By Cris Franco

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Broadway’s rapidly expanding roster of Latinx talent will be live on-stage at NYC’s toniest supper club & cabaret, 54 Below, which features twice-nightly performances by The Big Apple’s hottest stage names. From its inception, the intimate showroom has presented Latinx talent from the legendary Chita Rivera to our latest Tony Award-winners, Lin Manuel Miranda, Paulo Szot, and Lindsay Mendez (soon to be co-starring with Daniel Radcliff in Sondheim’s opus to friendship, Merrily We Roll Along). Here’s the impressive calendar of musical acts 54 Below has in store. 

JChris & Friends: Noche Latina

SEPTEMBER 17, 2023 @ 7 pm SHOW INFO
Come enjoy a night of Latin music presented by urban Latin artist JChris (aka Chris Urquiaga) and an all-star cast from Broadway and TV: October 26, 27 & 28 @ 7 pm, Anna Paloma, Carmen Ezcurra, La Lulu, Jeffrey Nuñez, Jon Rodriguez and Valerie Torres-Rosario.

54 Below is honoring the fact that la música Latina is embedded into NYC’s cultura by dedicating a night to the genre and all of its eclectic subgenres. You will hear selections from the Broadway repertoire, Latin pop standards, and original urban Latin tunes penned by JChris. Through their deeply personal performances, the guest artists will express the role Latin music has played in defining their artistic, personal, and cultural identities. JChris is known for his smooth voice and high-energy bilingual performances. His music transcends boundaries, infusing Latin, Afro, and Brazilian influences while exploring themes of gender fluidity and queer culture. This is a joyous night of celebrating the diversity within la musica Latina. To add to the fun, join JChris’ livestream by logging into

To add to the fun, join JChris’ livestream by logging onto: 54below.org/JChrisLIVE

The Twisted Worlds of Christian De Gré Cárdenas

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 @ 9:30 pm. SHOW INFO
“A creepy-carnival vibe. Simply put, it’s twisted and wonderful.” – Time Out New York

Join La Muerte, the boozy ruler of the underworld, and their adorably ill-made Diablito as they bicker over what worlds to weed in the coming great reckoning of their beloved garden. New York Innovative Theater Award nominee Christian De Gré Cárdenas returns to 54 Below with a dark and twisted retrospective of five fantastical worlds spanning two centuries on the verge of total blissful collapse.

Starring a macabre mix of Broadway veterans, opera stalwarts, and indie theater all-stars, the evening features hilarious never-before-seen material along with highlights from the award-winning: Beware The Chupacabra, Jack of Hearts: Master of None, Ampathy (miscreated by a non-writer), Fish Food For Feelings, Sappy Tales for a Broken Heart, Whiskey Pants: The Mayor of Williamsburg and the gleefully morbid cabaret series A Drink With Death.

The magical evening features the talents of Sebastian Armendariz, Rob Moreira, Raquel Suarez Groen, Justin Anselmi, Matthew V. Carter, Nicholas Connolly, Molly Craven, Bethany Geraghty, Christian Mark Gibbs, Emma Grimsley, Caitlin Mesiano, Eric Michael Parker, and Trevor Pierce. It features collaborations with Joseph Reese Anderson, Sarah Sanders, Elias UVA Díaz, Serrana Gay, R. Patrick Alberty, Brian Freeland, and Ariana Paganetti. So, join us and step into an unforgettable night of Broadway at its bizarre best.

“De Gré’s Sondheim-esque operettas are the perfect answer to the accusation that there is no new musical theater of quality being made.” OffTheBeatenTrackTheater

Mauricio Martinez: 5’11” Based in NYC

October 5 & 6, 2023 @ 7 pm SHOW INFO
“Speaking economically, it was a perfect night of cabaret entertainment.” – Stephen Mosher, BroadwayWorld

Mauricio Martínez Mexican actor and singer (On Your Feet!, Broadway; El Vato, NBC) is an Emmy Award-winner and Tony Award® watcher. The gifted vocalist with leading man looks, and a Broadway star voice has had a lot of self-tape sides filling up his Dropbox. In his new show, 5’11, Based in NYC, he’s putting those recordings to good use in a musical titled, “What If…” where he incorporates popular musical songs into his various audition self-tapes. Pushing aside the ring light, this very funny and personal peek into an actor’s life is an electric night of musical theatre. Accompanied by a band led by musical director Brian J. Nash and featuring special guests, the “Mexican Marvel,” hailed as a “world-class vocalist” by BroadwayWorld, proudly brings his new solo show to 54 Below for two nights only. Martinez’s charming manner and smooth vocals ensure a thrilling night of cabaret. Written by Mauricio Martínez and Robbie Rozelle, with musical direction and arrangements by Brian J. Nash. Directed by Robbie Rozelle.

MAURICIO MARTINEZ SINGS ”Another Hundred People” 

Jai Rodriguez: A Thousand Sweet Kisses

October 26, 27 & 28 @ 7 pm SHOW INFO

Emmy Award winner and Broadway veteran Jai Rodriguez returns home to the NYC stage after 17 years, with his new cabaret show A Thousand Sweet Kisses, chronicling his hilarious journey through love, sex, and relationships. We fell in love with Jai when he was introduced to us as the “Culture Guy” in the groundbreaking original reality show Queer Eye. Theater audiences first met Jai at the age of 18 when he played Angel in Rent, making him the youngest person ever cast in a leading role in that show. While in NYC, puertoriqueño Jai appeared at Lincoln Center in Spinning Into Butter, as Carmen Ghia in The Producers, and as Zanna in the cult classic Zanna, Don’t! While performing eight shows a week, Jai became a fixture in nightlife with his popular postmodern pop cabaret night at XL called Twisted Cabaret. Since then Jai has become a regular fixture in TV and film guest starring on shows like Grey’s Anatomy, The Rookie, The Magicians, How I Met Your Mother, Fantasy Island, and as the scene-stealing Geoffrey in Malibu Country opposite Reba McEntire and Lily Tomlin. Most recently Jai was in the Judd Apatow film BROS and in Uncoupled.

A Thousand Sweet Kisses is a hilarious and touching musical cabaret featuring Broadway and pop classics as well as never-before-told behind-the-scenes stories. Each night will feature a different surprise guest dueting “I’ll Cover You” from Rent with him. You’ll love Jai’s unforgettable return to the NYC stage!

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