Laurie Beechman News

After acclaimed runs in London, Scotland and Australia, writer/performer Peter Michael Marino returns to NYC with his comic autopsy on his $6 million West End musical fiasco Desperately Seeking Susan in DESPERATELY SEEKING THE EXIT. Directed by Obie Award winner John Clancy, it will be performed tonight, October 13 at The Triple Crown Underground.

The 5th installment of Dallas Dubois' acclaimed 'Distorted' drag show series is here! Dubois and her merry band of drag stars -- whose DISTORTED DIZNEE show has developed a cult following -- put a bawdy twist on your favorite movie moments in DISTORTED HOLLYWOOD. This Las Vegas-style drag extravaganza stars Dallas DuBois, Holly Dae, Pixie Aventura, Brenda Dharling and Bootsie LeFaris. Performances begin tonight, October 11 where it will run in rotating rep with DISTORTED DIZNEE (replacing long-running hit DISTORTED BROADWAY) at The Laurie Beechman Theatre.

Emma Hunton (Spring Awakening, Next To Normal), Drew Gasparini (NBC's SMASH), Molly Hager (Fat Camp), and more will join up and coming musical theatre writer Zack Zadek in a concert of his music at Highline Ballroom on Monday November 11, at 8PM. Also in the lineup are: Lauren (Lolo) Pritchard (Spring Awakening), Andrew Kober (Hair), Nik Walker (Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots), Sedona Schat and Taylor Noble.

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.

Corinna Sowers-Adler, Bloomfield resident and Wilkes University Graduate, is set to make her Lincoln Center debut in the 24th Annual New York Cabaret Convention today, October 10, 2013 at 6pm in Lincoln Center's 1,300 seat Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Created in 1985 as a not-for-profit arts organization, The Mabel Mercer Foundation serves to both perpetuate the memory and spirit of its legendary namesake and to stimulate and promote public interest world of cabaret. Currently in its third decade, the Foundation and its efforts have been perhaps best summarized and recognized by a recent commendation from The Oakland Tribune: 'Cabaret may not be thriving, but it is alive and well, thanks mainly to The Mabel Mercer Foundation and its support of wonderfully diverse talents.'

For the first DG Conservatory event of the fall, the Dramatists Guild is thrilled to team up with the writers who created Behind the Music-al, Kyle Ewalt and Michael Ian Walker, today, October 8, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Dramatists Guild's New York office, in the Frederick Loewe Room, 1501 Broadway (between 43rd and 44th Streets), Suite 710. This free seminar is opening a limited number of seats to the public and reservations are required.

Jude Treder-Wolff, a creative arts psychotherapist and writer/performer brings her solo storytelling show Crazytown: my first psychopath to The Pit-The Peoples Improv, 123 W. 24th St, New York, NY on Sunday November 3 at 8 pm.

This week at Joe's Pub at The Public, Oct. 7-13, features performances by BEN OTTEWELL, TORI SCOTT, DANCENOW JOE'S PUB FESTIVAL, PHILIPPE QUINT AND LILY MAISKY, PARKINGTON SISTERS, CAROLINE ROSE, NEVER SLEEP ALONE, JOSH JOPLIN, NEW YORK GYPSY ALL-STARS, and PATRIZIO BUANNE.

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.

The Broadway Ballyhoo, now in its fourth month at The Laurie Beechman Theater, will celebrate the Cabaret Convention by featuring, among its stars, nightlife Icon SIDNEY MYER and the legendary STEVE ROSS. Also joining the bill, Central Park Guitar Man DAVID IPPOLITO who is currently starring in his own show downtown, Possibility Junkie. More stars will soon be announced, as well. They will all appear in the next performance of this popular weekly musical revue on Wednesday, October 9th at 10:45 PM.

Amber Martin, Tori Scott, Never Sleep Alone, Nikki M. James, Erin Markey, Bridget Everett, Andrea Marcovicci, Lady Rizo, Julie Klausner, Our Lady J, Tammy Faye Starlite, Jackie Hoffman, Sandra Bernhard and Pam Ann are set for the 'Women of Comedy and Cabaret' series at Joe's Pub at the Public, running October to December 2013. Details below!

Kim Coles, the hilarious star of hit TV shows Living Single, Frasier and In Living Color, returns to New York with her acclaimed one-woman show OH BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!?.? Written and performed by Kim Coles and directed by Scotch Ellis Loring, this limited engagement will be presented today, October 4 -13 at The Laurie Beechman Theater at West Bank Cafe.

American Lyric Theater presents the first public libretto reading for the 2013-2014 season as part of its popular series, The Living Libretto, at the National Opera Center on Wednesday, October 16th, 2013. Featuring guest actors from the Broadway and off-Broadway stage, each event is the culminating reading of an extensive libretto workshop conducted for new operas being written by ALT Resident Artists under the auspices of the company's Composer Librettist Development Program.

Theatre Development Fund's (TDF) fun and informative online theatre dictionary, at www.theatredictionary.org, is celebrating the year anniversary of its launch. During this first year the number of theatre terms more than doubled - from 20 to 43, all featuring unique videos as well as written definitions. To mark the occasion, TDF is premiering a new video defining the term 'Commedia dell'arte' starring RuPaul's Drag Race 5th Season winner JINKX MONSOON and MAJOR SCALES, her co-star in the hit NYC Stage production The Vaudevillians (currently at the Laurie Beechman Theatre through November 11).

For the first DG Conservatory event of the fall, the Dramatists Guild is thrilled to team up with the writers who created Behind the Music-al, Kyle Ewalt and Michael Ian Walker, on Tuesday, October 8, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Dramatists Guild's New York office, in the Frederick Loewe Room, 1501 Broadway (between 43rd and 44th Streets), Suite 710. This free seminar is opening a limited number of seats to the public and reservations are required.

Amber Martin, Tori Scott, Never Sleep Alone, Nikki M. James, Erin Markey, Bridget Everett, Andrea Marcovicci, Lady Rizo, Julie Klausner, Our Lady J, Tammy Faye Starlite, Jackie Hoffman, Sandra Bernhard and Pam Ann are set for the 'Women of Comedy and Cabaret' series at Joe's Pub at the Public, running October to December 2013. Details below!

Broadway Actress Soara-Joye Ross (Les Miserables, Dessa Rose, Dance of the Vampires) will be making her Solo Cabaret Debut in 'This Is My Life…Gotta Fly!' at The Laurie Beechman Theatre on October 7th at 7pm for one night only.

The Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre at the University of Oklahoma will welcome musical pop songwriter Joey Contreras for a concert of his songs, Sunday, September 29, 2013 at 4pm in the Pitman Recital Hall of the Catlett Music Center.

Cult sensation DINA MARTINA returns to New York tonight, September 26 with DINA MARTINA: A DOUR PALETTE at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. After attaining cult status in her native town of Seattle and touring nationally, Martina's official New York debut in 2005 sold out in minutes. Her follow-up shows have left jaded audiences (including Michael Stipe, Whoopi Goldberg, John Waters, Matt Stone, John Cameron Mitchell, Margaret Cho, Bruce Vilanch, Joyce Dewitt, and Jeff Stryker -- a list as strange has her shows) stunned and clamoring for more.

Rowan Joseph, a nationally-recognized producer and director with over 30 years of experience working in the American Theatre has been named as the new Producing Artistic Director of the Totem Pole Playhouse.