So Many ‘Divas,’ So Little Time

A glamorous, ribald tone was set early on at Saturday’s “Divas: Simply Singing!,” the eighth annual gathering of female vocal talent at the Wilshire-Ebell Theatre. Singer and event founder Sheryl Lee Ralph emerged in a sparkling, form-fitting gown and a mile-high tiara, joking of latex and drag queens and telling the crowd, “They say it hurts to be beautiful. Well, tonight I’m killing myself!”

The hostess presided over a stage overflowing with red and white roses, chandeliers, cherub statues and a crowded, unlikely roster of diva-dom--all of it to raise money for Project Angel Food and the Safe Place for Pediatric AIDS.

This year’s event offered a typically inspired crowd of singers, including top-billed veteran Leslie Uggams, who performed a medley of such standards as “The Man I Love” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.” But with the exception of Uggams and Ralph, each of the 14 acts was only allotted time for one song, making many appearances frustratingly brief.

That was especially true for Jody Watley, whose dramatic, romantic balladry lasted only minutes. The quirkiest surprise on the bill was Gennifer Flowers, the former TV newswoman and Clinton paramour, who teased the crowd with jokey bits of Willie Nelson’s “Crazy” and Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart.”

If song choices were rarely surprising or especially inspired, the night’s repertoire of standards and smooth R&B-flavored; pop was always well-sung by the likes of Roz Ryan, the trios Amari and Wild Orchid, and actress Gloria Reuben of “ER,” who sang in low, breathy tones. The night’s most explosive moments came from the gospel-flavored performers, from the rich and soulful Diana Woods-Carter to Vanessa Bell Armstrong, who moved the crowd to clap and sing along and declared, “I feel like Tina Turner right now!”