
Joaquina Kalukango
Acting
Biography
Joaquina Kalukango is an American actor and singer best known for playing Nelly O'Brien in the Broadway musical Paradise Square, for which she won the 2022 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Play in 2020 for portraying Kaneisha in Slave Play. In addition to her theatre work, Kalukango has appeared in One Night in Miami..., When They See Us and Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Kalukango is a 2007 YoungArts alumnus. She graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Juilliard School. Kalukango is of Angolan descent, and her parents arrived in the United States as political refugees. Due to her heritage, Kalukango wants to work on roles that showcase the Black experience.
Known For

Sherri Shepherd, actress, comic, and Emmy Award-winning longtime co-host of "The View", appears before a live audience with a daily dose of pop culture, comedy, conversations, and daytime talk staples, including celebrity and human interest interviews.
Sherri

The story of Bass Reeves, the legendary lawman of the wild West, is brought to life. Reeves worked in the post-Reconstruction era as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory, capturing over 3,000 of the most dangerous criminals without ever being wounded—and is believed to be the inspiration for The Lone Ranger.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves

The anthology horror series follows 25-year-old Atticus Freeman, who joins up with his friend Letitia and his Uncle George to embark on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America to find his missing father. They must survive and overcome both the racist terrors of white America and the malevolent spirits that could be ripped from a Lovecraft paperback.
Lovecraft Country

Five teens from Harlem become trapped in a nightmare when they're falsely accused of a brutal attack in Central Park.
When They See Us

In the aftermath of Cassius Clay's defeat of Sonny Liston in 1964, the boxer meets with Malcolm X, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown to change the course of history in the segregated South.
One Night in Miami...

Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens is a celebration of the lives lost to AIDS told in free-verse monologues with a blues, jazz and rock score.
Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens

Cynthia Erivo, enchanting star of the stage and screen, invites you to ring in the New Year with her magnificent friends Ben Platt and Joaquina Kalukango as they bring their powerful voices and favorite songs to the Kennedy Center stage.
Cynthia Erivo & Friends: A New Year's Eve Celebration

The true story of Mahalia Jackson, who began singing at an early age and went on to become one of the most revered gospel figures in U.S. history, melding her music with the civil rights movement.
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia

A beautiful actress struggles to connect with her disfigured co-star on the set of a European auteur's English-language debut.
Chained for Life

The biopic chronicles Gaynor's rise to fame, from her humble beginnings to becoming one of the most iconic voices in music history. Dubbed America’s “Queen of Disco,” the movie will feature many of the songs that catapulted Gaynor to the top of the charts, including her legendary hit "I Will Survive," which became a cultural phenomenon and a powerful anthem of empowerment for millions worldwide. The biopic will also delve into the deeply personal challenges Gaynor faced, including overcoming her long and tumultuous marriage to her husband and manager.
Robin Roberts Presents: I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story

Sutton Foster takes over City Center—filling it with her indomitable spirit for a concert with her friends that celebrates their connections to the historic theater and reflects on the challenges facing all of us. Bring Me to Light reunites Foster with fellow Encores! cast members Raúl Esparza and Joaquina Kalukango, City Center alum Kelli O’Hara, and Wren Rivera—Foster’s student at Ball University. Together, they enliven City Center with the hope of what lies ahead through performances of music theater favorites from Anyone Can Whistle, Camelot, Oklahoma!, South Pacific, Violet, The Wild Party, and more. Accompanied by Music Director Michael Rafter (piano) and Matt Hinkley (guitar), Bring Me to Light is directed by Leigh Silverman, with Jeanine Tesori serving as Creative Producer.
Bring Me to Light

An HBCU warrior choir fights the Ku Klux Klan's reign of terror against their schools with songs of faith and freedom, and after conquering the world must then conquer their own demons.