Laurie Beechman News

On Sunday July 1 at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal Kritzerland presented its monthly salute to a composer, July's being renowned lyricist/librettist Alan Jay Lerner. If you remember, My Fair Lady with lyrics by Lerner and music by Frederic Loewe, was one of the most popular musicals in the world and its original cast album sold more copies internationally than any other musical show for over a year. Then there were the flops such as Lolita My Love, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Carmelina and Dance a Little Closer. Kritzerland likes to present some of the more beautiful songs that would otherwise be forgotten because their fate was to be part of a turkey. With wonderful Shelley Markham as musical director, Bruce Kimmel assumed his monthly position at the pulpit with great singing guests Kim Huber, Jane Noseworthy, Chelsea Emma Franko - winner of this year's LA's Next Great Stage Star 2012, Gordon Goodman, Dennis Kyle and special guest Andrea Marcovicci.

Fresh off the heels of her sold-out Violent Holiday Extravaganza and Sexy Valentines Day Massacre, Julia Mattison will be joined by her Godspell friends once again for A 4th Of July Fireworks Malfunction-ganza!

Right from the Broadway production of Godspell, Hannah Elless joins the cast of Michael Ogborn's award winning musical Baby Case, playing the role of Adela St. John. Baby Case is directed by Jeremy Dobrish and produced by Charlie Fink, Michael Ogborn, Robert Soslow, Juliana Schauerman, Dorothy Flynn, Caroline Castagno, Glenn Gunderson, Kathy Lou Leone, Diane Santillo, and Anne Makara. Baby Case will play from July 16 - 22, 2012, at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 W 42 St). Baby Case is presented by The New York Musical Theatre Festival.

After sold-out shows at the Canal Room and the Laurie Beechman, Cutting-Edge Composers brings its latest concert to NYMF on Monday, July 23rd at 7 and 9:30 pm at the Theatre at St. Clement's (423 w. 46th Street). Up-and-coming musical theatre writers are teamed with Broadway's hottest performers at the concert directed and produced by Laura Pietropinto (Next to Normal) and co-produced by Jillian Robbins.

Fresh off the heels of her sold-out Violent Holiday Extravaganza and Sexy Valentines Day Massacre, Julia Mattison will be joined by her Godspell friends once again for A 4th Of July Fireworks Malfunction-ganza!

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.

New York Theatre Barn (Joe Barros, Artistic Director; Jason Najjoum, Producing Director; Barry Levine, Managing Director) will launch the 6th consecutive year of its acclaimed monthly platform for emerging musical theater writers, NYTB in the D-Lounge, on July 9, 2012 at the D-Lounge of the Daryl Roth Theatre. Featured writing teams will be Charlie Sohne and Tim Rosser, and Adam Spiegel and Dan Wolpow, all alumni of the Tony Award-winning BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. Featured writers for later months in the 6th season will be announced at a later date.

Matt Yee, described as 'that wonderfully funny Entertainer, Artist, Comedian from Hawaii, & evidence that 'Asian Men Are Huge,' brings his Outrageous Adult Sing Along Show to the Laurie Beechman Theater on 42nd Street.

With her bright and beautiful belt, brilliant, quirky singer-songwriter, Amanda Taraska will present her first solo show at Manhattan's acclaimed Laurie Beechman Theatre. The hour-long concert, featuring musical direction by Wicked's Walter Thompson, will showcase original work by up-and-coming writers Nick Blaemire, Jeff Bowen, Rob Hartmann, Natalie Lovejoy, Robby Sandler and Daniel Green, Dustin Sullivan and Elyssa Samsel, and David Alan Thornton and by beloved musical theatre luminaries Jason Robert Brown, Pasek and Paul, and Stephen Sondheim. Additionally, Miss Taraska will duet with special guests David Alan Thornton, Dustin Sullivan and Nikki MacCallum and debut selections from her own musical catalogue.

Tonight, June 25, 2012, The Laurie Beechman Theatre will serve up the delightful musical soiree We're Having A Dinner Party: A Jubilee of Delicious Music. Joining Babs Rubenstein and Liam Forde are Whitney Bashor (The Fantasticks, Amazing Grace), Alyssa Fox (Wicked), and Corbitt Williams.

Joe's Pub has announced its upcoming performances, July 16-22, 2012, including 'All Aboard the Soul Train: A Tribute to Don Cornelius,' Tori Scott, Jeff LeBlanc, Carolyn Wonderland, Our Hit Parade, David Dondero, Amy LaVere, Josh Rouse, Eleni Mandell, Batz, Howard Fishman, Amber Martin, Quarteto Olinda and Pedro Moraes. See full details below!

Andrea Alton stars as Molly 'Equality' Dykeman in I CAN'T EVEN THINK STRAIGHT: MOLLY 'EQUALITY' DYKEMAN'S BIG GAY PRIDE SHOW, premiering tonight, June 21, at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. Molly "Equality" Dykeman is a barely lucid poet/security guard at PS 339 and a lovable train wreck who launched her career to critical acclaim in the 2011 New York International Fringe Festival.

No Name kicks off their monthly Uptown Cabaret Spotlight series at popular Inwood restaurant The Indian Road Café tonight, June 21st @ 8pm with composer, lyricist, playwright (& Inwood resident) Joshua H. Cohen.

Tonight, June 21st, Broadway Sessions welcomes the cast of the upcoming Broadway musical Bring It On and more.

Check out the surprise opening number, 'One Day More,' from Les Misérables, performed at Broadway Sessions anniversary concert on June 14. Watch the video below!

After several workshop productions and an LA Premiere, Alec Mapa (Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, The View, RuPaul's Drag Race, The Gossip Queens, Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure) will present the official New York Premiere of ALEC MAPA: BABY DADDY. It will be presented for a 2-week limited engagement opening July 19 at The Laurie Beechman Theater at West Bank Café.

This Thursday, June 21st, Broadway Sessions welcomes the cast of the upcoming Broadway musical Bring It On and more.

On Monday, June 25, 2012, The Laurie Beechman Theatre will serve up the delightful musical soiree We're Having A Dinner Party: A Jubilee of Delicious Music. Joining Babs Rubenstein and Liam Forde are Whitney Bashor (The Fantasticks, Amazing Grace), Alyssa Fox (Wicked), and Corbitt Williams.

Tonight, June 17th at 7 p.m., new composer Michael Finke and six vocally charged actors are bringing their concert 'Other People's Relationships - the music of michael finke' to the Laurie Beechman Theater on 42nd Street and 9th Avenue.

Following her holiday show in Provincetown last Christmas, and her debut at the Laurie Beechman Theater in New York City this past February, David Drake's newest theatrical creation Tawny Heatherton will bring her blonde-swept brand of cheer back to the tip of the Cape for her very first summer-long engagement - with the premiere of TAWNY, TELL ME TRUE at the Crown & Anchor in Provincetown, MA. With onstage musical direction by John Thomas, TAWNY, TELL ME TRUE opens tonight, June 17th and performs every Sunday at 10PM thru Sept 2nd in the Crown Cabaret Room of the Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial Street. Tickets are $25, and can be obtained in-person at the box office, or online at www.onlyatthecrown.com. (Note: *No performance on July 8th.)