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 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?"
"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 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 singer-actress Anne Fraser Thomas (How the Grinch Stole Christmas), pop songstress Kelly King (Michael Bolton, Babyface) and performer Kat Hennessy (Bananaschpeel, Wicked).
"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!" Past guests have included Orfeh, The Glamazons (Americas Got Talent), Ramona Keller, Leslie Kritzer, Colleen Sexton, Cassie McIvor, Rachel Potter, Jennifer McGill, Brandi Chavonne Massey and Felicia Finley.
On Monday April 25, DIVA welcomes Broadway superstar Rachelle Rak. 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 schools 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: Cats, Starlight Express, West Side Story, Smokey Joes Cafe, Fosse, Thou Shalt Not, Oklahoma!, The Look of Love, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Sessions, An Evening at the Carlyle.
She has performed in countless concerts and productions at New York Citys Town Hall, and has been a crowd favorite time and again in many Encores Productions. Her talent doesnt 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 ODonnell Show and the Jay Leno Show. She is also the spokes person for Pittsburgh Brewing Cos 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.
