Marty Thomas Presents Rachelle Rak's Video Release Party, SNAPSHOTS

Grammy nominated recording artist and Broadway performer, Marty Thomas (Xanadu, Secret Garden, Wicked) prepares to redefine the nightclub scene with his new act Marty Thomas Presents: Diva at the hottest spot in Hell's Kitchen. With Industry-Bar dominating every happy hour crowd of the week in the heart of the Theatre District, it only seemed fitting that the neighborhood destination finally brings the cabaret-style spotlight back center stage. Industry-Bar and Thomas are breathing life back into the doldrums and monotony of a Music-less Monday night.

Bob Pontarelli the proprietor of Industry-Bar describes the event: "The Divas night is a weekly salute to all the divas we know and love from film, recordings and video...from Madonna, Tina, and Aretha, to Gaga and Beyoncé...the list is endless! The centerpiece each week is a
live tribute featuring the biggest, belting, show-stopping voices on Broadway. What's not to love?"

"Diva will hit home with the theatre crowd," Thomas explains. "It'll be a brand new show every week, featuring diva material - all the songs that fans like to hear, but in a new light. This is really a way to feature and celebrate some wonderful female talent."

Diva promises a return to glamour and the theatrics lost onto a culture starved for original performers, who sing live and regaled their adoring audiences in fabulous fashions. "It'll be more
burlesque/cabaret/concert and less karaoke," elaborated Marty, who is not only the MC of the weekly Monday night event, but will be musically arranging and conceptualizing the varying themes. The girls, emerging starlets in their own rites are pop-songstresses Kelly King (Michael Bolton and Babyface), singer-actress Marissa Rosen (My Big Gay italian Wedding), and Anne Fraser Thomas (How the Grinch Stole Christmas).

"The girls will be working as a group, providing three-part harmonies," continuEd Thomas, "they will also be featured as solo artists." They will be performing some favorite popular standards,
hits made famous by Whitney, Celine, Barbra, Mariah, Aretha and other divas throughout history.

Each week, the divas are joined by a guest act from the Broadway stage, recording or dance industry. Past guests have included Orfeh, Ramona Keller, Leslie Kritzer, Sabra Johnson, Felicia Finley, Alysha Umphress, Carly Jibson, Rachel Potter, Celina Carvajal, Christine Pedi, Emma Hunton and many more.

Monday Jan. 16, Rachelle Rak will grace the diva stage as special guest. DIVA will be celebrating the release of her new video, "Snapshots", just one week before her new one woman show "I'm in" opens at Le Poisson Rouge. The video will be debuted and Rachelle will perform some of her hits live.

Nicknamed “Sas”, Rachelle began her dance training at the age of 2 under the direction of her mother, Rosalene, at the Rosalene Kenneth Professional Dance Studio in Pittsburgh. Rachelle is very involved with the studio and teaches class on occasion, as well as serving as the school’s Executive Director. She has been labeled as a Triple Threat on Broadway for her immeasurable talent in dance, singing, and acting. Rachelle was presented with the award for outstanding achievement in the world of dance from Dance Educators of America. She has made a huge impact on the Broadway and Musical Theatre community. A few of her impressive credits include leading roles in:

Catch Me If You Can, Cats, Starlight Express, West Side Story, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Fosse, Thou Shalt Not, Oklahoma!, The Look of Love, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Sessions, and An Evening at the Carlyle

She has performed in countless concerts and productions at New York City’s Town Hall, and has been a crowd favorite time and again in many Encores Productions. Her talent doesn’t cease at the stage. She can be found on screen in commercials for Ebay, and played a reoccurring role on the soap opera series “Another World” as well as a feuture in the documentry "Every Little Step". You can find her performing on the 1999 seasons of the Rosie O’Donnell Show and the Jay Leno Show. She is also the spoke’s person for Pittsburgh Brewing Co’s I C Light, and has had the honor of singing the National Anthem at an Orlando Magic NBA Basketball Game. Rachelle has the pleasure of serving as a teacher and judge for the L.A. Dance Explosion, the National Finals of Access Broadway, and DEA competitions.

Rachelle has also lent her talents to many jobs behind the scenes, including the position of Dance Captain for Starlight Express America, Assistant Choreographer to critically acclaimed On The Twentieth Century, choreographing the Fringe Festival show, "VOTE" , "Evening at the Carlyle", and Additional Choreography for "Sessions". In 1993, she was voted 2nd best performer in a musical in Europe. She has had a substantial contribution to the worlds of musical theatre and dance and is revered as one of Broadway’s most talented performers.

Rak can be seen in her new one woman show I'M IN, an intimate look at the path of a Broadway starlet. Shows are Sunday, January 22nd at 7:00 PM, and Monday, January 23rd at 10:30 PM at Le Poisson Rouge, 165 Bleecker Street. Tickets are $40 for premium seating (limited availability) $30 for reserved seating and $25 for general admission. Please visit the Le Poisson Rouge website to purchase tickets lepoissonrouge.com. Reservations recommended, running time is 55 minutes.

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