Redefining Diva: Life Lessons from the Original Dreamgirl

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. (Mar.)