Laurie Beechman News

Cast members from the ill-fated return of Motown on Broadway reunited at Broadway Sessions recently and proved that the closing was way too soon. Cast members Allison Semmes, Elijah Ahmed Lewis, Galen Williams, Jarvis Manning Jr., Leon Outlaw Jr., Talya Groves, Trisha Jeffrey, Nicholas Ryan, Olivia Puckett and Motown cast member turned Hamltlon caster Nik Walker were nothing short of multi platinum! Rising star Claire Manship was equally dazzling. Check out performances here!

The Broadway Artists Connection (BAC) All Stars Benefit for CAT Youth Theatre on Monday, November 14th (7pm) at the Laurie Beechman Theatre is BAC's biggest & final event of the season!  The evening hosted by Antoine L. Smith (THE COLOR PURPLE) will feature many Broadway favorites with a combined 34 Broadway credits (listed below), BAC's 2016 open mic winners & a performance by the students of CAT Youth Theatre.

Wes Hart (West Side Story, Jersey Boys nat'l tour), Robby Haltiwanger (Ghost nat'l tour), and Marquis Johnson (Beauty and The Beast nat'l tour) will join previously announced singers Lored Allred ('The Voice'), Jessica Crouch (We Will Rock You nat'l tour), Bryan Fenkart (Memphis), Dionne Figgins (Motown), Desi Oakley (Les Miserables, Wicked), Sharone Sayegh (Mamma Mia!), and Ari Wilford (Once) in a celebration of songwriter/pianist Brandon Sturiale's new album So Much More.

This Thursday, October 20th, Broadway Sessions offers a double rockin' bill and will reunite cast members from multiple companies of Rock of Ages as well as view The Rocky Horror Picture Show on FOX.

It was that magical time of the month of again when super talented "stars to be" gathered for our All Open Mic party on October 6th. Check out some highlights below!

The Ziegfeld Club has announced that Anna K. Jacobs has been selected to receive the 2016 Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award. The award will provide Jacobs with a grant of $10,000 and a year of professional mentorship from mentors including Tony Award-winning producer Barbara Whitman. Zoe Sarnak and Shaina Taub are the honorable mentions chosen by the awards panel. Recipients will be honored during a reception that will feature distinguished speaker Jeanine Tesori and a special musical performance by Masi Asare, who is the recipient of last year's inaugural award, on Monday, November 7, at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

Honeck-Moss Productions, in conjunction with The Duplex Development Stage will present "In The Works."  An exciting new series conceived as an opportunity for composers to try out new work in front of an audience and see how it plays in a supportive environment.  

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. 

Tonight, October 13th, BROADWAY SESSIONS welcomes cast members from the hit Off Broadway Hamilton spoof, Spamilton.

Dixon Place presents composer and performer Michael Harren's 'The Animal Show' on October 27 through 29 at 7:30pm.

This Thursday, October 13th, BROADWAY SESSIONS welcomes cast members from the hit Off Broadway Hamilton spoof, Spamilton.

On October 24, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDC Foundation) will celebrate the 27th Annual Joe A. Callaway Award winners for Direction and Choreography at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. The evening will be hosted by former Callaway Award-winning Jack O'Brien and Callaway Award finalist Joshua Bergasse.

Tony nominee Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages, American Idol) will lead a concert presentation of Outlaws presented as part of The Score Podcast.

A reading of award-winning composer/lyricist/playwright/performer Max Vernon's new musical THE VIEW UPSTAIRS, directed by Scott Ebersold with music direction by James Dobinson, begins rehearsals today in New York City and will culminate in three industry presentations on October 20th and 21st.

Cast members from Waitress served up sweet slices of song at Broadway Sessions recently. Alicia Keys, Sondheim and of course, Bareilles were on the menu. Cast members Charity Angel Dawson, Henry Gottfried, Thay Flood, Aisha Jackson, Ryan Vasquez and Olivia Lucy Phillip poured their hearts out in song and even explored some of the audience's most nightmarish real life 'waitress experiences' (with dramatic underscoring by musical genius Joshua Stephen Kartes). The evening also featured performances by vocalists Esteban Suero, Lexi Lyric and the Voices of Gotham barbershop chorus. NOM NOM NOM...

SALLY MAYES  (Tony Nominee 'She Loves Me,' 'Closer Than Ever,' 'Urban Cowboy' and JEFF HARNAR finished their September run at The Laurie Beechman Theatre with an audience that included TOVAH FELDSHUH (Tony Nominee 'Golda's Balcony'), PENNY FULLER (Tony Nominee 'Applause'), Anita Gillette (Tony Nominee 'Chapter Two'), KAREN AKERS (Tony Nominee 'Grand Hotel' and 'Nine'), BILL HUTTON (the original Joseph 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat'), Mark Waldrop (Director 'When Pigs Fly'), songwriter Tom Toce and award-winning singer JULIE BUDD.

'Queerly' gifted detectives Nasty Drew and That Harder Boy are back with an all new psychedelic, STRIP-sleuthing mystery: 'THE CASE OF THE PEEPSHOW PHANTOM,' a disco dynamite evening of burlesque, drag, and theater all rolled into the juiciest, STREET MEAT of a show! Welcome to the sleazy 70's of Times Square, New York City!

Corinna Sowers Adler will be joined by Broadway Arranger, Lawrence Yurman on piano for the premier of a new show entitled, 'Something Beautiful'. 

INSPIRING AND BEING INSPIRED: The Theater Project announces 15th annual Young Playwrights Competition Open to all NJ secondary school students, ages 13 to 18.