To commemorate the one year anniversary of the re-opening of the Laurie Beechman Theatre Tom D’Angora and Michael D’Angora are launching ‘The Star to Be Project’ to support emerging artists.
The Star to Be Project is a new initiative from Broadway producers Tom D’Angora and Michael D’Angora, the new owners of the Laurie Beechman Theatre, in association with The York Theatre, Willette Klausner, Open Horizon, Hershel Kleinberg, LisaCohen, Vasi Lawrence, Nick Padgett, and Jim Kierstead, designed to support the next generation of theatre artists. Created in response to the rising costs of producing live performance in New York City, the program removes financial barriers for emerging performers, writers, and creators while ensuring the theatre can continue its legacy as a vital incubator for new work. The project is named after Laurie Beechman’s Broadway debut, playing the “Star-To-Be” in the original production of Annie where she triumphantly belted out “up there in lights I’ll be!”
For nearly five decades, the Laurie Beechman Theatre, previously known simply as “The Downstairs Theatre” at the West Bank Cafe, has played a pivotal role in launching major theatrical voices and productions. Today, both artists and venues face increasing financial pressure, with production costs for even modest performances ranging from $2,500 to $5,000, and small venues struggling to balance risk with sustainability. The Star to Be Project offers a forward-thinking solution, one that allows the theatre to remain accessible to new talent while maintaining financial viability.
The initiative will sponsor performances and underwrite production costs, providing artists with access to a professional stage, rehearsal space, and technical support. Programming will include sponsored concerts, free staged readings, Composer Spotlight Series, workshops and master classes, and industry showcases connecting artists with producers and casting professionals. The program will place a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion, prioritizing opportunities for underrepresented voices.
The Laurie Beechman Theatre, which opened in 1978 beneath the legendary West Bank Café, has long been a launchpad for theatrical talent. Originally the “Downstairs Theatre Bar” with Lewis Black as Artistic Director, it produced over 1,500 one-act plays in its first 14 years, featuring early works by Aaron Sorkin and breakout performances from Tony Shalhoub, Mary Testa, Holly Hunter, Nathan Lane, and Mark Linn-Baker. It was also the birthplace of the Tony Award-winning Side Man starring Edie Falco, and where Stephen Sondheim famously debuted “Finishing the Hat” for Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin during rehearsals for Sunday in the Park with George.
Renamed after beloved Broadway star Laurie Beechman, the theatre has since become a premier destination for cabaret, drag, comedy, and live performance. Its intimate stage has hosted icons from Joan Rivers—who performed more than 200 sets there and told her final joke on its stage—to Jinkx Monsoon, André De Shields, Matt Doyle, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, and even The Who. Now under the leadership of Broadway producers Tom and Michael D’Angora, the venue has been reimagined with a bold, all-blue disco-inspired redesign by Tony Award-winning designer David Rockwell and the Rockwell Group, blending late 1970s Times Square grit with uptown polish.
