Laurie Beechman News

Americans love their TV villains. They wore black hats with ominous mustaches in the early westerns, while Alexis Colby wore Nolan Miller gowns on "Dynasty" and "Glee's" coach, Sue Sylvester, dawns a tracksuit to terrify students. However, history's #1 TV Bitch (according to Vanity Fair), weaseled her way into hearts world-wide wearing petticoats and a curly blonde wig - Nellie Oleson of the hit series "Little House on the Prairie."

Tonight, June 14th, Broadway Sessions will celebrate 4 years of weekly shows with an All-Star concert.

This Sunday 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.

When the aspiring Broadway bound musical NATIONAL PASTIME opens at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater, it will have baseball memorabilia decorating the lobby.

This Thursday, June 14th, Broadway Sessions will celebrate 4 years of weekly shows with an All-Star concert.

Carole J. Bufford made her entrance on the New York cabaret stage in the Metropolitan Room's MetroStar Talent Challenge. Immediately following, she was asked to perform at the 2009 Cabaret Convention at Jazz@Lincoln Center presented by the Mabel Mercer Foundation. In addition, Ms. Bufford has been featured in numerous Broadway By The Year concerts, both at The Town Hall and in California. She has also performed in All Singin', All Dancin' as well as the recent Tribute to Judy Garland and The Art of American Dance at The Town Hall where she shared the stage with Lorna Luft and Susan Stroman in an all-star cast.

Grab your Magic 8 Ball and see if signs "point to yes" in the World Premiere of Love. Guts. High School, a co-production of the Midtown International Theatre Festival, July 17th - August 2nd @ Dorothy Strelsin Theatre. The show is written and performed by Jeanette Bonner and developed with Peter Michael Marino.

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, May 31st, Broadway Sessions will welcome the cast of the Off-Broadway musical What We Do For Love or Other Desperate Meaasures and more.

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.

Carole J. Bufford made her entrance on the New York cabaret stage in the Metropolitan Room's MetroStar Talent Challenge. Immediately following, she was asked to perform at the 2009 Cabaret Convention at Jazz@Lincoln Center presented by the Mabel Mercer Foundation. In addition, Ms. Bufford has been featured in numerous Broadway By The Year concerts, both at The Town Hall and in California. She has also performed in All Singin', All Dancin' as well as the recent Tribute to Judy Garland and The Art of American Dance at The Town Hall where she shared the stage with Lorna Luft and Susan Stroman in an all-star cast.

Join us for Songs From Central Avenue Breakdown and Beyond!, a fundraiser for our upcoming twin productions at the Daegu International Music Festival & the 2012 New York Musical Theatre Festival. The fundraiser takes place tonight, June 4th at 7PM at The Laurie Beechman Theatre in the West Bank Café (407 W. 42nd Street, NYC 10036). For reservations call, 212.695.6909. Tickets are $25 with a $15 food and drink minimum.

Join us for Songs From Central Avenue Breakdown and Beyond!, a fundraiser for our upcoming twin productions at the Daegu International Music Festival & the 2012 New York Musical Theatre Festival. The fundraiser takes place this Monday, June 4th at 7PM at The Laurie Beechman Theatre in the West Bank Café (407 W. 42nd Street, NYC 10036). For reservations call, 212.695.6909. Tickets are $25 with a $15 food and drink minimum.

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

Stacie Perlman, First Runner Up in the 2011 MetroStar competition, will make her cabaret debut in The Story Underneath, taking you on a journey through the world of fairy tales, at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 20th Street, New York, on Tuesday, July 10 @ 7:00 PM, Tuesday, July 31 @ 7:00 PM and Tuesday, August 14 @ 7:00 PM.

New York City comedian Tanya O'Debra's New York Innovative Theatre Award nominated solo show, RADIO STAR is being presented by the 2012 Cincy Fringe Festival, tonight, June 1 through June 8.

Nancy Johnston will replace Allyce Beasley and co-star with Lynne Wintersteller in Kari Floren's two-hander Revisiting Wildfire about two college roommates, best friends for life, who re-unite after thirty years, which begins previews Off-Broadway tonight, June 1.

Tonight, May 31st, Broadway Sessions welcomes Lee Siegel, Carly Sakolove and Alexis Smith to The Laurie Beechman Theater.

Musically Human Theatre Productions (MHTP) will close its inaugural season with the world premiere of Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith's NightoftheLivingDead: The Musical (NOTLD), which will run May 31 to June 17 at the Richmond Shepard Theater. Previews will be May 31 and June 1, prior to a gala opening on June 2. Performances will be Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The Richmond Shepard Theater is located at 309 East 26th Street. To purchase tickets, available for $18, you can call 212-352-3101, visit https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/911658, or go to the box office one hour prior to show time. Tickets for the two preview performances are available on TDF.

Comic, former child star, outspoken activist, author and TV Land Award winner ALISON ARNGRIM makes her annual return to New York with CONFESSIONS OF A PRAIRIE BITCH for two shows only, June 15 & 16 at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Best known as acid-tongued, pre-Midol meanie Nellie Oleson from 'Little House on the Prairie', Alison Arngrim presents an uproarious evening of storytelling, stand-up, and multi media about life as everyone's favorite toxic pre-teen brat, complete with petticoats and ringlets.

This Thursday, May 31st, Broadway Sessions welcomes Lee Siegel, Carly Sakolove and Alexis Smith to The Laurie Beechman Theater.