FREEZE FRAME: Blast From The Past: Laurie Beechman

Welcome to BroadwayWorld.com's newest photo series 'Photo Blast From the Past'. Featuring some of the collected theatre gem's of BroadwayWorld's own senior photographer Walter McBride, the series features images from his archives of theatre and Hollywood related gems.

Today's edition features the late Laurie Beechman with her Theatre World Award in 1982. Beechman made her Broadway debut in the original cast of ANNIE, and later starred as 'The Narrator' in the original cast of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, scoring a Tony nod for her work. She also starred in PIRATES OF PENZANCE, CATS, LES MISERABLES, CARRIE, and more. After a long battle with ovarion cancer, Beechman died in 1988 at the age of 44.

The Laurie Beechman Theatre on 42nd Street was later named in her honor. The theatre has a rich tradition of presenting cutting-edge work, which has played a role in shaping American theatre and live performance. Since the 80's, the theatre has staged numerous plays and hosted a myriad of live performance events.

Photo by Walter McBride