Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, & Jennifer Holliday Set For Dreamgirls Reunion 

The original Dreamgirls, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, and Jennifer Holliday, are set for a Dreamgirls reunion concert at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood, on July 10 at 8pm. The Ford Amphitheatre was just recently renovated to improve the sound, lighting, and overall architecture of the venue, but I’m not sure that any designer can truly prepare for the vocals of these outstanding Dreamgirls originators, who have demonstrated their gifts on and off stage.

Since her 1981 Broadway portrayal of “Deena Jones,” for which she was nominated for a Tony Award, Sheryl Lee Ralph has served as an HIV/AIDS activist for over 25 years, and is the founder of D.I.V.A. (Divinely Inspired Victoriously Anointed) foundation. Her film appearances include “Sister Act 2,” “Bogus,” “Distinguished Gentlemen,” to name a few. Some of her on-screen credits include the TV series, “Instant Mom,” “ER,” and my personal favorite, “Moesha.” #teamFrankAndDee alllllll day!

But just where do I start with Loretta Devine, who played the role of “Lorrell”? Well, she did do a cameo and song performance in the motion picture “DreamGirls,” and I know that we all have our favorite “Loretta Devine movie,” that just takes us out when we hear her distinguished voice and infectious laugh. Some of those movies are: “Kingdom Come,” “The Preacher’s Wife,” “Waiting to Exhale,” “For Colored Girls….”

She says (Miss “Juanita Sims”), “I can let myself out this tacky place. All this white in here, ain’t no color at all, including you.” Ok, sorry, I just had to get that out!

And finally, Jennifer Holliday, as the “Effie White” originator, was awarded a Tony for “Best Actress in a Musical.” But did you know that she also won a Grammy Award for her solo debut of the show’s number one song, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going?”

Later, Holliday went on to record gospel hits and even performed opposite Jennifer Hudson, at the 2007 BET Awards opening performance. Check it out here:

So yeah, these ladies have been working hard to give back to their respective communities since performing the musical 35 years ago. They are the epitome of Black Girl Magic and Broadway Black excellence.

You won’t want to miss this one night only (insert disco music) concert at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd E, Los Angeles, CA 90068.

For tickets, click here.