Acting Career
Braxton has appeared on two Disney Broadway shows: She made her Broadway debut as Belle in Beauty and the Beast beginning September 9, 1998 when she replaced Kim Huber. During her run in the show Alan Menken wrote a new song for the musical called "A Change in Me", which was specially written for Braxton and was used in the musical ever since. She left the production on February 28, 1999 and was succeeded by Andrea McArdle. Her role in Beauty and the Beast marked the first (and only) time a black woman commanded the leading role of Belle on Broadway (in the UK, Michelle Gayle played the role in the West End). It also marked the first time a black woman would star in a Disney musical on Broadway.
She then starred in Aida as Aida beginning June 30, 2003 when she replaced Simone and left the cast on November 16, 2003 where she was replaced by Michelle Williams. In 2001, she made her movie acting debut in the feature film Kingdom Come.
In 2004, Braxton appeared as herself, voicing a singing character named Toni, in a special episode and DVD release of the children's television show Blue's Clues. In August 2005, Braxton announced, that she would be shooting a sitcom pilot for The WB's fall 2006 line-up, though plans to put the show into full-production fell through, when The WB announced it would cease to exist in fall 2006 (as part of a merger with UPN to form The CW), She has also starred in the TV sitcom, Kevin Hill. Braxton has recently completed filming of The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure alongside Jaime Pressly and Cloris Leachman due to be released 2012. Her character - Rosalie Rosebud - is a singer, whose over-the-top personality was apparently inspired by Mariah Carey.
Braxton will star in a Lifetime movie, entitled A Narrow Bridge.
Read more about this topic: Toni Braxton
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