Sheryl Lee Ralph
is “elyse” in The FirsT Wives Club.
A dreAmGirl reCeives her due.
Just as director Francesca Zambello referred
to a “fantastic black performer,” one beautiful
and talented woman who fits that bill is none
other than Sheryl Lee Ralph. It is uncanny that
she would once play Deena, a role based on
the career of Diana Ross in Dreamgirls and
now… she is performing all new songs from
Holland-Dozier-Holland who gave us all the
top hits of The Supremes. The Rage Monthly
took notice of that and this stunning enter-
tainer known as Sheryl Lee Ralph who plays
opposite Barbara Walsh as Brenda and Karen
Ziemba as Annie.
Rage: Starring in this production of The First Wives
Club, it strikes me as a “42nd Street” moment for
you (Sheryl took over for Adriane Lenox in the role
of Elyse).
Sheryl Lee Ralph: Oh my god! How right on
it are you? Quite literally, weeks ago, I get a call
that is like “Can you be here yesterday?” I have a You know what’s even freakier? When you really look at it, this character is
one-woman show that I tour the country with and I was booked all summer. I was Deena’s second act. You could see how this could very well be Deena Jones. That
like, “No!” I can’t cancel all these dates… I got two kids; my son is getting ready to Deena Jones has had the movie career, she has had the record career, and she’s
go off to his first semester in college. My head just started spinning. got the manager she’s absolutely crazy about… he has spoiled her to this point
They sent me the sides (Elyse’s lines) and oh my god, this is worth making a and has dropped her like a hot potato!
major adjustment. I called my husband who is so wonderful. He was on the senate Rage: Out of the three wives, Elyse is definitely the most self-absorbed. Please describe her.
floor and he said, “Baby. Let’s weigh the pros and the cons.” (laughter) I said, “We’re SLR: Elyse Elliott is probably tantamount to Whitney Houston with a little bit of
not passing a bill here!” Together, we worked it out and I talked to my kids and Gladys Knight and a nice shot of Patti LaBelle on top of it. You know what I’m say-
everything. All together, we made the decision that this was worth it. It worked ing? This is an absolutely wildly talented and very comfortable woman with flair.
out even better because some folks were jazzed that I was doing this. I guess there She’s rich as the day she was born! This diva doesn’t care about anything. Guess
has been a lot of pre-buzz with theatre folks about the show. what? She doesn’t care if she’s late because the world revolves on her clock. She’s
Rage: Does it strike you pink that you starred as Deena based on Diana Ross in Dreamgirls and that kind of woman.
now you are actually singing the songs written by Holland-Dozier-Holland for this one-time She says it in a song, “Selfish, self-absorbed, sometimes sadistic, materialistic”
reunion of musical legends [HDH]. but she has to change all of that.
SLR: You have to touch me on that (she gives me the high five)! Who could write Rage: Every actor in a well-done production has what is called “his or her moment.”
that? Nobody putting together public relations could ever write that and put SLR: I have that moment in a song called “This is Me Now.” It’s that wonderful
those things together to be so perfect. All of these years, people say, “You been 11th hour number. It’s just an incredible number. Yes. These are great questions
playing Diana Ross, Diana Ross,” and now I’m in a show where her writers have by the way.
written all these next hits. It’s amazing. Rage: Thank you. I’m so looking forward to seeing the show.
August 2009 | RAGE monthly 29
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