Psssst! Here's how Diana Ross plans to deal with 'Dreamgirls'
As of this morning Diana Ross still had not received an invitation to attend next Monday's premiere of "Dreamgirls" in L.A., but the oversight seems to be an unintentional bureaucratic snafu that DreamWorks/Paramount will scramble to correct by end of today now that Gold Derby has alerted exex to the problem.
Apparently, the invitation was sent to agent Ed Limato at ICM, who doesn't rep Diana anymore. Currently, she only has a rep for music — Mitch Rose at CAA — who probably hasn't seen it. At least that's Diana's impression. CAA has not informed her that an invite has arrived. A few hours ago I relayed this info to a source close to the film, who assures me that it's an unfortunate goof that will be resolved soonest with an invite dispatched to Diana via Mitch pronto.
Diana, mind you, has no intention of attending, but she does want the invitation because she craves acknowledgment of any kind from the makers of a film that's obviously based upon her Supremes. Enough facts were changed ever so slightly, however, that creators of the original Broadway play, and now the film, didn't have to seek her permission or pay her money. That how Diana sees it, anyway. The creators of the Broadway show claim that it's not based upon the Supremes, period. Frankly, Diana's so irked about all that that she'd rather not acknowledge the film. She's managed to dodge the Broadway show during the 25 years since it debuted. She insists she's never seen it. She has a DVD screener copy of the "Dreamgirls" film version, but hasn't watched it and doesn't intend to. Originally, she hoped to lay low during the release of the film and simply dodge all requests for comment.
But then, dear reader, came The Inevitable Plot Complication. This is, after all, showbiz.
Like it or not, Diana must now find a way to deal with the film since it'll be heading into the Oscars as a likely frontrunner exactly when Diana must hit the media circuit to tub-thump for her new CD, "I Love You" — featuring 15 covers of classic romantic ballads from the 1960s and '70s — being released by EMI/Angel. Diana's already received phone calls from Oprah and Diane Sawyer inviting her to sit down and talk about the CD and, of course, Diana's fully aware that "Dreamgirls" questions are inevitable.
What will she do?
A friend and colleague of Diana's — who will only speak anonymously because he knows how touchy the subject is to the great diva — says that she plans to be gracious when asked, but she won't endorse the film and won't say she's seen it. She's frantically searching for a few clever lines she can utter to deflect the topic quickly, efficiently and with good humor.
Even though Diana harbors deep resentments about the film and Broadway show, she's occasionally reached out to people involved, but never felt welcome. Early this year she ran into one of its male stars and asked him about the production, but he stammered nervously and changed the subject. Diana met Beyonce — who portrays the character who, ahem, strongly resembles Diana on screen — at a Grammy event back in February and made an extraordinary effort to be chummy. After all, Diana feels a strong kinship with Beyonce Knowles because they're both songbirds who broke with hit girl groups to launch solo careers. Diana had them swap phone numbers, but the rendezvous was awkward because Beyonce was obviously nervous.
"I did meet her," Beyonce told reporters about Diana during the recent "Dreamgirls" junket. "I met her when I was doing the movie. She was very nice. She told me if I need anything to call her. I was way too scared to, but I was very happy that she was nice."
Diana was so nice about "Dreamgirls" that she even inquired, early on when the film was announced, if there was a role she could play. Producers offered her a fleeting cameo as her own mom, a part so small that Diana had to turn it down.
"Dreamgirls" producers sent an invite to the L.A. premiere to Diana's longtime nemesis from the Supremes — Mary Wilson, who plans to attend — so you can imagine how Diana felt when she believed she was snubbed. As I mentioned, she has no intention of attending, but she desperately hopes to see some gesture of kindness and accommodation from the filmmakers.
Perhaps I shouldn't continue to meddle in this sticky Diana/ "Dreamgirls"/ DreamWorks situation, as I have for the past month or two, getting in heaps of trouble. But let's hope it's all for the best if it helps to get that invite into Diana's diva hands today. She'll toss it out or tear it up when she gets it, but at least she'll finally feel like a hand, some hand, any hand has been extended to her by the filmmakers. That can only help to smooth out the difficult days they all face ahead.
Top photo: Diana tried to be warm to Beyonce when they ran into each other at the Grammys, but it was an awkward meeting. Bottom photo: Diana's new album includes covers of such classic love tunes as "The Look of Love," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," "This Magic Moment" and "You Are So Beautiful."
(Gina Ferazzi, LAT/ Emi-Angel)
What a lame article. Diana and Beyonce have worked together, most notably during Divas 2000- A tribute to Diana Ross when Destiny's Child performed during the show.
We love and respect Diana. period!
Posted by: t young | December 11, 2006 at 11:18 PM
This is the deal! I want to say this one last time and i hope the world gets it..... God created Diana, Mary and Florence! Mary and Florence became the concrete or the carpet too be walked on by Diana because God wanted her to be the star! Some people in life are created to be backdrops such as Mary and Florence, Diana had the passion to be a star and the other two were just envious because she had ambition drive and talent, God has already let us know who the real "DREAMGIRL" is and her name is "DIANA ROSS! Its sort of like Gladys Knight and the Pips, how many records did the Pips sell??? HOW many did Gladys Knight sell??? millions! Some people were created to sing ooh's and aah's and some people were created to sing STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE AND MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA! Now it is time to wake up from the dream and realize who the real dream girl "was" and still is and that is "DIANA ROSS!" "DONT HATE!! CONGRATULATE!
Posted by: TY SMITH | December 09, 2006 at 11:04 PM
How can the author of this article claim any knowledge of what Diana Ross feels since the Lady herself has had the good sense and taste not to comment about the exploitation of her name, image and legacy by the white male corporate interests behind DREAMGIRLS, including Geffen, Speilberg and Condon. Interests which will profit far beyond any of the players at the forefront of the media coverage including Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce Knowles or Mary Wilson, Jamie Fox, et. al. This is not journalism. This is certainly not an article about Diana Ross, in any case. It is a cheap cartoon about a woman who deserves a good deal better.
Posted by: Don Belton | December 09, 2006 at 06:37 PM
the uk awaits dreamgirls- the supremes appear to be relegated to a footnote in the history of pop/soul music- so unfair. thegirls were extremely important- breaking barriers and fighting for equal rights- female and racial from the inside of the system. The movie is artistic license- hopefully it will bring the music and the importance of the supremes back to prominence- and maybe win a few oscars along the way!
Posted by: david wilson | December 09, 2006 at 02:00 PM
DreamGirls is not an accurate movie. It is a gay, white man's interpretation of The Supremes...replete with the gowns, wigs, eyelashes, heels, and bitchiness. Neither the film or the broadway show ever touch upon what really made the Suprems, or Motown.
If you want to see "DreamGirls," go to your local gay bar for a drag performance. I am not gaybashing, and so I do not want to be taken for it. Michael Bennett was gay, white, and almost an intimate of Diana. This is well documented, and well-within the public domain. It is nothing more than a trash movie for dazzling the eyes, and ears without informing the mind. I understand its purpose but it does nothing to give credit to those who most deserve it: The Supremes, and Berry Gordy. I admire Diane for not acknowledging the film; Mary, on the other hand, will acknowledge the film as it will give her a longer lease on her continuing saga of "I was once a Supreme" syndrome...the only reason anyone remembers her today.
May Wilson trashed the Supremes not Diane. Diane never said a bad word about the Supremes...she just left and went her way. Diane never bashed anyone...including Mary & Flo.
Beyonce is not a Diana Ross as she is not a voice of her generation. Diane, Mary & Flo were spokeswomen for their generation of both black and white. They showed "White America" that black can be beautiful, productive, classy, and talented...and succeed on its own. They were not phonies, or manufatured: their voices were real; they chose their gowns; and they displayed their class. They were originals unlike Beyonce who is manufactured, painted, and primmed to an inch of her life. This, I suspect, is another reason Diane does not feel the need to acknowledge the film; she is better than the film and those who star in it.
Posted by: EJR | December 08, 2006 at 06:50 PM
Lets hope one day Diana, Mary and Cindy can get together and do a Supremes tour and set the world ablaze. Let them set records for concerts, CD's and DVD sales.
Let them show the world that they truely are SUPREME!
Posted by: Greg Meyer | December 08, 2006 at 01:48 PM
There should be a Diana Ross & Supremes movie, like the Temptations.I saw Mary Wilson say that the Deena Jones charecter is not Miss Ross. One Question I have never seen asked: when Mary took over the group, why didn't she bring Florance back to the group as lead singer. what was the real reason Jean Terrell left. I think Miss Ross hasn't been treated fairly, the old saying "time will tell", if she was so horrible she wouldn't have made it this far.To me she not a kiss and tell kind of person, perhaps why her long awaited book hasn't been finished.I don't know Miss Ross, but I do know she had to have worked very hard to have amassed the body of work that she has. What's wrong with being a perfectionest about your work, you do make enemies because those who think a hard worker is some kind of show-off, selfish, ect. Give the boss her due!
Posted by: noyd | December 08, 2006 at 01:05 PM
This article is just another obvious attempt to try and drag Diana Ross into the middle of a mess, when she should just be left the hell alone. Who are these "SOURCES CLOSE TO MISS ROSS"..there ARE no sources and reporters use that b-s to try and inject the negative thoughts they WISHED Diana Ross WOULD say. The bottom line is: Diana Ross has NOT COMMENTED ON THE FILM, has NOT SAID ONE MUMBLING WORD about it and likely won't. Which the last time I checked, is her own damn right to keep her thoughts to herself. Leave her alone and stop trying to get her ass caught up int his fiasco. Also, Mary Wilson was NOT Ross' nemesis in the Supremes. Those teenaged girls loved each other, all 3 AND Cindy Brdsong were like sisters. Success is the nemesis. If Wison and Ross don't talk anymore...that's the result of Wilson's book and antics during the reunion tour a few years ago. Ross has been minding her business and raising her kids...leave her alone.
Posted by: Thom in Phx | December 08, 2006 at 11:25 AM
The Supremes were 22 when they hit their peak success. ALL OF THEM had issues, Diana was extermely insecure and a vastly talented performer, Mary had major self esteem issues and a rejection complex with poise and innate showmanship and Florence though vocally talented was gregarious , emotionally volatile, an adult child of an alcoholic with a rape /trauma history. All of them were manipulated and emotionally abused by Berry Gordy. Diana has said that she grew tired of the control that Berry held over her entire life. She benfitted from his favoritsm and yet grew to resent him for what it brought. Not one of them have told an objective story about their history together. Not Diana, not mary , Florence can't and certainly not Berry. Read Tarrorbarelli's book about Ross. He reported that Mary AND Florence did not see her marketability as a star. They downplayed her voice and thought that they were better singers. "You ain't no lead singer, Diane", Flo said. "Who says I'm not Flo, you? Because you say so? Huh? Becuase you say so?" was Diana's response. So in a way, Flo and Mary woke up from a dream to a day terror. They underestimated Diana and her appeal. Neither of them fit into Berry's vision for crossover. Flo drank because she was resentful, jealous and angry and traumatized. She lost her place in the group because she thought she was indispenable because she started the group with Mary. The only problem with that is The Supremes had become a business. Not a singing social club. The problems with dreams is that people eventually wake up from them. If your'e asleep and you don't wake up you die, like Flo. If your go back to sleep because you like the dream better than reality your career dies, like Mary. If your eyes are wide open and you don't remember what the dream is all about it can become a nightmare, like Diana's publicity and reputation related to her Supreme's history.
I've heard the soundtrack. I'll be at the movie the day it opens. As far as Diana being pissed about liberties being taken with her life.... Remember Lady Sings The Blues, Diana?
Posted by: MissRossToYou | December 08, 2006 at 10:05 AM
Saw the film at a Paramount screening the other night and thought each of the Dreams/Supremes came across as pretty decent folks. They make good and bad decisions, not unlike most of our own. None of the women came across as scheming, nasty or ruthless. Only Curts/Berry Gordy came across as significantly corrupt. And we all know that he had his good and bad attributes. If there is a theme here, it's that of the women victimized by the same men who helped to deliver them to fame.
By the way, I got to meet Jennifer Hudson following a talk-back with the audience. She seemed truly dazed by the adoring audience. (The audience was mostly Screen Actor's Guild members.) I got about 45 seconds direct time in which I praised her every acting move within the "And I'm Telling You,.." number. Every acting choice accompanying her singing furthers our understanding of Effie far beyond what we saw from all the Broadway Effies, After all, it's film, so the camera is in close and we see what's happening inside this woman. Bravo to Ms. Hudson, Director Condon and the marvelous film editor on that number. I had to wipe the tears at that point in the film, and I let her know it. To say the least, she looked appreciative, humbled and more than a bit dazed by this and similar reactions.
Diana might be very pleased with this film. The Deena/Diana character is classy, beautiful, smart. clear-minded and has a conscience. She evolves, breaks free of the chains and stands triumphantly with Effie.
I hope Diana watches it in the privacy of her home theatre. The premiere is not her moment. She knows that, and will make her own moment for something of her own. Take it a day at a time, Diana. We'll look for you with the Love CD. Come do some classy venue in New York. Carnegie Hall?? Or, just enjoy your life. I'm listening to you as I type. Your music is an ongoing blessing. I'll sign off while listenng to your version of "Home." What a joy. What Diana delivers in that song capsulizes much of the struggle of all these daring talented women -- Anika, Beyonce, Jennifer, Deena, Lorrell, Effie, Flo, Cindy, Mary, Diana and all the many, many more who while working to succeed have given us the lasting joy of their music.
God bless each one of them!
Posted by: Buss S. | December 07, 2006 at 07:23 PM
Well I'm glad you're getting involved Tom, because I want Dreamgirls to have a chance! :-D
Posted by: Seth | December 07, 2006 at 04:59 PM
I really would have loved it if the entire length of this article had answered the title with: a bottle of merlot and a trip to Blockbuster. Oh well.
Posted by: Sean | December 07, 2006 at 02:42 PM
With all the backstabbing, conniving, scheming, etc. that's part of the biz. Why would Ms. Ross or anybody else in the biz expect such projects such as Dreamgirls to be sugar-coated or glossed over? Everyone is well aware how the story of the Supremes came about and it's definitely not a pretty story. And Ms. Ross, Mary Wilson, Flo Ballard and Berry Gordy shouldn't expect to come across as saints...Lord knows they all schemed and connived eachother through those glorious Motown days tobe successful. Show business is not a business of niceness. Pretty much you need to be a real ruthless bitch to survive. And Beyounce, I'm sure is no exception either.
Posted by: Frankie R. | December 07, 2006 at 08:26 AM