Ben Vereen

Saturday, March 19, 2011, 8:00 pm

Enmax Hall, Winspear Centre

Ben Vereen

2010-11 Robbins Pops

  • William Eddins, conductor
    Ben Vereen, entertainer
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Details

Tony Award-winning actor and Broadway star Ben Vereen showcases his superb versatility and star power in this one man show that pays tribute to Sammy Davis Jr. In this memorable performance of singing, dancing, and storytelling, the legend of the Rat Pack star will come alive with songs like Ol’ Black Magic and Mr. Bojangles.

click for detailed seating mapTicket Information

$81 Dress Circle (A)
$71 Terrace (B)
$59 Orchestra (C)
$49 Upper Circle (D)
$36 Gallery (E)
$24 Orchestra Front (F)
Tickets subject to applicable service charges.

This program will also be performed on Friday, March 18 at 8 pm.

The next Robbins Pops performance is Pops Goes Vegas on April 15 & 16, 2011.

Thank you to the generous supporters of this series: Bill & Mary Jo Robbins

Artist Info

Ben Vereen, entertainer

ben vereenFew entertainers today are as accomplished or versatile as Ben Vereen. His legendary performances transcend time and have been woven into the fabric of his country’s artistic legacy. His first love and passion is and always will be the stage. On Broadway, Ben Vereen has appeared in Wicked, Fosse, I’m Not Rappaport, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin, Grind, Jelly’s Last Jam and A Christmas Carol. His role in Pippin garnered him both the prestigious Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award for “Best Actor in a Musical.” He was the first simultaneous winner of the “Entertainer of the Year,” “Rising Star,” and “Song and Dance Star” awards from the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA).
 
While performing worldwide, Ben’s acting credits continue to give us memorable roles that stand the test of time such as the unforgettable Chicken George in Roots and Louis Armstrong in Louis Armstrong - Chicago Style.  Ben’s television guest appearances include Grey’s Anatomy, for which he won the Prism Award, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, OZ, Touched By An Angel, The Nanny, Star Trek - The Next Generation, The Jamie Fox Show, The Promised Land, and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Additional credits include: Intruders They are Among us (Emmy nomination), Ellis Island (Golden Globe Nomination), and Salute to Liberty Special. His own network television shows are Ben Vereen: His Roots (Seven Emmy Awards), Tenspeed and Brownshoe and You Write the Songs. Ben was recently nominated for an NAACP Image Award for his performance in the Hallmark movie An Accidental Friendship. 
 
For his humanitarian contributions, he has received a number of awards including Israel's Cultural and Humanitarian Awards, three NAACP Image Awards, an Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award and a Victory Award. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Arizona, Emerson College, St. Francis College, and Columbia College in Chicago. In 2001, Medgar Evers College created the Ben Vereen Scholarship for the Performing Arts, and in 2004, he received an Achievement in Excellence Award from his alma mater, the High School of the Performing Arts.
 
Ben has performed in front of the Armed Forces for those men and women who have served in Iraq, truly a major highlight of his career. This year, he performed at the Inaugural Ball and entertained at the reopening of the Ford Theater in Washington, D.C., which was attended by President Obama.
 
This is Mr. Vereen’s debut with the ESO.

William Eddins, conductor

william eddins

William Eddins is in his sixth season as Music Director of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. During his tenure, he has made it a priority that he conduct performances in nearly every subscription series the orchestra has presented, as well as a wide variety of special concerts and galas.

Bill Eddins began playing the piano at age five, but was bitten by the conducting bug while in his sophomore year at the Eastman School of Music. In 1989, he decided to begin conducting studies with Daniel Lewis at the University of Southern California. Assistant Conductorships with both the Minnesota Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony (the latter under the leadership of Daniel Barenboim) honed his skills even further.

Mr. Eddins has many interests outside music. He is fond of biking, tennis, reading, pinball, and cooking. He recently completed building his own recording studio at his home in Minneapolis, where he lives with his wife Jen (a clarinetist), and their sons Raef and Riley. While conducting has been his principal pursuit, he continues to perform on piano in Edmonton and elsewhere. He accepts a limited number of guest appearances each year. In 2008, he conducted a rare full staging of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess for Opéra de Lyon, which won him great acclaim, leading to a repeat engagement in Lyon in July and September 2010, as well as Edinburgh in August 2010, and in London in September 2010. During August 2009, Bill toured South Africa, conducting three gala concerts with soprano Renée Fleming and the kwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Multimedia

Ben Vereen & Sammy Davis Jr.:

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