Concert Series to Feature Songs by Feinstein, Gold, Etc.

The Laurie Beechman Theatre is very pleased to announce a new concert series, featuring one night only concert events from some of our favorite composers. On Thursdays, March 8 and 15, and Fridays, March 9 and 16, four very unique artists will take to our stage to present some of their newest music, as well as some of their most beloved compositions.

The schedule is as follows:

Thursday, March 8: Todd Almond
Friday, March 9: Tim DiPasqua & Michael Holland
Thursday, March 15: Brian Feinstein (with special guests Malcom Gets & Melissa Errico)
Friday, March 16: Julie Gold

Almond has released two albums of original songs, and is  currently recording a third (with producer John Curley), as well as a  new album of songs by Ellen Mandel. Almond and Mandel's first recording, A Wind Has Blown the Rain Away, was featured on NPR's All  Things Considered. As a composer/songwriter, Almond has written several musicals  including People Like Us, Girlfriend and Ahraihsak.  He has performed at Joe's Pub, The Knitting Factory, The Bowery Ballroom and various other clubs around New York City. As a performer, Almond was the first actor after Jefferson Mayes to perform I Am My Own Wife, (he has now appeared in three different productions of this piece, including one at Actors Theatre of Louisville). Other acting roles include Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Bernard in A Number, and Mikey in People Are Wrong! He is currently writing libretti for two operas with composer Paul Damien  Hogan, and a new, original solo piece entitled Mexico City.  He is also an orchestrator and musical director.

DiPasqua has been awarded the 2007 Nightlife Award for Outstanding Group/Variety/Review for the acclaimed show, Southern Comfort, celebrating country music. He has also received the Backstage Bistro Award twice, for Outstanding Singer/Instrumentalist and one for Outstanding Special Performance. As a solo artist, he has performed in all the major clubs and halls in New York: Joe's Pub, Birdland, The Bitter End, The Russian Tea Room, Town Hall, and more. DiPasqua is also well known for his collaborations with award winning Singer/Songwriter Tom Andersen, and their hit, Every night I Sleep with an Angel. He is the author of the musical Synchronicity (book by Michael Levesque), which is available on Easter Records. He has also recorded three solo CD's: Monster Under These Conditions, and Purpose of Love: A Tim DiPasqua Songbook Volumes I and II. DiPasqua is one of the founding members of Third Eye Theatre Co. www.timdipasqua.com.  

Feinstein's composing credits include: Mimi Le Duck, (2006, book & lyrics by Diana Hansen-Young) an original Off-Broadway musical starring Eartha Kitt and Annie Golden. "Mimi" was also performed in 2004 at the Adirondack Theatre Festival and the NYC Fringe Festival, and was originally developed at the Goodspeed Opera House. Feinstein also penned the song No Looking Back, which debuted on New Year's Eve with the Boston Pops Orchestra (conducted by Keith Lockhart) and 14-year old singing sensation Katilyn Lusk. Other credits include the musical adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle, (lyrics Amanda Yesnowitz) the instrumental music for The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, both produced by the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, New York, By The Numbers (book & lyrics Amanda Yesnowitz), and more.  He has received 2 ASCAP Plus Awards for songwriting in the popular music division and is a recipient of a Jonathan Larson Memorial Fellowship award. 

Gold is a New York City songwriter best known for Bette Midler's version of her song From A Distance, which won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1991. She has also written songs for Jewel, Ronan Tynan, Patti LaBelle, Patti LuPone (who used Gold's song Heaven as her grand finale in her one woman show on Broadway), Kathy Mattea, The Byrds, Judy Collins, James Galway, Lea Salonga, Cliff Richard and many others. Nanci Griffith (the first to record From A Distance) has also recorded Gold's songs Heaven, Southbound Train, Mountain of Sorrow and Good Night, New York, which Griffith performed on the first anniversary of September 11th on the David Letterman Show. She has appeared with Nanci on Austin City Limits and TNN's American Music Shop. Other TV credits include NBC's Emmy-nominated image spot, We're 4 New York, and two award-winning HBO Holiday Spots: Try Love and One Voice, One Heart. Her songs have been featured on numerous motion pictures. Her most recent CD is entitled The Girl I Found.  

The Laurie Beechman Theatre is located within The West Bank Café (407 West 42nd St.), in the heart of New York's Theatre District. There is a $15 cover charge (the cover charge for the Brian Feinstein evening is $10), as well as a $15 food/beverage minimum; a full dinner menu is available. Reservations, which are strongly recommended, can be made by calling 212.695.6909 between the hours of noon and 6pm. All performances will begin at 7pm.

Photo of Tim DiPasqua by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.