Laurie Beechman News

Tonight, April 7th, BROADWAY SESSIONS welcomes cast members from DISASTER! 

What do you get when you mix Broadway and Bluegrass? The band at Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM has a pretty good idea.

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Travis Moser in "This Can't Be Love: The Songs of Rodgers and Hart," a benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, on Wednesday, May 4th at 9:30pm.

Broadway Sessions was thrilled to welcome Sheri Sanders' and friends on March 31 to celebrate the launch of RockthePerformance.com. Sanders, the world's premiere rock music coach, took a break from her demanding teaching schedule to party Broadway Sessions-style with some of her pals and students. After a killer opening number, Sanders invited students, turned Broadway stalwarts, Joey Taranto (Rock of Ages, Spider-Man, Kinky Boots), Hernando Umana (Kinky Boots) and Courtney Bassett (upcoming Natasha, Pierre...) to the stage to show the excited room just how it's done- Rock the Performance-style. Sessions also welcomed 'Rising Stars' Gaby Hornig, Sean Green and Toni Thompson. Check out these rocking performances below.

'Raunchy Romeo of Burlesque'  and porn 'starlet' Chris Harder and Spin Cycle NYC proudly present, Nasty Drew and That Harder Boy: The Mystery of the Family Jewels! a play with burlesque, BOYlesque, and drag performances.

This April, Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond.

 Irvington Town Hall Theater in association with NiCori Studios and Productions announces the finale Cabaret on the Hudson for the 2015/2016 season on Sunday, April 10 at 3pm. Cabaret on the Hudson is a series that features outstanding cabaret performers, each bringing a 25 minute sampling of their New York City cabaret shows to Westchester, NY. Many of the performers are Broadway veterans and have performed in New York City venues such as 54 BELOW, the Oak Room at the Algonquin, Birdland, Feinstein's at Loews Regency, Iridium, the Metropolitan Room and Jazz at Lincoln Center to name a few. Cabaret on the Hudson will be hosted by multi-nominated Cabaret singer and host of the Music at the Mansion series, Corinna Sowers Adler and will feature James Horan on piano.  

Mostly Sondheim, The Duplex's long-running Friday night open mic honoring the music of the theater, concludes its record-breaking 12 year run this Friday, April 1st at 11:30pm. 

Molly Pope -- brassy belter/whiskey guzzler/benevolent lunatic -- will return with the acclaimed concert MOLLY POPE LIKES YOUR STATUS for one night only at The Duplex (61 Christopher Street) today, March 31 at 9:30 PM.

At a ceremony held last night in New York, the Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs announced the winners of the 2016 MAC Awards. A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Amanda McBroom.  Also honored with a Board of Directors award was Maryann Lopinto.  Jamie deRoy received the Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Award on behalf of her work with The Actors Fund: Jamie deRoy & Friends Cabaret Initiative.  Sally Darling received the Hanson Award. The show was produced by Julie Miller and directed by Lennie Watts, with musical direction by Matt Baker.

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, March 31st, Broadway Sessions will celebrate the launch of Sheri Sanders' Rock the Performance with a night of music, live coaching, games and more.

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs presents the 30th Annual MAC Awards tonight, March 29, 2016, at 7:30pm, at BB King Blues Club & Grill on 42nd Street in New York City.

Cast members from Les Miserables headed over to Broadway Sessions at the 'End of the Day', Thursday, March 24th. Before the cast took the stage, audience members got to channel their inner revolutionaries with an ALL LES MIZ open mic pre show. After which Julian R. Decker started the night off right with a stirring rendition of 'Memphis Lives in Me.' Matt Rosell and Melissa Mitchell dueted 'All The Wasted Time' from Parade before being egg'ed into an impromptu 'Tonight' from West Side Story. Joshua Morgan and Beth Kirkpatrick bared their souls in 20 questions and diving into their 'Where were you when Broadway called?' stories while Andrew Love brought the country, nailing Garth Brook's 'Baton Rouge' AND 'Friends in Low Places,' alongside host/country music fan Ben Cameron. Wardrobe staffer, Maggie Glass, delighted the audience with a duet of 'The Prayer' with cast member J. Michael Finley. The evening ended with gorge performance by up and comers Jennifer Brady (14 years old no less) and Mary Grace McGiveny. And what night at Broadway Sessions would be complete without a 'Shloppy' Plot Shynopsis' wherein the Les Miz cast members attempted to narrate the show's plot in under 3 minutes will downing shots... you know, sophisticated.

THE COLOR PURPLE's Antoine L. Smith, along with ON YOUR FEET cast members Doreen Montalvo & Jennifer Sanchez will perform in the Broadway Artists & Friends Open Mic & Mingle on Monday April 11th at 7pm at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. They will be joined by Megan Lewis (IF/THEN, SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK, GREY GARDENS), Ian Knauer (DAMES AT SEA, MAMMA MIA!, BY JEEVES, STATE FAIR), D'Vorah Bailey (CANDIDE), Monette McKay (SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK, MEMPHIS, MAMMA MIA), J.L. Williams (FELA!) as well as selected up and comers (listed below).

The Laurie Beechman Theater continues its reign as The Magical Queendom as DISTORTED DIZNEE celebrates its 4th Anniversary today, March 25, 2016. This non-stop, high-energy late night cult hit currently stars drag sensations Holly Dae, Bootsie LeFaris, Pixie Aventura and Brenda Dharling.

On March 14th, 2016, CABARET FOR A CAUSE was held at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Young performers from the Broadway community gathered to raise money for Story Shifters, a theatre residency for students with physical, medical and neurological impairments. BroadwayWorld has photos from the concert below!

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, March 24th, Broadway Sessions welcomes cast members from the hit Broadway revival of Les Miserables.

BROADWAY SESSIONS swapped shamrocks for hearts last week, as alumni and current graduates from The Hartt School took the stage on Thursday night. BroadwayWorld has an exclusive look at highlights from the show below!

After selling out a 1-week engagement of her one woman show HERE'S TO LIFE at The Laurie Beechman Theater in March,  RuPaul's Drag Race break-out star LATRICE ROYALE will return for an encore engagement in May.  In this celebratory journey of song and story-telling , Latrice shares tales of growing up gay in Compton, the events leading up to her "unfortunate incarceration," and her infectious, ever-positive perspective that got her through it all.

Rob Rokicki, award-winning composer of the Off-Broadway hit THE LIGHTNING THIEF, is bringing his brand of smart musical theatre rock to The Laurie Beechman Theatre for a one-night-only concert, 'Back to the Beech.' The show will feature Broadway friends and special guests on April 4 at 7 p.m.