Yvette Cason is an American television, theatre, and film actress, and a former Miss Black America from Washington, D.C. She was an understudy for the character of Effie White in the original 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls. In 2006, she played May, the mother of Deena Jones, portrayed by Beyoncé Knowles in the feature film version of Dreamgirls. She also appeared in an episode of the sitcom The King of Queens as Mrs. Blanchard in the episode "Road Rayge". Her early musical training (while growing up in Washington, DC) was at The Sewell Music Conservatory. She also studied voice lessons under Isaiah Lurry of Washington DC.