Broadway's Brenda Braxton - BBraxton presents "First Shave"

I love me some Brenda Braxton.

I've known the Tony Award nominated actress for more than a decade and like a fine wine, she just gets better and better.  I was lucky to do the CHICAGO the Musical thing with Brenda many times.  Most recently we played in the CHICAGO sandbox last summer in Sacramento where she stopped the show night after night starring as "Velma Kelly."  Sings like a dream; dances like a demon; and can I say "funnnnnnny?"

In addition to her appearances on Broadway in Smokey Joe's Cafe, CHICAGO, Cats, Dreamgirls and more, she is the founder and owner of BBRAXTON: Exceptional Grooming for Exceptional Men, a men’s grooming salon in New York City.

The salon is the first of its kind and occupies 2,000 sq. ft. of storefront in one of the city’s first “green” luxury high rise condominiums. The salon complements this evolution by providing the atmosphere of a traditional gentlemen's club, barber shop and new age spa; offering services such as hot towel straight razor shave, hair cuts and hair styling, body massage and integrated skin care. Patrons can catch up on the news, style trends, watch sports or relax and listen to R&B or Jazz music streams.

BBraxton is now getting ready to launch it's own product line. And Miss Brenda is running an IndieGoGo campaign to help raise funds for the product launch.

Here's a link to the campaign - I'm going to ask you to please go take a look.

I'm a fan of crowdfunding on The Randy Report, and I'm a big fan of Brenda's.

Everyone has a dream of some kind; and everyone can use a little help reaching for that dream.

Maybe you saw Brenda on Broadway. Maybe you always wanted to start your OWN salon. Or maybe you wanted to see whatever dream YOU had get a boost.

Just thought I'd ask folks to take a look. If you have it, if you'd like to be a part of helping someone else's dream - pledge a few bucks.   I did.

Remember the old saying "Do unto others..."

If you ever wanted someone to help you out, maybe this is how you pay it forward.

Brenda Braxton and I backstage during CHICAGO the Musical days

Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida becomes 56th sponsor of ENDA

Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) has agreed to co-sponsor ENDA, which Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promised yesterday will get a hearing before Thanksgiving. That leaves the bill just three votes short of the 60 needed to pass.

From Huffington Post:

There are now just two Democratic senators -- Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) -- who are not co-sponsors of the legislation, which would bar workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. It is already illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, nationality, religion, age or disability.

Only two Republicans -- Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) -- have so far signed on as co-sponsors, although Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) voted for the bill in committee in July. With Nelson's support, there are now 56 ENDA supporters currently in the Senate, and when Sen.-elect Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is sworn in on Friday, that number will rise to 57.

Among the GOP Senators targeted for support are John McCain, whose wife Cindy has signed a petition urging him to vote for the bill.

Beyond all this good news in the US Senate, ENDA has no chance of passing in the Republican controlled House.

Cocktails with Brenda Braxton and Roz Ryan

Brenda Braxton (L), me and Roz Ryan (R) drinking, boozing, having a few laughs...

I'm currently in Sacramento, Calif, choreographing a new production (in the round; with a stage that often spins) of CHICAGO the Musical at Sacramento Music Circus.

On a lightning fast schedule, we've already staged half the show (Overture, All That Jazz, Cellblock Tango, All I Care About, Both Reached for the Gun, Roxie, Tap Dance and My Own Best Friend) in three days. Whew!

Great cast and crew here, especially two of my FAVORITE peeps from my CHICAGO past - the fab Roz Ryan and Brenda Braxton - who I had dinner and drinks with last night as we head into our one day off before opening. Love these two stunning, talented ladies. I can't imagine a better time anywhere than laughing with them.

From cocktails with the ladies I got back to my hotel, showered up and headed to the Music Circus's closing night performance of The King & I, which featured old friends Alan Ariano and Telly Leung. Amazing production. Looked great in the theater, the cast was fantastic, and the theater of over 2,000 looked to be sold out! Congrats to Music Circus.

So proud of NYC bud (and former gym partner) Alan Ariano - his performance
in The King & I was fab!

Time for a day off....

Forward.