In 1978, when Steve Olsen opened West Bank Café and theater in the shadow of year-old Manhattan Plaza, the area was, to say the least, questionable. Seventy percent of tenants in “Broadway’s Bedroom” were performing arts workers. Many became regulars. Theater-goers ventured to refurbished spaces as West 42nd Street came to life and – all things being relative – cleaned up. Performers drew friends and fans. Then came the Pandemic.
The venue suffered greatly. Unlike other surviving restaurants, West Bank is dependent on theater traffic.
Struggling back was difficult. There have been telethons (thanks to angels Michael and Tom D’Angora) and Go Fund Me Campaigns in hopes of keeping the establishment open. The theater community stepped up with talent, those who could donated. To date, Olsen says, they’ll get through the year. Negotiations ensue. This is NOT a just piece of real estate. Here, some of its habitués speak up:
“I used to run into Laurie Beechman all the time, in the’70’s, as we were going to and from singing around town in cabarets. Hugs and well wishes were exchanged. Laurie’s signature song was, `Home’ from The Wiz. The Beechman was ‘Home’ to everyone who performed there.”
Marta Sanders
“My first real job in NYC was as house M.C. and music director of what was then called The West Bank Cabaret. This was in 1981!! I met my first partner there. He was directing one of the shows. We were together for almost 18 years until he died. While I was working there, I not only got to do my own show five nights a week as a warm-up act, I also got to see extraordinary acts and meet so many people. “
Mark Nadler
“On November 12, 1998, I had the honor of singing as part of the Gala that renamed the West Bank Cafe’s downstairs theater space in honor of Laurie Beechman. Since then, there has been no end to the magic I have experienced there that has touched my heart. This year’s March through November run of Take the Moment at the theater was a total joy! I’m grateful. Long may it reign.”
Craig Rubano
“Steve has always been so welcoming, especially, with those delicious deviled eggs!! The technical staff and waiters have always been courteous and make you feel at home! Many happy times both on and off the Laurie Beechman stage!!”
Lee Roy Reams
“When I think of my personal Laurie Beechman Theater memories, I recall the launch engagements of two of my solo albums and joyful collaborations over the years. The night Mr. Sondheim attended was especially memorable for both sheer, hyperventilating terror before, and his kind words that followed. The LBT is a significant resource for artists and for audiences, as a venue that offers an inviting setting and menu. Long may it wave!”
Jeff Harnar
“Every time I enter the theater — as a performer or an audience member — I look at the Hirschfeld drawing of Laurie Beechman hanging on the wall. I wonder how many people know who she was, or even saw her burst forward in the original Broadway production of Annie with a suitcase and a dream in the number `NYC.’ I imagine Laurie smiling down at performers. It’s always an only in New York moment in an only in New York space.”
Celia Berk
“One of Barbara’s and my favorite memories was when the West Bank brought live music back during the pandemic and we sang upstairs in the front, with social distancing, doors and windows wide open! Our rhythm section was the cacophony of the city streets, but it was an important sign that New York would survive. We were honored to perform at several memorials and earlier this year sang at what turned out to be Peter Leavy’s last birthday bash. The West Bank has been home.”
Eric Comstock
“I was fortunate to meet Laurie Beechman and inspired by her courage and determination to ‘beat the odds’ against cancer. The first time I stepped foot on that stage after she died, I felt a sudden jolt run through my body-truly! It was something below my feet going right up. Nothing was out of place, but that jolt made me feel as though Laurie was in the room and nudging me. I think of it as a theater space.”
Lorna Dallas Brown
“You’d think doing my last performance of Cast of Thousands with an e-stim unit on my back because I didn’t know I had three herniated discs would be my #1 memory from The Laurie Beechman. But, no, it’s appearing in the final Laurie Beechman performance of Sondheim Unplugged. I closed the show and series with `Finishing the Hat,’ which Sondheim first played for Mandy Patinkin in the basement of that coffee shop across the street from the theater. It gave me chills.”
Eric Michael Gillett
“Like many of us NYC artists, this hallowed space holds a special place in my heart. The Beechman, like all theaters, is filled with ghosts. Ghosts of past performances and of performers who have graced its stage through the years. Although it may be a bit sad to think of in this way, I feel it contributes to the romance of a theater…this theater.”
Danny Bacher
“The Beechman is my favorite place to perform, not the least because the dressing room is my apartment upstairs in Manhattan Plaza. Five minutes before showtime, I get in the elevator and go down to the basement for my entrance. I recently started counting all the shows, benefits, memorials, and competitions that I’ve either been part of or hosted and it’s well over a hundred. Here’s hoping for a second hundred. The Show MUST Go On!”
KT Sullivan
The West Bank Cafe offers good, affordable cuisine, amiable bartenders and waiters with awareness that gets one out in time for curtain. Afterwards, it’s a warm, convenient place to have supper, a drink or dessert, likely among performers. The Laurie Beechman Theater welcomes debuts, veterans, parties, fundraisers, and memorials. Can we afford to lose another cabaret room?!
Photo Courtesy of The West Bank Cafe
To support the West Bank Café, click for the Go Fund Me page.
