BEN VEREEN

Ben Vereen Official Website
'Ben Vereen' (born October 10, 1946) in Miami, Florida, is a Tony Award-winning, Golden Globe ,and Emmy Award-nominated American actor, dancer, and singer who has appeared in numerous Broadway theatre shows. Vereen graduated from Manhattan's School of Performing Arts.
He was nominated for a Tony Award for ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' in 1972 and won a Tony for his appearance in ''Pippin'' in 1973. Vereen starred in the Broadway musical ''Wicked'' as the Wizard of Oz, replacing former Wizard George Hearn on May 31, 2005. He was replaced by tour Wizard David Garrison on April 4, 2006.
In addition to his work in the theatre, he has also starred in numerous television programs and films. Notable film roles include song-and-dance men in ''Funny Lady'' and ''All That Jazz''. He starred in the television series ''Tenspeed and Brown Shoe'' but is probably best known for his role as "Chicken" George Moore in ''Roots'' and possibly as Commander Edward M. La Forge, father of Geordi La Forge, on '' in 1993. Other TV appearances include:

★ ''Oz''

★ ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''

★ ''Faerie Tale Theatre''

★ ''The Jamie Foxx Show''

★ ''The Love Boat''

★ ''The Muppet Show''

★ ''The Nanny''

★ ''Touched by an Angel''

★ ''Webster''

★ ''Zoobilee Zoo''
Vereen has also performed in one-man shows and actively lectures on black history and inspirational topics.
In 1992, he was accidentally struck while walking on the Pacific Coast Highway by a car driven by producer/composer David Foster.

Contents

Family Background

Cultural References

Filmography

Television Work

Stage Work

External links

Family Background

According to the Fayetteville Observer of April 29, 2006, Vereen learned while applying for a passport in the late 1960s that he was adopted. His birth certificate revealed that his birth name was 'Benjamin Augustus Middleton', that he was the son of Essie Middleton, and that he was born in Miami, Florida. In April of 2006, Vereen visited Laurinburg with a genealogist, and learned that his mother's name was Essie May Pearson, who had died 24 years before. According to her acquaintances, Essie had gone on a trip when Ben was a child, and had left her baby in someone's care. When she returned, the child was gone. In May of 2006, he met his mother's daughter, which is his sister, Gloria Walker, of New Haven, Connecticut. He also has other siblings from his mother. (Source: WTNH news)
Vereen is the godfather of R&B superstar Usher.

Cultural References

In the 2002 movie ''Run Ronnie Run'', Vereen is referenced by the fictional band Three Times One Minus One in their song "Ronnie and Kayla's Love Song" in the line "How about a collection of erotic magazines, erotic tangerines, erotic letters from Ben Vereen" as a seemingly random reference. Tenacious D also references Ben Vereen in one of their songs with the random lyrics "Ben Vereen is a raging queen, but he rocks the house..."
In the ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' episode, "Mel's Offer", Jeff tells Larry to sign "Ben Vereen" on a doctor's office sign-in sheet instead of putting his real name.
In the Animaniacs episode, Spellbound, the Brain recites a shrinking spell that goes:
Charlie Sheen, Ben Vereen,
Shrink to the size of a lima bean!

Filmography

★ ''Sweet Charity'' (1969)

★ ''Gas-s-s-s'' (1971)

★ ''Funny Lady'' (1975)

★ ''All That Jazz'' (1979)

★ ''Cycling Through China'' (1982) (documentary)

★ ''Sabine'' (1982)

★ ''The Zoo Gang'' (1985)

★ ''Buy & Cell'' (1989)

★ ''Once Upon a Forest'' (1993) (voice)

★ ''Why Do Fools Fall in Love'' (1998)

★ ''I'll Take You There'' (1999)

★ ''The Painting'' (2001)

★ ''Idlewild'' (2006)

★ ''And Then Came Love'' (2007)

★ ''Tapioca'' (2007)

★ ''Mama, I Want to Sing!'' (2007)
Upcoming:

★ ''Broadway: The Next Generation'' (2009) (documentary)

Television Work

★ ''Ben Vereen... Comin' at Ya'' (1975) (canceled after 4 episodes)

★ ''Louis Armstrong - Chicago Style'' (1976)

★ ''Roots'' (1977) (miniseries)

★ ''The Sentry Collection Presents Ben Vereen: His Roots'' (1978)

★ ''Tenspeed and Brown Shoe'' (1980) (canceled after 12 episodes)

★ ''Pippin: His Life and Times'' (1981)

★ ''The Jesse Owens Story'' (1984)

★ ''Ellis Island'' (1984) (miniseries)

★ ''Webster'' (cast member from 1984-1985)

★ ''A.D.'' (1985) (miniseries)

★ ''Lost in London'' (1985)

★ ''Zoobilee Zoo'' (1986-1987)

★ ''You Write the Songs'' (1986-1987)

★ ''Jenny's Song'' (1988)

★ ''J.J. Starbuck'' (cast member in 1988)

★ ''The Kid Who Loved Christmas'' (1990)

★ ''Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme'' (1990)

★ ''Silk Stalkings'' (cast member from 1991-1993)

★ ''Intruders'' (1992)

★ ''Portraits of Courage'' (1996-1997)

★ ''The Feast of All Saints'' (2001)

Stage Work

★ ''The Prodigal Son'' (1965) (Off-Broadway)

★ ''Sweet Charity'' (1967-1968) (Las Vegas and Canada)

★ ''Hair'' (April 29, 1968 - July 1, 1972) (Broadway, Los Angeles, and national tour) (alternated roles of Hud and Berger, 1968)

★ ''Golden Boy'' (1968) (Chicago)

★ ''No Place to Be Somebody'' (1970-1971) (national tour)

★ ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' (October 12, 1971 - June 30, 1973) (replaced by Patrick Jude) (Broadway)

★ ''Pippin'' (October 23, 1972 - June 12, 1974) (Broadway) (left show in 1973 for national tour, returned in early 1974)

★ ''Grind'' (April 16 - June 22, 1985) (replaced by Obba Babatunde) (Broadway)

★ ''I'm Not Rappaport'' (1989) (San Francisco)

★ ''Jelly's Last Jam'' (April 26, 1992 - September 5, 1993) (replacement for Keith David) (Broadway)

★ ''A Christmas Carol'' (1995-1996) (Madison Square Garden)

★ ''Chicago'' (1999) (U.S. and Canada national tour)

★ ''Fosse'' (January 14, 1999 - August 25, 2001) (Broadway) (joined cast in 2001)

★ ''I'm Not Rappaport'' (July 25 - September 8, 2002) (Broadway and national tour) (Revival)

★ ''The Exonerated'' (2003) (Off-Broadway)

★ ''Wicked'' (replacement for George Hearn from May 31, 2005 - January 18, 2006) (Broadway)

External links

★ Ben Vereen Official Website

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★ InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse: Ben Vereen (TV Interview)

★ Ben Vereen Interviewed on XNDTV.com