Laurie Beechman Theatre facts for kids
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| Address | 407 West 42nd Street |
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| Location | Manhattan, New York City |
| Coordinates | 40°45′31″N 73°59′34″W / 40.75866°N 73.992842°W |
| Owner | Steve Olsen |
| Type | Cabaret |
| Capacity | 80 |
| Opened | 1983 |
The Laurie Beechman Theatre is a special place where you can watch shows while enjoying dinner. It has 80 seats and is located in the basement of the West Bank Cafe. You can find it on 42nd Street in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, a neighborhood in New York City.
This theatre used to be called the West Bank Cafe Downstairs Theater Bar. It was renamed to honor Laurie Beechman, a famous Broadway singer and performer.
Contents
A Look at the Theatre's History
The Laurie Beechman Theatre opened in 1983. It was started by Steve Olsen, who owns the West Bank Cafe. The cafe and theatre are inside a building called Manhattan Plaza. This building was made especially for people who work in New York's theatre world to live there.
Famous Faces at the Cafe
Many famous people have spent time at the West Bank Cafe. For example, actor Bruce Willis used to work there as a bartender! Well-known writers like Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller were regular visitors. Even actor Sean Penn was a frequent guest.
How the Theatre Grew
When it first opened, the theatre mostly had jazz music and cabaret shows. Cabaret is a type of entertainment with singing and dancing, often in a restaurant or club.
Later, some creative people like Lewis Black, Rand Foerster, and Rusty Magee suggested putting on plays. So, the West Bank Cafe Downstairs Theater Bar started showing plays. Over 1,500 short plays have been performed there!
At first, you could only buy drinks at the theatre. But over time, it changed. Now, you can enjoy dinner before the show begins, making it a true "dinner theater."
Special Performances and Events
Famous comedian Joan Rivers often performed at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. It was a place she loved to share her comedy.
On August 27, 2014, Joan Rivers gave her last performance ever at this theatre. She passed away a short time later.
In 2020, during Christmas, the West Bank Cafe held a special event called a telethon. A telethon is a long TV program that asks people to donate money for a good cause. This telethon was held to raise money to keep the cafe and theatre open.
Many famous people joined the telethon to help out. These included actors like Matthew Broderick, Al Pacino, Betty Buckley, Nathan Lane, and André De Shields. Even musician Pete Townshend was part of it! The telethon was a huge success, raising $250,000 in just 90 minutes.
