I saw her in the movie Hair...she was one of 3 girls along with Ellen Foley singing Black Boys...I never got to see her in Annie or Joseph/Dreamcoat...but I have the cast albums and I love her singing performances....she is very highly regarded and much loved in the theater community....she even has a theater named after her in her honor....and she truly deserved that for her contribution to musical theater.
I haven't been able to find it online but Laurie "Beechman" performed at Clintons Gala which was shown on TV. Michael Douglas introduced a video segment about Laurie where she was discussing her battle with cancer and all that has happened in her life.
After the video she performed an amazing version of You'll Never Walk Alone. Then she introduced the newly elected President. What wasn't known at the time was that she was in a lot of pain but come Hell or High Water she was going to perform. Hopefully someone on here will be able to track it down.
Also I was at her Memorial Service which was held at The Winter Garden Theatre.Too much to go into here but it was a beautiful memorial. At the end of the service the song I'll Be Seeing You came from the theatre speakers. When it got to the last line of the song. "I'll be looking at the moon, but I'l be seeing you." Her face was projected on to the moon on the Cats set. Beautiful and quite sad moment.
"I hope your Fanny is bigger than my Peter."
Mary Martin to Ezio Pinza opening night of Fanny.
I saw her in Annie and Joseph and I went back to see Cats for 5th time just to see her.
I also saw her at the Ballroom, a great cabaret space that is no more. There's a wonderful concert video of that show out there. Here's her amazing "Music That Makes Me Dance":
Check out www.lauriebeechman.com (note the correct spelling of her name) for audio and video highlights of Laurie's career. She was a tremendous talent and a funny and gracious human being. Her life was tragically cut short too early, but I'll never forget the times I was blessed to experience her and that beautiful voice from the audience. I saw her as the narrator in Joseph at the Walnut St Theater in Philly (with Hugh Panaro in the title role), as Fantine in Les Mis, and in multiple concert performances which highlighted her magnificent voice and wicked sense of humor.
I remember a moving benefit concert she gave in 1997 for friend (and fellow Philly performer) Doug Wing to help pay medical bills incurred after a cancer diagnosis. It was especially poignant because, although it was never mentioned, she also was living with the disease. We lost her the next year.
Thanks for letting me share some great memories. She is missed.
I first experienced Laurie when she was in the national tour of CATS in Boston. I will never forget that moment where she stood to sing the final verse of MEMORY. It was as if every seat in the theater had an electric wire and everyone got a big JOLT at the same time. I still remember the person I was with turning to me with a slack jaw, as if to ask, "Have you ever heard anything like THAT before?" I hadn't. I went back to see her again a few weeks later (not to see CATS but to see HER) but she had already left the tour and joined the Broadway cast. I saw her on Broadway 3 more times in CATS and once in LES MIZ. She was unbelievable in both. Here she is singing MEMORY in full CATS costume:
I saw her in the OBC of Annie as well as the national tour of Cats in Boston (college trip). Her rendition of Memory is my absolute favorite. Although I had already seen the original Broadway production of Cats, I actually preferred the tour. I still have my souvenir program.
She had already left Joseph when I saw it, but I saw the equally wonderful Sharon Brown as the narrator. She also did the Radio City Musical Hall stint of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Weber.
PalJoey, I totally forgot about her Ballroom cabaret, but I definitely went to see her there.
Hey Dottie!
Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany
The day I met Laurie Beechman was a life-changer for both of us. She was the most beautiful human being and doing the two solo albums with her was magical because she was magical. My new book is dedicated to three such people - Laurie, Dorothy Loudon, and Michelle Nicastro - all gone too soon. I talk a lot about Laurie - our meeting, doing the albums and after. I loved her dearly.
Saw her as Grizabella in the Broadway production of Cats back in 1997. I had front row center seats and she made the performance extra memorable with her heartfelt rendition of "Memory."
Recreation of original John Cameron orchestration to "On My Own" by yours truly. Click player below to hear.
This is the first time I've heard a recording of Laurie Beechma (heard her lovely interpretation of As If We Never Said Goodbye). bk...what is the name of the book you mentioned? from RC in Austin, Texas
quote by Beatrice Lillie: “Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'”
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joined:5/12/03
Posted: 12/7/12 at 09:22pm