“Single Ladies”: New Season, New Cast, New Rapport
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Laretta Houston/VH1(NEW YORK) — After a highly publicized cast shake up on Single Ladies, VH1’s hour-long scripted series, fans thought the Queen Latifah executive produced drama would suffer. However, with the addition of soap opera beauty Denise Vasi and a renewed rapport, the cast is confident as ever that season two — set to premiere Monday, May 28 at 9 p.m. Eastern time — won’t disappoint. The show averaged 2.8 million viewers weekly last season.
LisaRaye McCoy, who plays the sassy and confident Keisha, admits life on the set can be hard especially with a grueling production schedule, often shooting two episodes at once and having little rehearsal time.
The 44-year-old McCoy tells ABC News Radio, “Sometimes we don’t come always with a smile on our face. Sometimes we have to understand maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed…But the common ground is we’re here to make a great season for VH1.”
It does seem like the new cast is getting along, often finishing each other sentences and even creating their own celebration when they successfully finish a hard scene.
“We have this little clap that we do,” McCoy explains, adding, “You have to find the light even with mistakes that you’re making.”
Perhaps McCoy learned from last year’s volatile set experience with Stacey Dash, who left abruptly at the end of the season after the two reportedly butted heads.
Vasi, 31, who plays Raquel, a lifelong friend of Keisha’s, says she’s not there to cause drama.
“I’m here to have fun,” she tells ABC News Radio. “And as long as we always respect each other, there should never be a problem.”
Vasi is grateful to join an already successful show, and only learned of the opportunity through her fans, who messaged and tweeted her that she’d be perfect to fill Dash’s shoes.
Vasi isn’t the only newcomer to Single Ladies, which boasts a long list of cameo appearances from Eve, Paula Patton, La La Anthony, Lauren London, Omar Gooding, Rick Fox, T.I. and Tony Rock.
Co-star Charity Shea, who plays the recently divorced April, says she loved working with Rock in particular.
“We had a lot of funny, funny scenes,” the 28-year-old says with a smile. “Every time I would turn into him to be exasperated he would make some funny face and I could not take the scene seriously. I kept getting in trouble.”
The series itself might be in trouble if McCoy, who is undoubtedly the show’s anchor, fails to return for another season after this one ends. When asked if she would return if VH1 ordered another season, the regularly outspoken McCoy, was mum.
The second season of VH1’s Single Ladies premieres Monday, May 28 at 9 p.m. Eastern time.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio