Established in 1978, NYC’s West Bank Cafe, located on West 42nd Street, has been a favorite hangout for the theater community and theater-goers, known for its quality food, including its legendary risotto balls. In the early ‘80s, The Downstairs Theatre was opened, featuring nightly events and staged plays, and attracting such luminaries as playwrights Aaron Sorkin, Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller, and emerging stars like Tony Shalhoub, Nathan Lane, Holly Hunter, and Mark Linn-Baker. After the loss of Tony-nominated actress and singer Laurie Beechman in 1998, the underground hotspot was renamed in her honor, and The Laurie Beechman Theatre became one on the city’s premiere cabaret venues, presenting everyone from Broadway’s André De Shields, Donna McKechnie, and Joe Iconis, to pop-rockers Ariana Grande, Cyndi Lauper, and The Who, and comedian Joan Rivers, who played more than 200 sets there, including her final performance.
In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York and forced everyone to shelter in place and live venues to go on hiatus, producers, directors, and impresarios Michael and Tom D’Angora spearheaded a series of star-studded fundraising livestream events to prevent the WBC and The Beechman from shuttering permanently. The successful campaign kept it open, until owner Steve Olsen, then 70, announced in July of 2024, that it would close in August, “due to the high cost of conducting business and the continuing fallout from the pandemic.” That’s when the D’Angoras stepped in once again and saved the day by becoming its new proprietors, revamping the building, updating the menu, adding the popular all-day happy hour at the bar, and curating the array of shows downstairs.
I spoke with Tom and Michael about their journey with the venue and the events we can see there.
What is it about the West Bank Cafe that urged you to save it and to become its new proprietors?
Tom: We live across the street and ate here, as customers, all the time. When I was producing NEWSical across the street at Theatre Row, we had a million cast parties here. We even had our wedding rehearsal dinner in The Beechman! So the place was always special to us, and we knew how much it meant to the entire community.
Michael: Having lived in NYC for the last 25 years, we’ve watched a lot of popular mom and pop restaurants, theater hangouts, and legendary venues become high-rise buildings, banks, Duane Reades, etc. We were part of a large effort a few years ago to save the historic Cafe Edison, and we weren’t about to lose another favorite haunt of ours.
Tom: We have always lived by the theory that we might not be able to put out the entire forest fire, but we can at least save one tree. So, this was our tree to save.
Michael: When we were helping the original owner, Steve, by updating the business model for a post-Covid NYC, we saw that, sure, there was a lot of work that needed to be done, but also a lot of exciting potential. After a lot of deep thoughts and hard conversations, Steve decided he was ready to call it a day, and we are honored that we’ve been trusted to carry this incredible venue that he created into a new chapter.
What’s the significance of the hat on the WBC logo?
Michael: Steve was buddies with the artist Tom Slaughter who created the fedora as the logo for the venue. Slaughter then went on to become a very well-known artist. Over time, the fedora became Tom Slaughter’s calling card, or tag, sort of like Keith Haring’s “Radiant Baby.”
Tom: It’s fun because every now and again you’ll spot one of his fedora paintings somewhere, like in the background of an interview we saw with Liza Minnelli filmed at her house. Just a Tom Slaughter “Fedora” in the background.
Can you describe the vibe upstairs and downstairs?
Tom: Upstairs is essentially Broadway’s Cheers. It’s timeless, a little chic, but also easy, unpretentious, and a neighborhood hangout. You’ll see celebs dining next to tourists. You’ll see people dressed to the nines dining next to backstage crew members unwinding after a long day at the theater. Everyone is treated like family here, and if you work in theater or entertainment, the chances of you bumping into someone you know is, like, 99%. It feels like home when you are at The West Bank Cafe and that is a vibe.
Michael: Downstairs is The Laurie Beechman Theatre, and it was recently renovated by David Rockwell’s AMAZING team.
Tom: Or, as we call it, re-glammed – because it’s GLAM. It feels like a secret little supper club straight out of the early ‘80s on 42nd Street.
Michael: What’s fun is that the vibe is always changing. One night we might have a really classy jazz act on stage or a Broadway diva belting her face off, and the vibes are sophisticated and upscale. The next night, we might move all the tables out and the room turned into a ’90s-themed dance party. And the next night it’s a rock show and the vibes are sexy and rock star, or you may even see the world premiere of a new play or musical. You can dress her up or dress her down, but no matter what, the vibe is always about fun.
Tom: I don’t know how to perfectly describe “the vibes” of either space, but I’m proud that we’ve received a lot of great compliments on our good vibes!
How do you decide which shows to book at The Beechman and what are some of the genres and performances that we can look forward to seeing there?
Michael: The Beechman has a really eclectic history and we wanted to reflect that in our current programming. The first 20 years it was a home for play development, and in the past few months we’ve presented new works from legends like Douglas Carter Beane and hot up-and-comers like Kevin Zak and Sara Chase. Joan Rivers famously did 200+ sets here, and we’ve brought stand-up back with icons like Judy Gold and social media superstars like Heartthrob Anderson and Mitch Wood. There’s drag, there’s cabaret, there’s Broadway stars. We are open to booking it all and want to honor all forms of entertainment. This venue was created as a place for people to explore, experiment, fail (which is sometimes important in the arts – learn what DOESN’T work), take big swings, and have fun.
Tom: We love creative people and want them to feel like this is their home. We want them to feel like celebrated superstars every time they step on that iconic stage where so many legends have performed.
Michael: What genre WON’T you find on The Beechman stage might be an easier question to answer!
Tom: We are incredibly excited to welcome Lorna Luft to The Beechman in November and Andrea McArdle’s monthly residency is quickly becoming one of the most iconic evenings in NYC, so we always look forward to her monthly show. Definitely check out the website for the full November lineup.
Many thanks, Tom and Michael, for sharing your love of the WBC and The Beechman with our readers, and for keeping the iconic restaurant and theater alive!
The Laurie Beechman Theatre is located downstairs in the West Bank Cafe, 407 W 42nd Street, NYC. For the upcoming schedule and tickets (including fees, plus a $25 per person food/beverage minimum), go online.
