Dec 20, 2024
Brenda talks about years of stability, losing everything: My home, marriage, and business - without a regular paycheck to keep me afloat! The cherry on the cake? Finding out that no one in Hollywood wanted someone her age for their projects either. Everything can change so quickly but this 'Now What?' moment became an opportunity for her to start anew with a different perspective - giving women like herself (and beyond) an even louder voice than before!?
Brenda Braxton was destined for the stage. While most of her
classmates at the famed High School of Performing Arts dreamed that
their talents would one day be recognized, Brenda, a year after
graduation, was cast in the hit Broadway show Guys & Dolls. But her
real claim to fame was her performance in Broadway’s musical revue
SMOKEY JOE’S CAFÉ which earned her a Tony Award nomination, the
NAACP Theater Award, the city of Chicago’s Jefferson Award and a
Grammy Award for Best Cast Album. She went on to star as Velma
Kelly in Broadway’s hit musical CHICAGO opposite USHER, BeBe
Neuwirth, Rita Wilson and Brian McKnight. . Her other Broadway
credits include, Jelly’s Last Jam with Gregory Hines and
Savion Glover, Cats, Legs Diamond and the original production
of DREAMGIRLS with Jennifer Holiday. Her TV credits include Nurse
Jackie, SMASH. She most recently is costarring as Partner Madeline
Gilford on The Good Fight on CBS All Access.
In realizing the importance of giving back she 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.
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