Her fans call her diva. All kinds of diva: “From renaissance diva to warrior diva. Real-life diva to queen diva.” So shares Sheryl Lee Ralph in her insightful memoir, “Redefining Diva: Life Lessons From the Original Dreamgirl” (Karen Hunter Publishing/Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster, 2012). People also call her “diva-licious,” which, according to the innovative actress/ singer/ activist/ wife/ mother, is her favorite. However, none of these labels best describes who and what the original “Dreamgirl” is all about.
As Ralph explains, “It is important to note that Diva is more than just big hair and attitude for me.” And then she breaks it down and reconstructs it: “Diva is an acronym: Divinely Inspired, Victoriously Anointed.” Ralph then suggests to her readers, “Create your own diva and embrace it.”
What a wonderful New Year’s resolution. Yes, it’s somewhat challenging; however, Ralph’s inspirational book provides the perfect blueprint to accomplish this goal. It’s all there in the enticing hook that powers the enjoyable, moving story of Ralph, the gifted Tony-nominated actress who originated the role of Deena Jones in “Dreamgirls,” which exploded at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre in 1981.
In sharing the illuminating journey of her career in show business, which in essence served as life lessons for Ralph, her timely, engaging book uses these experiences to illustrate her evolution in becoming a true-life diva. Ralph lovingly discloses these lessons to encourage her readers on their road to becoming the person God created them to be.
The type of diva that Ralph endorses is a woman who “looks in the mirror and loves what she sees. She knows that she has to take care of that woman staring back at her. “If you don’t love yourself, how in the world are you going to love anyone else?” the forthright author queries as she sumptuously dishes out inspirational advice to her readers about “real diva” qualities. “Divas never just survive … they thrive,” is just one of her pointers.
Ralph begins by paying homage to several true divas who inspired her when she was growing up, including her own mother, Auntie Carolyn, Rosalind Cash, Virginia Capers, Susan Taylor, the “well-spoken” Diahann Carroll, the “revolutionary” Miriam Makeba, the “groundbreaking politician and mother” Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, as well as Diana Ross and “every single one of the Supremes.”
And then there was Nina Simone, who Ralph says “came to that diva moment when she yanked off her wig and sang out, ‘To be young, gifted and Black is where it’s at.’” Upon hearing the song, Ralph got an epiphany. And with that ah-hah moment, Ralph writes, “I was changed, just as Diva Nina had changed. She recreated herself.”
That transformation led Ralph to believe in herself and pursue her divinely guided dreams of being an actress, and not the lawyer or doctor that her parents envisioned for her. Not only did her God-given talents in the arts manifest early in the form of scholarships from Miss Black Teenage America and the American College Theater Festival, which helped her pursue her studies at Rutgers, but her journey to the college’s theater department was nothing but spiritually ordained, she says. The lesson of Ralph’s second chapter, “A Diva Finds Her Joy,” is one that many aspiring divas will surely find useful.
The same is true for every chapter in “Redefining Diva,” which continues with Ralph’s experiences in Los Angeles, a place she decides to go to although it was unfamiliar territory where she did not know anyone. And as demonstrated in chapter 3, “A Diva Takes Risks,” her good was awaiting her there. The moment she arrived, a place to stay magically manifested, and in less than 24 hours she got an audition not with just anyone, but with the legendary Sidney Poitier, who was directing the film “A Piece of the Action.” Despite the obstacle of getting to the audition with her newly found cousin, an agoraphobe who had not left her house or driven in years, she gets there, and because of her persistence, Ralph’s talent is rewarded when she lands a role in the film, whose cast includes the acclaimed Bill Cosby.
Get it? Each wonder-filled chapter has a life-changing lesson to draw from. For example, Ralph’s choice to not play the prostitute or “welfare mama” roles, which was par for the course offered to Black actresses during the 1970s. Yet, she persevered. This is the lesson another chapter teaches: “A Diva Doesn’t Quit.” Ralph never did. During her career, she would work in various genres of her craft: film, TV and stage. Among her long list of credits are her co-starring roles in the films “Mistress” with Robert De Niro and “The Mighty Quinn” with Denzel Washington, appearances on TV shows such as “Designing Women” and “Moesha,” and on stage in her groundbreaking Tony- and Drama Desk-nominated role in “Dreamgirls.”
Ralph, the mother of two, with a combined family of four is married to Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent Hughes. She is actively involved in philanthropy.
Among the closing comments in Ralph’s must-have book is: “I pray my experiences–mistakes and bad breaks included–have given you inspiration, hope and comfort. God does not make mistakes. I encourage you to increase your dream quotient, Diva! That’s right: Dream bigger, honey! Open yourself up to receive all the good that is out there for you. Dress yourself in your dreams, and wear them well.”
Your dreams are waiting to manifest in this New Year. Get ready to embrace them. Pick up Sheryl Lee Ralph’s inspirational, meaningful memoir, “Redefining Diva: Life Lessons From the Original Diva.” It is your first step in becoming a true DIVA.