L-R: LORETTA DEVINE, SHERYL LEE RALPH & DEBORAH BURRELL ON THE COVER OF EBONY, MAY 1982
Of Broadway's original Dreamgirls, Loretta Devine (August 21, 1949) may not have been the most glamorous (Sheryl Lee Ralph) or the most bat-sh*t crazy/brilliant (Jennifer Holliday), but she was definitely the most likeable. She was the perfect fit for her character: sweet, slightly dizzy, but warm and wiser than she appeared. Since her days as a Dream, Devine has been a solid, engaging presence on TV shows ranging from Everybody Hates Chris to Boston Legal; and she made a memorable, all-too-rare co-starring turn in Waiting to Exhale with Angela Bassett and Whitney Houston.
LORETTA DEVINE IN 2002
One gets the feeling that Loretta Devine is like the funny, witty best girlfriend we all wish we had to dish with over a cup of coffee every morning. As befits the stars of a show based on The Supremes, rumors abounded during and well after Dreamgirls had ended its Broadway run of diva fights between the ladies. Chances of a reunion seemed as slim as a reunion of...well, The Supremes. But it happened, last year, at Sheryl Lee Ralph's annual Divas Simply Singing AIDS benefit concert. We'd like to think that it was Loretta Devine who paved the way to a truce.
L-R: SHERYL LEE RALPH, JENNIFER HOLLIDAY & LORETTA DEVINE
Loretta may be all that and more, but taking the stage in her fuzzy blue bathrobe implies a lack of, I don't know, style? Good sense?
ReplyDeleteGrace Monroe, you be nice, y'hear?
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love her in Eli Stone! I was pleasantly surprised to see that the writers treat her character with so much dignity and humor. She's too funny.
ReplyDeletequeena -- I never watch TV, so I'll take your word for it! Did you ever see the mockumenary, "Jackie's Back"? Loretta has a cameo as "Jackie"'s best girlfriend, and is HYSTERICAL! It's on DVD, and well worth the $9.99 you can probably find it for!
ReplyDeleteI love Jackie's Back...I'm a sookie sookie Mama...and I'm laying it out for you...
ReplyDeleteShe was to' up, from the flo' up!
ReplyDeleteHey TJB, Thanks! I will check Miss Devine out in Jackie's Bear. You know, I have to say your picks of what you share on Stirred, Straight Up are so well appreciated for those of us in truly unfabulous towns. Don't want to sound like a crazed fan, but I hope you never stop sharing your incredible memories.
ReplyDeleteQueena -- Awww, thank you! When I was a kid, my tastes were just as twisted as they are now, and I never, ever thought that anyone else would "get" them. So it's still always nice to hear positive feedback.
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