Brenda Braxton Set for MARTY THOMAS PRESENTS DIVA at Industry Bar, 4/13

Marty Thomas presents DIVA is a weekly show at Industry Bar in midtown Manhattan. Featuring a rotating cast of tremendous female vocalists, it is hosted and produced by Marty Thomas (XANADU, WICKED, THE SECRET GARDEN). DIVA celebrates fabulous female vocalists paying tribute to some of histories most over the top icons! The cast performs a brand new show every week with exciting new guests rotating. This weeks cast features Marissa Rosen, Brie Cassil and Lisa Ramey.

Monday, April 13, DIVA features Tony Award Nominee Brenda Braxton.

Tony Nominee BRENDA BRAXTON was last seen as Velma Kelly in Broadway's hit musical Chicago. Prior to that, she was featured on Broadway in the musical revue Smokey Joe's Cafe, a performance that earned her a 1995 Tony Award nomination, the NAACP Theater Award, the city of Chicago's Jefferson Award and a Grammy Award for Best Cast Album. She co-directed and co choreographed the acclaimed 2001 Actors' Fund Benefit Concert of Dreamgirls. Other Broadway credits include Jelly's Last Jam, Cats, Legs Diamond and the original production of Dreamgirls. She received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "Living the Dream" Award given by New York Gov. George Pataki and the Josephine Baker Award from the National Council of Negro Women for her work as founder of Leading Ladies Just for Teens, seminars geared to empowering teenage girls.

In November 2006, she launched BBRAXTON; Exceptional Grooming for Exceptional Men, a men's grooming salon located in Harlem. The first salon of its kind, BBRAXTON offered men's grooming services for the discriminating customer. In 2009 Ms. Braxton was the only woman honored with the "Men of Style Award " presented by Gillette Fuzion and BBRAXTON salon hosted the Gillette Fuzion Tour in New York City for a second year.

In realizing the importance of giving back, Ms Braxton founded a not -for-profit organization called, Leading Ladies Just for Teens (LLJFT), seminars geared toward empowering young girls to be the best they can be. Leading Ladies began in 1996 at the Virginia Theater with a series of seminars designed to encourage, challenge and inspire young girls to dream and set goals. For her work as founder of LLJFT Ms. Braxton has received the Dr. Martin Luther King "Living the Dream" award given by New York's Governor Pataki, the Josephine Baker Award from the National Council of Negro Women, and the Community Service award given by the National Association of Negro Business Women

Miss Braxton is promoting her one woman show, "Act 2...Now What?!" that performs Sunday, May 3 at The Metropolitan Room. Braxton says of the show, "This show is a journey of realization, gratitude and a salute to a few of the Ladies who came before me." www.metropolitanroom.comfor ticketing information and more details.

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