New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Emmy award-winning and Tony award-nominated actor, singer, producer, philanthropist, and community activist Sheryl Lee Ralph, along with her non-profit charitable organization, The DIVA Foundation, announce a star-studded partial lineup of performers and presenters to take the stage at this year's DIVAS Simply Singing! Raising Health Awareness.
The highly-anticipated health awareness benefit concert will be filmed before a live audience at the historic Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 19, 2023.
Now in its 33rd year, DIVAS Simply Singing! Raising Health Awareness will feature performances by renowned artists, including 5x Emmy Award-winning actor, singer, comedian, and host Wayne Brady, legendary jazz songstress and 5x Grammy award-winner Dianne Reeves, Grammy
award-nominated, multiplatinum recording artist Jordin Sparks, Abbott Elementary's Lisa Ann Walter, Tony award-nominated singer and actor Saycon Sengbloh, and making her first DIVAS appearance, rising actor Phylicia Pearl Mpasi who plays "Young Celie" in the highly anticipated film THE COLOR PURPLE. Grammy, Tony, and Emmy award-winning and Oscar-nominated singer and actress Cynthia Erivo will join the cast of presenters for the evening.
Additionally, Emmy award-winning musical director, musician, singer, and songwriter Adam Blackstone has joined DIVAS Simply Singing! Raising Health Awareness as Musical Director. Blackstone most recently won the 2022 Emmy for Outstanding Musical Direction for his role in the Pepsi Superbowl LVI Halftime Show starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, and 50 Cent. This year, he also received the NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Jazz Album - Vocal." He notably released his debut album, LEGACY, in September 2022, which boasted the Grammy-nominated "'Round Midnight," featuring Jazmine Sullivan. Emmy award-winning director Jonathan X will helm the star-studded concert, with DIVAS alum Shelly Goldstein signing on as writer.
DIVAS Simply Singing! Raising Health Awareness, a health awareness initiative of The DIVA Foundation was originally founded as a living memorial to the many friends Sheryl Lee Ralph lost during the AIDS Crisis. DIVAS Simply Singing! has grown into the longest-running health awareness benefit concert in the US that raises awareness and funds for programs that empower and educate audiences to own and advocate for their health and the health of others.