Five Women Ensemble

Celeste Bateman (Producer/Founder) is an arts administrator, booking agent and publicist. As an arts administrator, she traveled nationally and internationally and in 1995 she was one of 10 arts administrators selected by Americans for the Arts to participate in an arts study tour in Northern Ireland, courtesy the British Council. She founded her company, Celeste Bateman & Assocs., LLC, in 1997 and has worked with numerous national and international clients booking her artists, particularly poet/playwright/author Amiri Baraka for whom she served as exclusive agent for nine years and publicist for 12. In 1999, she wrote and produced the Gospel play, We’ve Got the Victory which was performed in New York City and at various venues in New Jersey. One of her short stories was published in PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley’s book Keeping the Faith which won an NAACP Image Award in 2003. She has served on the Boards of numerous organizations. She is the Director of ELMART Theatre Service which takes audiences to the Black theater and other points of interest to the Black community. She holds a B.A. in Theater Arts & Speech from Rutgers University and an M.A. in Communication Arts from Montclair State University.

Kim Armstrong (Alto) is a Grammy Award-winning singer and performer who is a native of Newark, New Jersey. Ms. Armstrong has graced the stage with artists such as Kenny Loggins, Shirley Caesar, Michael Bolton, Bette Midler, Cissy Houston, Donnie McClurkin, Mino Cinelo, David Sanborn, Darlene Love and George Benson to name a few. Additionally, she has opened for Gladys Knight and The Emotions. She has recorded with Black Ivory, Queen Latifah and the late, great Ray Charles. She appeared on The Bobby Jones Gospel Show, and American Idol Gives Back – Season 9 as a back-up singer for Joss Stone & Jeff Beck. Additionally, she’s appeared on the TV-One Television Network Devine Restoration and the Emeril Lagasse Food Network Channel. She performed at the US Tennis Open with the internationally known Stefanie Minatee & Jubilation Choir. She has toured extensively throughout Japan, Russia and the Caribbean. Ms. Armstrong is the 2015 Garden State Film Festival Feature Film Soundtrack Winner for her song, “Where Are You Now?” from the highly anticipated film Clipped Wings They Do Fly about mental illness. Ms. Armstrong is the Sleep Study Coordinator at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center where she’s been employed for 29 years.

Caryl R. Lucas (Alto) is a motivational speaker, author and certified life coach from New Jersey. She is the President/CEO of Coach On Call, LLC, an empowerment company that produces women’s reinvention seminars, youth leadership and bully prevention assemblies at schools and colleges. Her areas of expertise are Professional and Personal Development, Youth Development, Communications, Public Speaking, Strategic Outreach & Marketing and Self-Publishing. Coach Caryl is the founder of Unstoppable Girls, a nonprofit organization, which provides an annual retreat and programs for girls, ages 11–21. She is a former news reporter at The Star-Ledger newspaper and spokeswoman for the New Jersey Secretary of State’s Office. Today, Coach Caryl specializes in women’s issues, overcoming adversities, building self-esteem and youth empowerment. Caryl is a gifted public speaker and holds a B.A. in English from New Jersey’s Upsala College where she minored in Journalism and Theater. She is co-author of Fearless: A Bold Approach to Reinventing Your Life and author of Aunt Sarah’s Recipes for Spirit-Filled Life and Unstoppable Girls Gratitude Journal.

Colleen Hawks (Soprano) lives in New York City and is married to actor Jeff Pierce. Her Broadway debut was in the smash hit Smokey Joe’s Cafe where she performed the role originated by DeLee Lively.  She was also in the smash hit Broadway show The Boy from Oz starring Hugh Jackman and most recently in Shrek the Musical as Fairy Godmother and the Voice of the Bluebird. After receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree she moved to L.A. where she performed for Disney, playing such singing roles as Snow White, Cinderella and Ariel (The Little Mermaid) both on TV and stage (including tours to London, Paris, Munich, Holland, and China). She has lived in Japan, Korea and Holland. She has also traveled worldwide performing on cruise ships; from the Amazon in Brazil, to Mexico, Canada, the South Pacific, Australia, Hong Kong, and Alaska. Colleen’s Off-Broadway credits include the original premiere of Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party, Dr. Sex (Phoebe), and a principal role in Shake That Thing!  Other favorite roles include Mrs. Johnstone in Blood Brothers, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Paulette in Legally Blonde, the title role in Sugar , Laurey in Oklahoma! and Polly in Crazy for You. Feature film credits include The Guru with Heather Graham and Marissa Tomei and The Narrows. She has been featured on CBS’s As the World Turns and both Law and Order: C.I. and S.V.U. Colleen has numerous private voice students, regularly choreographs for the Bronx High School of Science’s Spring Musical, teaches Musical Theatre at Broadway Performing Arts and is currently directing Thoroughly Modern Millie for Pied Piper Productions.  Colleen also teaches in school residencies for voice and musical theatre through Together in Dance and NJPAC.

Gail Lou (Musical Director/Piano/Vocals) is a product of Vaux Hall, NJ. She is a vocalist, musician, songwriter, arranger, actress and musical director. Her performances and recordings include R&B, House, Gospel, Musical Theatre and Jazz. Currently concentrating on her jazz influences, she is writing songs and melodies she hopes become jazz standards. She has worked with such jazz stalwarts as Calvin Hill, Wayne Cobham, Chico Mendoza, and JoeHam. Her professional musical theatre credits include one-woman pieces Billie, featuring the music of Billie Holiday and I’ve Got A Mind to Ramble –with the music of Alberta Hunter. Her single “Another Day” is part of producer Bobby D’Ambrosio’s House music project Here I Am. She also recorded “You Got the Vibe” on DANCE BABY Records and “Hidden Lover” with D. Mills. Gail has sung Gospel background vocals at Carnegie Hall in New York City with Carla Harris and Cissy Houston. Gail and songwriting partner Shawn Lucas created Light & Sweet – An American Tea Opera a souazz (soul and jazz) piece, and 7 Good Ways, a musical celebration of Kwanzaa. Gail Lou has studied advanced jazz vocals with Marion Cowings at Jazzmobile and jazz arrangement and composition under jazz great Jimmy Heath. Gail Lou holds a B.A. in Vocal Music Performance from Montclair State University. She is thrilled to have been a part of the Together In Dance family, a Brooklyn-based teaching artists program. Gail Lou would like to “shout out” her husband (Andre), daughters (LC and TS Rose).

Cynthia “Lady Rose” Roberson (Alto) Singer, songwriter, educator, entrepreneur and mother is just a few titles this multifaceted women proudly embraces. As a dedicated mother, School Media Specialist for Newark Public Schools, author and creator of RITTA BOOK Enterprises, this modern day educator is using her gift of creativity and artistic accomplishments to enhance the quality of learning through what she calls, “the Arts in Language Arts.” Lady Rose uses the arts: of music, drama, poetry, with arts and crafts, to inspire creative and critical thinking through an array of exciting and engaging Language Arts-based activities. In an interactive, hip and fun-filled way, she stresses the importance of life-long literacy skills and academic achievement for audiences of various ages. As a singer and songwriter, she has floored audiences from Green Bay, Wisconsin with the late great Ray Charles to Sapporo and Tokyo, Japan. Lady Rose is a unique inspirational artist — inspired by talented individuals such as Anita Baker, Yolanda Adams and India Arie. One thing remains very clear, Lady Rose’s strong smooth, natural, emotionally-charged style remains uniquely hers. Candid and powerful, she positively rivets the focus of all who listen and totally commands the attention of those who dare to really hear her.