KRITZER and FALSETTOLAND at AFTER PARTY Tonight

[Bcutrell]

Posted: 10/20/06 at 3:15pm

THE LAURIE BEECHMAN THEATRE

is pleased to continue our new Friday Night Soiree

THE AFTER PARTY
an informal midtown schmoozefest for the theatrically inclined
Hosted by Brandon Cutrell and Alysha Umphress with Ray Fellman at the piano

Every Friday, 10:30pm – 2am

with special guests this Friday, 10/20

Leslie Kritzer
of "Leslie Kritzer is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches"

and...

Colin Hanlon and Michael Hunsaker
both of whom are members of the cast of Miracle House's upcoming benefit concert, Falsettoland!

… And celebrating the music of Willian Finn!

The Laurie Beechman Theatre, located within The West Bank Café (407 West 42nd St.), is pleased to continue THE AFTER PARTY, an informal social gathering for the theatrically inclined. Every Friday from 10:30pm till 2am, join hosts BRANDON CUTRELL (MAC & Bistro Award winner) and ALYSHA UMPHRESS (XL Star), as well as RAY FELLMAN (Captain Louie) at the piano, for this weekly party in the heart of Manhattan's theatre district. There is no cover charge and no minimum. Come and sing yourself as the mic is always open (only rule: your selection must be from a musical!), or sit back and enjoy a cocktail with friends. Located just blocks from the Great White Way, you never know who might drop in.

On Friday, October 20, we're pleased to welcome special guests, Drama Desk nominee Leslie Kritzer (The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Leslie Kritzer is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches, forthcoming Legally Blonde) as well as the cast of the upcoming benefit concert of Falsettoland, including Colin Hanlon (I Love You Because, Rent), and Michael Hunsaker (Listen to My Heart: The Music of David Friedman).

Leslie will be on hand to belt out a few numbers as only she can. As a special treat, all night long we'll be celebrating the music of William Finn. Fabulous prizes will be presented to the evening's best performances of Bill Finn's music; so dust off those CD's of Falsettos, In Trousers, Spelling Bee, Elegies, A New Brain…

The Laurie Beechman Theatre is located downstairs, within The West Bank Café, 407 West 42nd St at 9th Avenue. There is a full bar and bar menu available, and reservations are not necessary for this event.

LESLIE KRITZER was most recently seen by New York audiences at Joe's Pub in her one woman show, Leslie Kritzer is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches. Prior to her debut at Joe's Pub, Leslie was Pickles in The Great American Trailer Park Musical, for which she received a Drama Desk nomination and was called "Flat-out hilarious, a consistent source of off-kilter brilliance" by The New York Times. The Times hailed her as "A young dynamo with Judy Garland's chops, who has an electric stage presence and is deliciously goofy, eliciting perfectly timed laughter with a pliable face that rivals Jim Carrey's" upon her starring turn as Fanny Brice in the PaperMill Playhouse production of Funny Girl. Leslie has appeared on Broadway in Hairspray, Off-Broadway in Bat Boy and Godspell, on tour in Urinetown and regionally in Tell Me On A Sunday (Kennedy Center), Company (Pittsburgh CLO), Joseph…(Casa Manana), Babes in Arms (Goodspeed Opera House), Grease (PaperMill), Evita (Merry-Go-Round Playhouse), Richard Forman's Yiddisher Teddy Bears and Charles Mee's Wintertime (both at the Sundance Theater Lab) and at TheatreWorks in Palo Atlo in the world premiere of Vanities. Leslie holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and is thrilled to be returning to Broadway this spring with Legally Blonde. http://www.lesliekritzer.com.

COLIN HANLON, who will be playing 'Whizzer' in Miracle House's upcoming benefit, will be on hand to sing a favorite William Finn song. Colin was most recently seen in the Off-Broadway production of I Love You Because, just released on CD. He has also appeared in the Broadway company of Rent. Regional credits include The Last Five Years, Tick, Tick, Boom!, and Peter Pan and Wendy. Colin is slated to reprise the role of 'Whizzer' at The George Street Playhouse this spring.

MICHAEL HUNSAKER is currently appearing in My Deah with Nancy Opel and Bryan Batt at Abingdon Theatre Company. Other credits include Listen to My Heart: The Music of David Friedman (original cast recording) and the national tours of Ragtime and Chess. He was seen this summer in Sacramento Music Theatre's production of Aida (Radames). In addition, Michael is an accomplished composer/lyricist.

BRANDON CUTRELL is a Bistro Award and two-time MAC Award-winner. New York credits: Broadway By The Year at Town Hall, The 2nd Annual Broadway Unplugged Concert at Town Hall, Pippin (with Ben Vereen and Rosie O'Donnell), La Gioconda at TheatreSo urce, David Friedman's King Island Christmas and Liz Swados' Waiting For Lefty. National: Theatre of the Stars, Goodspeed Musicals, the Human Race Theatre and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. For nearly two years, Brandon was the original host of the MAC Award nominated show, Mostly Sondheim. Last December, Brandon made his debut in the world-famous Oak Room at The Algonquin Hotel. Last month, Brandon made his solo debut at Feinstein's at the Regency, New York's legendary nightclub on Park Avenue . Please visit www.BrandonCutrell.com.

ALYSHA UMPHRESS, a recent graduate of The Boston Conservatory, made a splash last year at the Chelsea bar, XL, winning their American Idol-type competition, XL Star. She recently opened for Diana Krall at the Fujitsu Jazz Festival, soloed along side Carlos Santana at San Francisco 's Fillmore Auditorium and performed with the Boston Pops. Regional roles include the Witch in Into the Woods, Trina in Falsettos and Winnifred in Once Upon a Mattress. Alysha is the recipient of two Bay Area Theatre Critics Awards for her work in Rags and FAB! She has belted out the National Anthem for The Oakland A's, San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings and San Jose Sharks.

RAY FELLMAN recently made his Off-Broadway debut when he was handpicked by Stephen Schwartz to musical direct his off-Broadway musical, Captain Louie. Other Musical Director credits include The Tutor by Wood/Gerle (59 E. 59th), Reluctant Pilgrim (The Barrow Group), Blood Drive: A Musical Triptych by Sheinkin/Derfner (workshop at the O'Neill Theater Center) and Amahl and the Night Visitors (national tour directed by David Aiken). Ray has been seen behind the piano in The Storefront Theatre's New Mondays (with Bill Russell and Emily Skinner), No Reservations (starring Brandon Cutrell with special guests Karen Mason and Shoshana Bean), Broadway Downtown (with Kristy Cates) and We Miss Nancy: The Storefront Sings Lamott (with Liz McCartney). He has also served as accompanist for Utah Festival Opera Company, The Opera Company of Brooklyn, Mid America Productions at Carnegie Hall (with John Rutter ) and A Yuletide Celebration with the Indianapolis Symphony starring Judy Kaye. As a singer, Ray has sung with some of the finest opera companies in the country, including Florida Grand, Glimmerglass and New Orleans operas. Ray holds degrees in piano and voice from the Indiana University School of Music.

Please visit www.BrandonCutrell.com and www.MySpace.com/BrandonCutrell.