AFTER PARTY Hosts Birthday Bash at Beechman 10/10

The Laurie Beechman Theatre, located within The West Bank Café, 407 West 42nd Street, New York, continues their Friday night soiree, THE AFTER PARTY. Now going strong its third year, THE AFTER PARTY is billed as “a weekly schmoozefest for the theatrically inclined.” Every Friday from 10:30pm until the wee hours, pros from Broadway and aspiring stars alike belt it out on the stage at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. Join hosts Brandon Cutrell (MAC & Bistro Award winner) and Alysha Umphress (XL Star) with Ray Fellman (Captain Louie) at the piano for this weekly party in the theatre district. There is no cover charge for this event. Come and sing yourself as the mic is always open, or sit back and enjoy a cocktail with friends. Located just blocks from the Great White Way, you never know who might drop in.

On Friday, October 10th, THE AFTER PARTY hosts the fifth annual Brandon and Ray’s Birthday Bash. This annual event celebrates the birthdays of The After Party’s own Brandon Cutrell and Ray Fellman. Guests scheduled to perform include Nightlife Award winner Lisa Asher, Broadway in South Africa and the Lion King’s Sean Bradford, The Duplex’s MELISSA DRISCOL, Rent’s CRYSTAL MONEE HALL, The Ritz’s KITTY HICCUPS, nightlife icon Kenny Holcomb, In the Heights’ Marcus Paul James, Drama Desk Award nominee and A Catered Affair’s Leslie Kritzer (pictured), Cashino and Hairspray’s SUSIE MOSHER, Miss Fire Island 2002 Ariel Sinclair, Ace’s Gabrielle Stravelli, Xanadu’s Marty Thomas and Glammy Award winner Gusty Winds.

The After Party’s own Alysha Umphress and BECCA JOHNSON will be featured as part of the celebration. All will be on hand to greet fans and perform as only they can.

The Laurie Beechman Theatre is located downstairs, within The West Bank Café, 407 West 42nd St. at 9th Avenue, New York. There is a full bar and bar menu available, and reservations are not necessary for this event. THE AFTER PARTY highly recommends audience members arrive early. Seating is first come, first serve. Priority seating may be given to those who wish to order from the menu and/or the bar.

Brandon Cutrell is a Bistro Award and two-time MAC Award winner. Cutrell's New York credits include  Broadway By The Year at Town Hall, The 2nd Annual Broadway Unplugged at Town Hall, Pippin (with Ben Vereen and Rosie O'Donnell), La Gioconda at TheatreSource, David Friedman's King Island Christmas, and Liz Swados' Waiting For Lefty. His national credits include Theatre of the Stars, Goodspeed Musicals, the Human Race Theatre and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. For nearly two years, Brandon was the original host of the MAC Award nominated show, Mostly Sondheim. In December of 2005, Brandon made his debut in the world-famous Oak Room at The Algonquin Hotel. In June of 2006, Brandon made his solo debut at Feinstein's, New York's legendary nightclub on Park Avenue. Currently, Brandon can be seen every Friday night at The Laurie Beechman Theatre on 42nd Street as the host of Th e After Party, a weekly open-mic, musical theatre  soiree. Brandon's self-titled debut cd is now available on iTunes and at www.BrandonCutrell.com. Brandon will return to Feinstein’s December 1, 2008, with the debut of his holiday-themed show, Feelin’ Frosty.

Bistro Award winner Ray Fellman recently made his Off-Broadway debut when he was handpicked by Stephen Schwartz to musical direct his off-Broadway musical, Captain Louie. Other Musical Director credits include The Tutor by Wood/Gerle (59 E. 59th), Reluctant Pilgrim (The Barrow Group), Blood Drive: A Musical Triptych by Sheinkin/Derfner (workshop at the O’Neill Theater Center) and Amahl and the Night Visitors (national tour directed by David Aiken). Ray has been seen behind the piano in The Storefront Theatre’s New Mondays (with Bill Russell and Emily Skinner), No Reservations (starring Brandon Cutrell with special guests Karen Mason and Shoshana Bean), Broadway Downtown (with Kristy Cates) and We Miss Nancy: The Storefront Sings Lamott (with Liz McCartney). He has also served as accompanist for Utah Festival Opera Company, The Opera Company of Brooklyn , Mid America Productions at Carnegie Hall (with John Rutter) and A Yuletide Celebration with the Indianapolis Symphony starring Judy Kaye. As a singer, Ray has sung with some of the finest opera companies in the country, including Florida Grand, Glimmerglass and New Orleans operas. Ray holds degrees in piano and voice from the Indiana University School of Music.

Photo credit: Peter James Zielinski