Laurie Beechman News

Britain's Got Talent singing sensation BECKY O'BRIEN performs the New York premiere of her show A GARLAND FOR JUDY on Tuesday, November 5 at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. O'Brien performs her personal takes on some of Judy Garland's greatest songs, including The Man That Got Away, Get Happy, and Over the Rainbow. Showtime is at 7 PM. Tickets are $22 (with a $35 VIP ticket available), available at www.SpinCycleNYC.com or at 212-352-3101. There is a $20 food/drink minimum, with a full menu available.

BROADWAY SESSIONS is described as an evening of musical performances, games and open mic featuring a new Broadway cast twice monthly.

Last month, Gretchen Reinhagen kicked off her monthly residency at Pangea, downtown's destination for alt-cabaret. Reinhagen thrilled the audience with her big voice, soulful music-making, and uproarious comic observations on everything from the Paleo Diet, public transportation, and fraught relationship with the health care industry. On Tuesday, October 15, she returns to Pangea to deliver another evening's entertainment that's sure to tug at the heartstrings and bust guts each in equal measure.

CLUB CUMMING, Alan Cumming's East Village cabaret venue, presents a?oeCertified PUNK Accountanta?? Billy Anderson and a?oeDarling of Downtown Cabareta?? John C. Hume in The Wonder Bar Boys: EXposed! on Monday, November 4th at 7:30pm as part of the Club's new Monday Night Cabaret Series. After years of performing their own solo acts and selling out shows at famed venues Feinstein's/54 Below, Don't Tell Mama, and The Duplex, among others, these two cabaret veterans (and real-life EX-boyfriends) unite for the first time in a one-night-only Kiki for the Gawds to reclaim the grunge and glamour of the East Village, and celebrate the (in)famous location's own journey from the grit of the Wonder Bar and Eastern Bloc to the avant-garde realness of Club Cumming.

Jill Senter returns for one night in CELEBRATE THE MOMENT: A Nightclub Revue written, arranged and conducted by Elliot Finkel with choreography by Joanna Rush and directed by Walter Willison on Wednesday, October 16th at 7 PM at The Laurie Beechman Theater, 407 West 42nd Street.

Johnstown, PA native and Brooklyn, NY based actor, writer Dan Ruth returns to the Pittsburgh area with his multi-award-winning, critically acclaimed black comedy solo work, A Life Behind Bars, at Carnegie Stage in Carnegie, PA this coming October 24th, 25th and 26th at 8pm. The tour-de-force show performed to sell-out houses in Pittsburgh earlier this year.

On Friday, November 1, the venue will welcome the star for an intimate and elegant evening spotlighting Christian's vivid theatrical life in London and New York. His autobiographical performance features songs by Noel Coward, Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim, Paul McCartney, Sting, Annie Lennox, and Al Green. These are interwoven with personal and surprising anecdotes and stories that illuminate the musical material. Christian was a star dancer with The Joffrey Ballet in New York in the 60s and 70s. He has choreographed and designed costumes for ballet companies across the US and Europe, as well as designing stage wardrobe for Ann Reinking and Tina Turner.

The Broadway Artists Connection (BAC) presents the 2019 Cabaret Benefit for the Matsiko World Orphan Choir hosted by Broadway's Bronson Norris Murphy (PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) on Monday, October 28th at 7:00pm (doors open at 6:00pm).

Amy Wolk and Nikki M. James present I Only Have Lies For You, a live gameshow that pits Broadway panelists against each other in a lying contest, now in its THIRD hit season!

Nancy McGraw returns to The Laurie Beechman Theatre on Friday, October 18 at 7 pm and a brunch show on Sunday, October 20 at 1 pm. In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening features the lyrics of the enduring and prolific Johnny Mercer.

New York's longest running burlesque and variety show, Le Scandal Cabaret, will be adding a special performance on Halloween, Thursday 10/31/19 at 8:00pm. In addition to Halloween, Le Scandal will continue its regular schedule of shows, every Saturday night at 10:30 pm, as well as an added dinner performance at 7:00 pm on Saturday 10/19/19.

Stephen Schwartz's hit musical PIPPIN boasts one of Broadway's most indelible scores, and as such, it's easy to understand why Producer Vanessa Paradis and Dream Productions might be drawn to present the show in a concert format.

Every Saturday morning on her radio show and podcast, Bagels and Broadway, award-winning broadcaster turned digital innovator, Valerie Smaldone brings entertainment notables, from Tony winners to hot newbies, to audiences all over the planet via the world-wide web. Join Valerie Smaldone this Saturday at 9:05am on your radio dial at WNYM-AM 970, or online at www.am970theanswer.com, when she welcomes a stellar lineup of talent including award winning singer-pianist Mark Nadler, who's performing his political cabaret, a?oeThe Old Razzle Dazzle-An Evening of Lies, Lying and Liarsa?? at the Laurie Beechman Theatre later this month. Nobody's safe, regardless of what side you're on!

In 2016, critically acclaimed cabaret performer Dawn Derow revisited her operatic roots and took home a Bistro Award as a?oeOutstanding Vocalista?? for LEGIT: A Classical Cabaret. Then in 2017 and 2018, Dawn explored the hit music of the a?oeGreatest Generationa?? period with her MAC Award-winning (a?oeBest Female Vocalista??) MY SHIP: SONGS FROM 1941 (she was also nominated for BroadwayWorld.com Cabaret Awards for a?oeBest Showa?? and a?oeBest Vocalista??). In 2019, Derow decided to prove that you can go home againa?"musically, that is.

One of the most gorgeous voices in New York belongs to the five time Tony Award nominee for Excellence in Theatre Education, Corinna Sowers Adler, who returns to the Laurie Beechman Theatre in her acclaimed show Second Stories on Saturday, October 26 at 2pm.

This Fall DO40 is saluting and celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and the 100th birthday of DO40 Advisory Board member Marge Champion. 

Nightlife, Bistro and MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Award winning artist, Gretchen Reinhagen kicked off her residency at the downtown supper club, Pangea earlier this month. She returns to Pangea on Tuesday, October 15th, and continues monthly on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7PM. What began as an encore of Reinhagen's sold out CD Release Show, Take It With Me at the Laurie Beechman in February, has become a brand new version of the show, adding a rotation of special guests and an ever changing comic monologue. The cabaret will continue to highlight the music of the CD by the same title, with a few of the songs and stories changing each month. 'The hope' says Reinhagen, 'is that this new platform gives us an opportunity to share music from the album, while also being able to feature different artists each month, and new comedy sets each month, so that no two shows are the same and audience members may return regularly knowing they'll be seeing something new.' Also joining her on stage will be two of the album's band members, Music Director Tracy Stark and Bassist Tom Hubbard. Barry Kleinbort directs.

Mark Nadler brings devilish wit to his scintillating new show.

It used to be young Broadway performers rarely did their own shows, at least not in NYC. Some of them found a place-and there are examples to be cited for sure-but it wasn't all that common. The Laurie Beechman Theatre, downstairs at the West Bank, likely hosted the most. The more established music venues, such as Birdland, were for more established performers. While Joe's Pub was established for 'young artists' in 1998, it often didn't recruit from the Broadway stable. Some theater companies would host a pop-up night or series, but it usually wasn't more than that unless the performer would automatically attract a big crowd.

Last night six time MAC Award Winner Eric Michael Gillett ((Broadway's Sweet Smell of Success, Kiss Me Kate, The Frogs and Television's Quantico, Mysteries of Laura, Daredevil, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) returned to the stage at the Laurie Beechman Theatre with Stop This Train, his first new solo show in five years. Seen most recently as Paul Manafort on Showtime's The Loudest Voice, Gillett's Stop This Train is a wry and witty collections of songs and observations about navigating the aging process while trying to keep both your dignity and your mind intact. Featuring contemporary songwriters Dar Williams, David Yazbeck, Paul Gordon, Craig Carnelia, Peter Mills, Demi Lovato, and John Mayer, along with classic cabaret and musical theater composers Stephen Sondheim, Marvin Hamlisch, along with original songs by musical director Mike Pettry (Television's Documentary Now! Presents Original Cast Album: Co-Op)