Laurie Beechman Jan. Line-Up Includes Iconis, Pedi, Shuford & Cabaret Cares

The West Bank Café announces our January 2008 line-up of live entertainment, to be presented in The Laurie Beechman Theatre. The West Bank Café is located at 407 West 42nd St. (9th Avenue). For reservations, please call 212.695.6909, between the hours of 12pm and 6pm.

This January, the theatre is pleased to announce an exciting and eclectic line-up of performers and performances, all of which will take place in the gorgeous eighty seat venue.

Please note there is a $15 food and/or beverage minimum at each performance, with the exception of The After Party, New York Underground and our New Year's Eve celebration. All major credit cards are accepted.

The After Party
Every Friday from 10:30pm to 3am
No cover, no minimum
This weekly open-mic schmoozefest for the theatrically inclined has become the hit of midtown, hosted by iron-lunged Brandon Cutrell and Alysha Umphress, with Ray Fellman at the keys and Lisa Asher behind the bar (her pour is as ferocious as her belt). Come hang and belt out a showtune or two. No cover, no minimum. You never know who might drop by. 

The Joe Iconis Rock 'n Roll Jamboree
Saturday, January 5 @ 8pm
Sunday, January 6 @ 8pm
Sunday, January 13 @ 6pm
Saturday, January 19 @ 9:30pm
$5 cover
Newly Blacklisted writer Joe Iconis returns to the Beechman, bringing with him his merry band of musical theater punks. Iconis, who received his MFA from the NYU/Tisch Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program, is the recipient of a 2007 Ed Kleban Award, a 2006 Jonathan Larson Award, a 2007 Backstage Bistro Award and a 2006 Daryl Roth Award.   The Joe Iconis Rock n' Roll Jamboree is a laid-back evening of Iconis tunes, featuring cuts from Joe's recently-orphaned musical "The Black Suits," and a bunch of new songs. The cast includes Iconis-regulars Katrina Dideriksen, Matt Hinkley, Krysta Rodriguez, Lance Rubin, Brent Stranathan, Jared Weiss, Jason "SweetTooth" Williams, and The Kissin' Kazoo Sisters (Liz Lark Brown and Sarah Glendening). Special guests: Anthony Rapp (Jan 5), Cortney Wolfson (Jan 6) and Annie Golden (Jan 19).

Christine Pedi & Karen Murphy: Great Dames and The Torch Goddess
Friday, January 11 @ 8pm
Saturday, January 12 @ 8pm & 11pm
$15
Funny lady extraordinaire Christine Pedi (longtime Forbidden Broadway diva, Drama Desk nominee, MAC Award winner and host of Sirius Radio's Best of Broadway) is joined by Karen Murphy (Titanic, Les Miz, All Shook Up, Showtune and Dramalogue winner for Torch Goddess and Zombie Prom) join forces for an evening of mayhem. Special guest on the 12th @ 11pm is The Little Mermaid's John Tracey Egan.

Brandon Cutrell
Sunday, January 13 @ 9:30pm
$10 cover
MAC and Bistro Award winning vocalist and popular host of The After Party takes to our stage for a special, rare, one night only appearance with Musical Director Ray Fellman. Expect an eclectic mix from contemporary pop to new songwriters.

Tish Rabe
Wednesday, January 16 @ 7pm
$15 cover
Singer/songwriter Tish Rabe returns to the Beechman with jazz guitarist Steve Brown and special guests John, Johnny and Melody Rabe in a musical celebration of songs from the 70's thru today.

Songs from the Magic Trash Can: The Music of Kevin Ray
Friday, January 18 @ 8pm
$15 cover
Suzanne Carrico performs new music by MAC nominated composer Kevin Ray. It's a great night of all star talent, including Brandon Cutrell, Alysha Umphress, Lisa Asher, Ben Rosenberry, Gabrielle Stravelli, Jeff Washburn, Amanda Brasher, Hilary Kole and Maude Maggart.

Fine & Mellow
Saturday, January 19 @ 7pm
$20 cover
A new revue celebrating American popular standards, Neapolitan favorites and doo wop via vocal, piano bass and drum. Featuring Ryan Kelly, Nick Williams & Michael Ancona. 

SAVE OUR SONG! Benefit
Sunday, January 20 @ 7pm
$10 cover
Presented by the Society of Singers, this on going, monthly benefit series are evenings featuring incredible up-and-coming Broadway and Off-Broadway singers, writers and groups benefiting the only national organization to exclusively support singers-in-need.

Cabaret Cares
Sunday, January 20 @ 9:30
$25 cover
This ongoing series benefits Help is on the Way Today, a not-for-profit organization which helps children living with HIV/AIDS.  

Crossroads
Thursday, January 24 @ 7pm
Friday, January 25 @ 8pm
Saturday, January 26 @ 9:30pm
$25 cover
Share the musical journey of Marc Dalio, Michael Givens and David Rappaport in their original show, Crossroads. These three friends share their lives turning points through songs, including Drift Away, Dust in the Wind and A New Day. Special encore performance following a sold-out, Fall engagement.

Damsels Destressed
Saturday, January 26 @ 7pm
$7 cover
Damsels DeStressed is a collection of songs sung by two women (Kim Alvarez and Theresa Rose), with the help of two male vocalists and the accompaniment of a pianist, bassist, and drummer.

Saturday Night Underground
Saturday, January 26 @ 11pm
No cover/no minimum
The Laurie Beechman Theatre is pleased to announce the fourth installment of our new talk/variety evening, Saturday Night Underground: a casual variety show, featuring interviews and performances from some of New York's most intriguing personalities. And the fun doesn't stop there, audience members are encouraged to get up on stage and sing a song or tell a joke, recommend a great restaurant or complain about a bad date – so bring your sheet music or guitar, your funny stories and your axes to grind. From 11pm til 2am, join host Ben Rimalower (director of The Fabulous Life of a Size Zero, Joy and Leslie Kritzer is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches) for this new, regular event in the theatre district. Look for amazing, ultra-celeb guests.  

Bret Shuford
Sunday, January 27 @ 9pm
$25 cover
Shuford, currently appearing in Broadway's The Little Mermaid, offers an evening of contemporary and Broadway favorites as well as tunes penned by his musical director, Michael Holland. Audiences can expect to hear Shuford's renditions of songs by Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel, Rufus Wainwright, Rascal Flatts and more. Actor Malcolm Gets, who will be seen in the upcoming films "Grey Gardens" and "Sex and the City," is the show's supervisor. Bret Shuford made his Broadway debut in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and has also been seen on Broadway in Beauty and the Beast. Shuford also took part in the Actors Fund benefit concerts of A Wonderful Life, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and On the Twentieth Century.