Amanda Taraska: DOIN' MY THING Plays the Laurie Beechman Tonight, 6/25

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.

Amanda Taraska began her career as a child at The American Theatre Dance Workshop and continued performing throughout her youth at Herricks High School, where she was a dedicated member of the Student Television Arts Company (STAC), a unique arts program in her school created by the legendary Ron DeMaio. Amanda earned her Bachelor of Music from NYU's Steinhardt School and started working professionally right out of the gate. Early in her career she had the honor of working with George Faison (Tony Award winner for The Wiz) in the National Tour of If This Hat Could Talk culminating with performances at the historic Apollo Theatre. Amanda is a student of Meisner Technique (under the tutelage of Matthew Corozine). Recent work includes creating the role of Fanny Brice in the workshop of Ghostlight, an appearance with Tom Colicchio on guitar for his musical holiday card, and performances at Le Poisson Rouge, The Duplex (The Songs of Natalie Lovejoy), and at BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop (Indian Summer). Most recently, Miss Taraska has discovered her talents as a painter, enjoying her first public solo gallery show at Matthew Corozine Studio on November 6th, 2011. This was followed by her second opening "Assembling Happiness" at the Peter Louis Salon Gallery on the Upper East Side. for more about Amanda, visit www.amandataraska.com.

Producer Elvin Roytman is delighted to be working on this show presenting his best friend's talents to an audience and with a wonderful (and his favorite) business partner. A graduate of NYU's Steinhardt School, Elvin has balanced a life of performing, on stage and screen, with producing (formerly with M/R/P). He has produced across the gamut, from the entire Festival circuit to Off-Broadway (most recently Miss Kim at the 45th St Theatre) and Broadway productions. He recently delved into new media and is looking forward to returning to NYMF with this summer's Stand Tall. Thanks to Mom, Dad, friends, Jennifer & his shining star, DoorBird.

Associate Producer Jennifer Wren has performed in numerous stage productions, cabarets, corporate events, in two national commercials (Dragon Ball Z and Io Digital Cable) and in television and film (most recently, in the Maui-based film Get a Job, starring Hawaiian musician, Willie K.). She has appeared in the New York productions of Jeffrey Sweet's Unexpected Guest, The Wild Party (The Gallery Players), Commedia Del'Artemisia and The Man Who Laughs (both with The Stolen Chair Theatre Company), Medusa and The Amazing Colossal Thing (both in the Vital Signs Festival), and The Bobbed Haired Bandit and Granola! The Musical (both in NY International Fringe Festival). Recent roles include Beth in Indian Summer and Debbie in Debbie Guts the Kitchen (for the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop), Kayla in the 2012 New York workshop of Crazy Tony's, Player 1 in Providence: A Musical Comedy at NYC's Richmond Shepherd Theatre, Adelaide in Guys and Dolls at the Tent Theatre, 8 Track: The Sounds of the Seventies at the Human Race Theatre Company, Marilyn Monroe in the 2011 New York workshop of Hollywood Wax and the demo of the new romantic musical Lilly. In addition to her acting work, Ms. Wren produced and hosted the long-running Manhattan open-mic series Big Night Out, a project that featured the new work of composers writing for the musical theatre and is currently working with producer Elvin Roytman on multiple projects (including the video PSA series, "I am a Grown Woman"). In July, Jennifer will appear as Powdered Donut in the New York Musical Theatre Festival premiere of the acclaimed children's musical Arnie the Doughnut. Jennifer is a proud member of Actor's Equity, SAG/AFTRA and the TUTS Adventurers Club. For more, go to www.jenniferwren.info

Amanda Taraska: Doin' My Thing will play tonight, June 25 at 7:00pm – at The Laurie Beechman Theatre (below West Bank Café) at 407 West 42nd Street. For more information, visit www.westbankcafe.com.

Photo courtesy www.amandataraska.com.