Youth and Veterans Alike Capture Spotlight in ‘Divas’

“Divas: Simply Singing!,” the sixth annual showcase of divadom at the Wilshire-Ebell Theatre on Saturday night, was, once again, a well-paced, professional production bursting with talent. It’s a mystery why this event--so much more entertaining than any number of television variety shows--hasn’t made it to the tube.

The concert’s producer, singer-actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, was, appropriately, the concert’s centerpiece. Her touching reading of “I Dreamed a Dream” underscored the real significance of the evening--to generate money for Project Angel Food and the Safe Place for Pediatric AIDS.

This year’s highlights were largely at opposite ends of the age range. Veterans Ernestine Anderson and Thelma Jones effectively worked the blues. Another seasoned artist, the powerful Jennifer Holliday (making her first “Divas” appearance), nearly stole the show with an impromptu rendering of “The Wind Beneath My Wings.” And the remarkable Jessica James, 14, returned to prove that talent is ageless.

Actress Liz Torres brought a welcome tinge of comedy with an uproarious version of “I’m Hungry,” and Anita Johnson added a few moments of her stirring coloratura soprano. Marilyn Scott’s “You Don’t Know What Love Is” was a bit off the mark, but Tisha Campbell and Oleta Adams offered solid, appealing numbers, with Adams’ “I Knew You When,” in particular, the work of a thoughtful artist.

But the tendency of some of the younger singers to express themselves in similar, gospel-based styles blurred the differences between them. Chantay Savage, Mona Lisa, Yvette Wilson and Puff Johnson all managed to be convincing, if not especially unique performers. Only Vesta, opening the show with a penetrating interpretation of “Amazing Grace,” moved beyond the style’s inherent limits to emerge with some divadom individuality. The Rickey Grundy Chorale, singing as it moved through the audience before the curtain went up, set the stage for the evening.