For over 40 years, Ben Vereen has electrified audiences through his countless performances on Broadway, one-man shows, and feature film and television appearances. Making his debut with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Music Director William Eddins, the legendary entertainer promises two memorable nights of song, dance, and storytelling at the Francis Winspear Centre for Music.

 

Few entertainers today are as accomplished or versatile as Ben Vereen. He shot to Broadway stardom in 1972 when he won both the prestigious Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award for his starring role in Bob Fosse’s Pippin. Since then, Ben Vereen’s triple threat star quality and exuberant energy has led him down a legendary path of engagements. At his most recent concert in New York City at The Town Hall, Ben Vereen gave a “lesson in performance energy.” The Newark Examiner stated, “the lasting impression was of a man who loves life, wants you to love life, and has mastered both his medium and his message. At age 65, he is the youngest man performing today.”
 

Ben Vereen has solidified his place among Broadway royalty, with starring roles in such productions as Wicked, Fosse, Chicago, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair, Jelly’s Last Jam, Grind, A Christmas Carol, and I’m Not Rappaport, and in the new play Fetch Clay, Make Man at the McCarter Theatre, directed by Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys). Best known for his Emmy nominated role as Chicken George in Roots, as well as the feature film All That Jazz, Ben Vereen has also appeared in multiple television movies, including An Accidental Friendship, which garnered him a nomination for the NAACP Image Award. Select television credits include a recurring role on How I Met Your Mother, and guest starring appearances on Grey’s Anatomy and Law and Order: Criminal Intent.

 

The famous song-and-dance man takes centre stage with the ESO, performing tributes to Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr., plus a medley of Broadway hits. The tribute to Sinatra and Davis has always been close to Ben’s heart. He emphatically asserts, “It is because of them, and artists before them, that we have the arts.” Songs like My Way, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Ol’ Black Magic, Mr. Bojangles, and Defying Gravity, plus music from Ben Vereen’s recently released, long-awaited debut solo album Steppin’ Out Live! will be heard.

 

Ticket prices range from $24 - $81 (agency fees apply). Call the Winspear Centre Box Office at (780) 428-1414, toll-free 1-800-563-5081, or purchase online. 

 

The Robbins Pops series continues this season on April 15th and 16th, 2011. Jack Everly and the ESO take a spin on the musical roulette wheel with Pops Goes Vegas! A cast of high rollers from Broadway and the Vegas Strip perform hip classics like Luck Be A Lady, Hey Big Spender, and Fly Me To The Moon.

 

Thank you to our generous supporters of the Robbins Pops series, Bill & Mary Jo Robbins, and our Friday evening performance sponsor, ATB Investor Services.