Marty Thomas Presents DIVA at Industry featuring Felicia Finley, 3/21

Grammy nominated and Broadway phenom Marty Thomas (Xanadu, Secret Garden, Wicked) prepares to redefine the nightclub scene with his new act Marty Thomas Presents: Divas 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 set to breathe life back into the doldrums and monotony of a Music-less Monday. 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?"

"Divas 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."

Divas 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 moreburlesque than 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, singer-actress Anne Fraser Thomas, and performer Kat Hennessy. On occasion Rachel Potter, "Wednesday" in Broadway's The Addams Family will be joining the cast.

"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 Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and other divas of today. As an unexpected bonus, Thomas is also arranging some musical "mash-ups" giving the show a much more unique and contemporary flair. "And every week we will be joined by a ‘special guest' Broadway artist," which Thomas will pool from his limitless access of talented friends who have appeared or are currently performing on the Great White Way. "Not only is Marty a huge talent," adds Pontarelli, "but he has an amazing track record in gay nightlife and a phone book with every number you can imagine. The quality of talent he'll draw for this production will be unprecedented."

As if that were not enough to engage the audience, Thomas is introducing magnificent acts, including trained contortionists to engage the divas in new and elaborate stage antics, certainly likely to keep his talented trio of vocalists on point. "It'll always be a spectacular surprise!" On Monday March 21, DIVA will feature special guest Felicia Finley. Finley has been making audiences laugh in such Broadway shows as 'The Wedding Singer' (Linda) 'Aida' (Amneris), 'Forbidden Broadway', Smokey Joe's Café, and 'The LIfe' (April),pre-Broadway 'Catch Me If You Can'. In 2009, Felicia found herself touring the United States with the show Happy Days as Pinky (developed by Garry Marshall.) Felicia also takes breaks from theatre to promote her debut solo album "Great Mood for a Tuesday". The album is being critically praised as a "relevant, incendiary rock effort that firmly brands Finley as a significant rock talent". Last summer she played opposite Andre' De Shields as 'Lola' in "Damn Yankees" and was currently starring in the musical adaptation of the movie, "Saved" at Kansas City Repertory. Felicia will be performing at Therapy's Broadway Brouhaha on 52nd every Tuesday night in April! feliciafinley.com

Industry-Bar's Marty Thomas Presents: Divas is certain to become the new brightest light off off Broadway on Monday nights, sparking a new trend by providing live, incomparable, musical entertainment. The must-see show will begin at 11pm; there is no cover, must be 21 years of age to enter. See the website at www.martythomaspresentsdiva.com or follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/martysdivas.

 

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