NYC
Actor | Director
Producer | Jazz Vocalist

Rome Neal w/ Patience Higgins and the Sugar Hill Quartet
Rome Neal's Banana Puddin' Jazz
Produced by Rome Neal
Celebrating 23 years of
Banana Puddin' Jazz!

Rome Neal's Banana Puddin' Jazz is an award winning, long-standing, celebrated Jazz series in New York City that blends live music, community spirit, and audience interaction with the rich legacy of Black theatre and Jazz. Each show ends with an open mic, BPJ poem, and comes with a serving of Rome's famous, complimentary banana pudding.
Launched at the historic Nuyorican Poets Cafe in 2003, the series delivers top-tier entertainment every month, featuring world-renowned musicians, vocalists, poets, and more. The prestigious Rome Neal Shekere Award has honored many industry greats, including some now remembered as beloved ancestors.
Coming Up...

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Cashapp: $RNBJ18
Zelle: romeneal25@gmail.com
BECOME A MONTHLY or YEARLY
SPONSOR TODAY
call Rome Neal: at 718-288-8048 for more details on how you can support.
THANK YOU FOR 23 YEARS OF MARVTASTIC SUPPORT.
Our productions are fueled by the community, by way of donations, ticket sales and monthly sponsors. Your contributions make all the difference.
Jazzy Thespians Tribute to
Woodie King Jr.
The Official Video of a Historic Jazz and Poetry Celebration of Life for Woodie King Jr., founder of the New Federal Theatre, which took place at Theater For The New City on April 27, 2026
The Reviews:
Rome Neal's Beautiful Tribute to Woodie King Jr. held at Theater For The New City in the East Village honored a man I didn't personally know. On this night, the pudding, the poem, the prayer and the people all became part of the offering. Through them I met Woodie King jr.
- Raquel Aubrey - Beacon
Rome Neal's superb Banana Puddin' Jazz tribute to Woodie King Jr.
- Don Thomas, Editor's Note, Beacon
Actor, Producer, and Jazz Vocalist Rome Neal continued the public celebration with "Jazzy Thespians," a public celebration of Woodie King Jr. as part of his Banana Puddin' Jazz series. In the words of Rome, "Woodie was not simply a King, he was a Mansa, A King of Kings, an Emperor of a Black Theatre Dynasty..."
- Dr. Brenda Greene - Our Time Press
The evening opened with libation and prayer, followed by live Jazz that carried Woodie King'sm spirit through the room. Renowned musicians including pianist Andre Chez Lewis and Patience Higgins both celebrated for their work on Broadway and Off Broadway delivered soul stirring performances
- Dr. Jennifer Pinkney Pastor, Amsterdam News
An honor to be acknowledged by Woodie King Jr.
(July 27, 1937 – January 29, 2026)

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current happenings!
Theater produced and created by African-Americans helped mold generations influenced by their performance art and helped shape cultures.
Now, a new documentary hopes to show these Black creators, past and present, seeking stages to share their voices, entertain and inform on issues in front of a live audience and other performance platforms.
On November 1, 2024, the Nuyorican closed its iconic doors for a $24 million 3-year renovation project called the "Nuyoricanstruction" phase ushering us into the next 50 years.
Rome Neal, Artistic Theatre Director / Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe

CONGRATULATIONS
to ROME NEAL
who in 2022, received the
Lifetime Achievement Award at the
AUDELCO Awards Spectacular 50th Celebration of Black Theatre Excellence!
Some of the names who've agreed to perform in the ALL STAR Concert:
(Click each name for their info)
- Johnny O'Neal
- Ralph Carter (Michael of TV sitcom Good Times)
- Jerome Jennings
- Eric Frazier
- Sheryl Renee
- Steve "Sonny" Williams
- Patience Higgins
- Jazzmeia Horn
- Lafayette Harris Jr
- Charles Turner
- Gene Ghee
- Craig Holiday Haynes
- Ray Blue
- Cynthia Scott
- Tulivu Donna Cumberbatch
- Mamiko Watanabe
- Marvin Horn
- Frank Owens
- Onaje Allan Gumbs
- Ari Roland

RESERVE YOUR SEAT TODAY!!
The 10th Anniversary Banana Puddin' Jazz Gala Benefit & Concert!
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Become a BPJ Sponsor, make a contribution and show your love and and support for music I have been producing for ten years.....
Yes it's my tenth anniversary of producing over 120 marvtastic evenings of jazz. Ten years of showcasing well over 500 talented individuals (free of charge) giving them name recognition in the press along with radio and TV exposure throughout the tri-state area and beyond.
Over the ten years I have been extremely proud of the programming paying tributes to Living legends like Danny Mixon, Bob Cunningham, Bill Lee (Spike's dad),Katsuya Abe, Andy McCloud III and Cobi Narita ,....... Nights of showcasing and celebrating Japanese jazz artists.... Also so many nights of celebrating women of jazz (not just during Women's History Month), along with special shows bringing together straight and OUT gays and lesbians celebrating LGBT greats in jazz.,,,,, One of the tremendous talents performing in these shows over the years is Nhojj winner of four OUT MUSIC awards, RIGHT OUT TV award, and an OUT JAZZ FRESH FRUIT FESTIVAL (produced at Banana Puddin' Jazz), I won two of these awards also for celebrating the works of LGBT greats in Jazz.
I am extremely proud of the young folks who have been showcased as apart of the bpj experience and have gone on to do great things around the music like: NuSaiba Legacy Hoteop, Elijah Shiffer, Lauren Henderson and Autum Ashante. Jazzmeia Horn, Charles Turner.....
I've sacrificed and done a lot to keep the Banana Puddin' Jazz programming going for the past ten years and to maintain the integrity of the music I need your help!!! I need your financial support!!! I need you to show your love of the work that I have laid down for those years by making a financial commitment as a token of your support.
My goal is to raise $35,000 to cover the cost of producing and programming these events over the next year. Be a part of the Banana Puddin' Jazz experience "TODAY" and make the difference!
$100 VIP EVENT * 7:00 PM - Until
Dinner, Award Ceremony, Acknowledements, All Star Concert
$50 ALL STAR CONCERT 9:00 PM
All Star Concert
Call Rome for Reservations
@ 718-288-8048
or Click here
Dress to Impress * Sponsor this Event!
Event Decor By SR Productions
*Catered by The Neal Meal
Rome Neal's Banana Puddin' Jazz
Special Thanks to the BANANA PUDDIN' JAZZ SPONSORS:
Cobi Narita, Sheryl Renee, Laurence Holder, Eric Frazier John D. Smith,
Pure Jazz Magazine, Rustik Tavern, Malchijah Hats, Cal Suarti/Brenda Garcia,
Heights Bar & Lounge and YOU!!! Call Rome to become a BPJ Sponsor!













