Laurie Beechman News

You know him as the lovable Damian from the movie 'Mean Girls' and from his star turn on HBO's 'Looking.' Now DANNY FRANZESE will premiere 'YASS! YOU'RE AMAZING!' on Wednesday, April 11 at 7pm at The Laurie Beechman Theater inside West Bank Cafe

Former theatre/music publicist Stephen Schulman of SASi Public Relations was diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer on November 21, 2017. He has been having chemo sessions ever since and is currently under treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering determined to fight this horrific disease.

The West Bank Cafe/Laurie Beechman Theatre became all PLAID last night in a Benefit For Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids and the special production proved that PLAID will happily be on our planet FOREVER! The performance continues for two more nights.

After their sold out performance in February, Trans Voices Cabaret returns to The Duplex with an even bigger cast of transgender and non-binary performers on Saturday, April 5th, 2018 at 9:30pm with direction by Donnie Cianciotto and musical direction by special guest Anessa Marie.

BROADWAY SESSIONS is described as an evening of musical performances, games and open mic featuring a new Broadway guest each week. The show is created and hosted by Ben Cameron (Bway Wicked, Aida and Footloose) and features musical director Joshua Stephen Kartes on piano. This Thursday night, April 5th, Broadway Sessions celebrates 'Ladies Night w/ Paige Davis and Come From Away cast members and more.

Ms. Bradbury, after Elia Kazan discovered her at the Actor's Studio, made her debut on Broadway in play, J.B. performing alongside Raymond Massey and Christopher Plummer. But it was her creation of the role of Dainty June in the original Broadway production of Gypsy with the legendary Ethel Merman that put her in the public eye. She also originated the role of Charlotte Goodall in the Broadway premiere of Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana.

The Bears from Missouri State University roared loud and proud at Broadway Sessions recently. 2018 Musical Theatre grads were joined by talented alumni for an unforgettable night of music and merriment. Enjoy highlights from performances by Dear Evan Hansen's Nicole Van Giesen, Hamilton's Antuan Raimone and Broadway veteran and Broadway Dolls founder Hollie Howard (Mamma Mia!, Hairspray, Annie Get Your Gun). 

Byron Lane's meditation on the artifice and projection of fame and celebrity is brilliantly explored through the prism of Tom Lenk's exquisitely crafted performance in TILDA SWINTON ANSWERS AN AD ON CRAIGSLIST, which ran March 16-25 at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. CRAIGSLIST's Tilda is almost better than the real thing, because she is utterly raw in being herself, and Lenk was a treat to behold for all of the show's 80-odd minutes; his performance and Lane's writing were equally superb.

The veteran Broadway chorus boy Bradley Jones, who segued into a career as a psychoanalytic clinician and author, is currently in the midst of a crowd-pleasing comeback to the stage. His cabaret debut, which took off in a sold-out, one-night stand at The Metropolitan Room last year, continues for three nights this spring. 'Dr. Bradley's Fabulous Functional Narcissim: The Solo Show,' Jones's raucously funny and insightful coming of age story that rockets through the '60s of his childhood, through the '70s and '80s of his Broadway years, all the way to the present, gets started for two nights at The Laurie Beechman at the West Bank Cafe, 407 West 42nd Street, on Friday May 11, at 7pm and Saturday May 19, at 1pm. The fun continues for a third date at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, on Friday June 15 at 8pm. Jones is supported by a quartet, The Freudians, led by Mike Pettry, the show's music director, on piano, with Alden Banta on woodwinds, Jacob Silver on bass, and Zack Eldridge on percussion.

Actor, singer and television personality Frankie J. Grande recently stepped into the role of Blaine Tuttle in CRUEL INTENTIONS - the new musical nightlife experience based on Roger Kumble's 1999 cult-hit film, now playing at downtown hotspot (le) Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street).

Broadway actress-singer, MAC and Bistro Award winner, Raissa Katona Bennett, returns to the cabaret stage in April celebrating the release of her third recording, CAN'T HELP SINGING - THE MUSIC OF JEROME KERN. This romantic celebration of Kern's greatest hits, including "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "All the Things You Are" and "The Way You Look Tonight," will play April 26th & May 3rd at 7pm at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. Pianist, Jon Weber, joins Katona Bennett as Musical Director for this engagement.

This week the 2018 MAC Award winners were revealed at the 32nd MAC Awards on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, New York City. Check out the full list of winners and checkout exclusive backstage photos from the event below!

Here are the 2018 MAC Award winners, revealed at the 32nd MAC Awards on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, New York City.

Here are the 2018 MAC Award winners, revealed at the 32nd MAC Awards on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, New York City.

BROADWAY SESSIONS is described as an evening of musical performances, games and open mic featuring a new Broadway guest each week. The show is created and hosted by Ben Cameron (Bway Wicked, Aida and Footloose) and features musical director Joshua Stephen Kartes on piano.  This Thursday night,  March 29th  Broadway Sessions welcomes tcast members from Cruel Intention, the 90's Musical Experience.

Mason Alexander Park and Mimi Imfurst have teamed up to present TABOO 15, a concert of music from Boy George's cult hit musical TABOO in honor of its 15th Anniversary.

Singer, Helane Blumfield, comes to the Laurie Beechman Theatre in April and May with a new solo show, 'Tight Pants And Tears Of Joy, My love affair with Tom Jones and Neil Diamond!' The dates are April 28th at 7pm, May 5th at 2pm and May 16th at 7pm.

Singer, Helane Blumfield, comes to the Laurie Beechman Theatre in April and May with a new solo show, 'Tight Pants And Tears Of Joy, My love affair with Tom Jones and Neil Diamond!' The dates are April 28th at 7pm, May 5th at 2pm and May 16th at 7pm.

John Kander's NYC birthday bash started with a heartfelt speech by Chita Rivera shown via video at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in Times Square. Richard Skipper Celebrated the legendary composer and surviving half of Kander & Ebb, the great masters that brought us a canon of fine musical works that include Cabaret, Chicago, Steel Pier, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, and Woman of the Year among others.

Tony Award winning choreographer and director George Faison (The Wiz) presented Andre De Shields, a two-time Tony nominee, Drama Desk nominee, Emmy winner and multi-Audelco Award and Outer Critics Circle Award winner, with the 2018 Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award at the 33rd Annual Bistro Awards Gala, held at Gotham Comedy Club in New York on March 12th. De Shields received the Bistro Awards' highest honor for his five decades of stage and nightclub accomplishments.