre Catrini & Laura Zlatos
Matt Graham & Thalia Ranjbar
Jack Oliver Kotanen
Kevin Park, Riley Glick, & Danielle Llevada
Lucier&Rose
Vaheed Talebian & Kate Rankine
Jerome Walker (Playbill Songwriter Series)
Yazmeen Mayes
and more writers to be announced!

Please note that all artists and acts are subject to change at any time.

Featuring

Annie Brown

Producer
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Lain Walls

Producer
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Braden Allison, a young man with light brown hair, smiles warmly at the camera. He's wearing a dark shirt, and sunlight softly illuminates his face, highlighting his eyes and cheerful expression. A blurred building is visible in the background.

Braden Allison

Performer
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Aja Simone Baitey stands against a plain background, their curly auburn hair catching the light. Wearing a teal sleeveless top, they exude a calm, direct expression. The lighting beautifully highlights their hair texture and facial features.

Aja Simone Baitey

Performer
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A woman named Sydney Brown with long brown hair and green eyes smiles softly at the camera. She wears a dark green shirt and hoop earrings against a gray background, creating a simple and pleasant portrait.

Sydney Brown

Performer
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A woman with short brown hair, identified as Emma Christmann, smiles softly against a dark green background. She wears a white top with lace trim. The lighting highlights her clear skin and natural makeup, giving her a warm and approachable appearance.

Emma Christmann

Performer
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Lauren Coleman, with curly brown hair, smiles warmly at the camera. They are wearing a red and white striped turtleneck and denim overalls. The solid dark blue background enhances Lauren's bright expression.

Lauren Coleman

Performer
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Desmond Luis Edwards

Performer
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Brett Evans

Performer
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Elisa Galindez

Performer
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A young person with short brown hair and blue eyes, resembling Austin Gebhardt, smiles softly at the camera. They're wearing a gray sweatshirt over a cream-colored shirt against a plain white curtain backdrop.

Austin Gebhardt

Performer
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Portrait of a person with long, wavy auburn hair and fair skin, smiling softly. They are wearing a sleeveless dark green top. The background is a neutral light shade, enhancing the warm tones of their hair and attire.

Sonia Halle

Performer
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A person with shoulder-length red hair, reminiscent of Katherine Howard's iconic style, smiles softly at the camera. They are wearing a light green sweater and small hoop earrings. The background is a plain, neutral gray, highlighting the person's features and warm expression.

Katherine Howard

Performer
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Portrait of Marlee Jones with medium-length, curly black hair and fair skin, wearing a black sleeveless top. They have subtle makeup, including eyeliner and light lipstick, and are smiling softly against a neutral gray background.

Marlee Jones

Performer
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A woman with long dark hair and bangs, reminiscent of Molly Kavanaugh's style, smiles softly against a neutral brown background. She is wearing an off-shoulder, blue velvet top. Her fair skin glows with minimal, natural-looking makeup in this focused portrait of face and shoulders.

Molly Kavanaugh

Performer
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Oliver Richman

Performer
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Jessie Rathbun, with short, curly dark hair and a nose ring, smiles softly at the camera in a blue top. Their brown eyes and light skin are highlighted by the plain, softly lit background, emphasizing their friendly expression.

Jessie Robin

Performer
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Jackie Romankow, with wavy, shoulder-length blond hair and round glasses, smiles softly. They wear a sleeveless sweater vest featuring an argyle pattern in shades of green, orange, purple, and red. The background is a solid pink color.

Jackie Romankow

Performer
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Portrait of a person with very short blonde hair and light makeup, wearing a red sleeveless top and a delicate gold necklace. They are looking directly at the camera against a dark green background.

True

Performer
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Ariana Velasquez, with shoulder-length, dark brown hair, gazes softly at the camera. She has a neutral expression with slightly raised eyebrows and a closed mouth. The background is blurred, featuring muted natural tones, possibly indicating an outdoor setting.

Ariana Velasquez

Performer
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Mike Vigilante

Performer
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A person with short dark hair and a small beard smiles slightly at the camera. They are wearing a shirt with a green and white pattern. The background is a soft greenish color, providing a neutral backdrop that highlights their features.

Keith Weiss

Performer
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Emma Ashford, with short blonde hair and light-colored eyes, is gazing softly at the camera. She wears a light beige, textured top against a simple, muted gray background, enhancing the calm and serene atmosphere of this portrait.

Emma Ashford

Writer
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A man resembling Richard Castle stands with short brown hair, wearing dark-framed glasses, a dark suit, and a bow tie. His beard complements his warm, smiling expression against a softly blurred indoor backdrop.

Richard Castle

Writer
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Smiling person with long dark hair, wearing a gray blazer over a black shirt. They are positioned in front of a stained glass window with diamond-shaped patterns. The lighting is bright, highlighting their face and creating a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Ron Barnett

Writer
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Andre Catrini, with short dark hair and a mustache, is smiling softly. Wearing a grey henley shirt, he stands against a blurred backdrop of large windows letting in soft, natural light. The overall mood is warm and inviting.

Andre Catrini

Writer
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Laura Zlatos, with her long blonde hair and bangs, smiles warmly at the camera. She's wearing a black sleeveless top paired with bright red lipstick. Behind her, a purple wall showcases artwork and a bookshelf brimming with various books.

Laura Zlatos

Writer
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Smiling man with short, dark hair and a beard wearing black glasses and a dark henley shirt stands outdoors. The background is blurred greenery, suggesting a natural setting.

Matt Graham

Writer
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Thalia Ranjbar, with long dark hair, smiles warmly at the camera. She wears a black blazer over a black top and a gold necklace with a sun-shaped pendant, all set against a solid blue curtain backdrop.

Thalia Ranjbar

Writer
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Jack Oliver Kotanen

Writer
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Person with curly dark hair smiling at the camera, wearing a gray jacket over a blue shirt with beaded necklaces. They are seated outdoors in front of a red and black RTIC chair, with trees and fallen leaves in the background.

Kevin Park

Writer
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A woman in a strapless white dress smiles warmly, standing beside a glowing lantern. Her wavy hair cascades down her shoulders. The dark background contrasts with the soft, warm light illuminating her face, creating a cozy, intimate atmosphere. She wears a delicate necklace.

Riley Glick

Writer
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Danielle Llevada, a woman with long brown hair, smiles softly while looking slightly to the side. She wears a blue turtleneck sweater against a light blue background, her expression gentle and relaxed.

Danielle Llevada

Writer
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Luci Lucier, with long, vivid blue hair styled with volume at the top, stands against a vibrant wall. The backdrop showcases a vivid blue section and a red geometric shape, complementing Luci's striking presence as they gaze slightly to the side with a neutral expression.

S.C. "Luci" Lucier

Writer
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A woman with long, wavy brown hair and blue eyes is wearing a white top. She looks directly at the camera with a neutral expression. The background is plain gray, highlighting her features.

Meghan Rose

Writer
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Vaheed Talebin, with short dark hair and a beard, smiles warmly in a striped maroon vest over a white shirt featuring a floral collar. Set against a plain light-colored wall, Vaheed is accessorized with a gold earring and thin necklace, embodying effortless style.

Vaheed Talebian

Writer
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A woman with long brown hair and bangs, wearing large rectangular eyeglasses, is smiling at the camera. She has fair skin and is dressed in a red shirt. The background is dark, highlighting her face as the focal point of the image—none other than Kate Rankine.

Kate Rankine

Writer
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Jerome Walker, with short hair and glasses, is smiling and playing a black piano. Wearing a blue, black, and white patterned sweater, a microphone is poised near their mouth against a maroon curtain backdrop, suggesting an intimate live performance setting.

Jerome Walker

Writer
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Yasmeen Mayes, with her shaved head, smiles warmly at the camera, wearing glasses and a black velvet sleeveless top. The dark background, tinged with purple and red lighting, creates a soft, intimate atmosphere.

Yazmeen Mayes

Writer
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Past Performances

  • Thu, Jan 16 :9:30 pm
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The image features the logo of "54 Below," a renowned cabaret and dining club. The logo uses an elegant serif font with the number "54" prominently displayed and the word "BELOW" situated underneath. The text is gold on a dark brown background with a gold border surrounding the design.
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