Redefining Diva
Life Lessons from the Original Dreamgirl
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
Secrets about love, life, and Hollywood from the Tony Award-winning actress from the Broadway production of Dreamgirls —in the role recently made famous by Beyonce—timed to coincide with the thirtieth anniversary of the original Broadway show.
Sheryl Lee Ralph was the original Deena Jones in Broadway’s production of Dreamgirls and the show was a Broadway sensation from its inception. Now, the star of film, television, and Broadway, known for her talent and fearlessness, shows readers how to find—and own—their inner divas.
Sheryl rose to international fame after her performance in Dreamgirls, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress and going on to star in movies with Denzel Washington and Robert DeNiro and capture America’s heart as television’s favorite mom Die in the #1-rated series Moesha . But it wasn’t an easy task. From her legendary catfight with Diana Ross to her controversial exit from Moesha, Sheryl Lee Ralph is a woman who does not fade in the background—and she reveals how and why she has remained in the spotlight for decades.
Sheryl is a hip, modern Miss Manners who inspires women with her wit, strength, and call-it-like-it-is courage. Using her own experiences as a guide—and dishing the truth behind all the rumors—Sheryl reveals her rules for living. This is Divahood A-Z—from the practical to the spiritual, featuring advice on everything from relationships to fashion to success in the business world. So, the next time someone calls you a diva, you’ll just smile and say “Thank you!”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Actress Ralph, self-described diva, offers advice to future divas, stressing the word "Diva" as a positive role model: "My kind of Diva is woman enough to love herself to the core of her being." In Hollywood, Ralph was directed by Sidney Poitier, filmed with Bill Cosby, and won parts on Good Times and The Jeffersons, but rejected roles that might "disgrace her race." Eventually, she landed the role of Deena in the Broadway show of Dreamgirls. In Ralph's sharp account of the stage performance, she reveals intimate views of Nell Carter, Quincy Jones, Jennifer Holliday, and especially Michael Bennett, the show's director and choreographer. Bennett's vision is theater history, but his methods drove Ralph to misery, illness, and inner turmoil. She offers stories about Diana Ross, adding new drama to the Dreamgirls saga. Ralph's involvement in children's charities, politics, and her own Diva Foundation, which promotes AIDS awareness, portrays a deeply compassionate woman. Readers will welcome her honesty.