Tony Award winner Ben Vereen celebrates Sammy Davis Jr.
When Broadway powerhouse Ben Vereen hits the stage Saturday at North Central College's Pfeiffer Hall to remember his friend, Sammy Davis Jr., he plans to build a personal connection between himself and his Naperville audience.
"It's just me and the audience. We're in this building together. We're sharing together," he said. "It's this moment in time."
Vereen won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for his role in Broadway's production of "Pippin." He also starred in Broadway's "Wicked," "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Hair," "Jelly's Last Jam," and "Chicago."
Though live theater is his lifeblood, Vereen's list of accomplishments extends beyond the stage.
Over his more than 35-year career, he's also appeared in movies, on TV and on the lecture circuit. In January, he was a featured entertainer at the 2009 Heroes Red, White And Blue Inaugural Ball.
The singer and dancer is also given to touring with one-man shows, the latest of which is a tribute to Davis.
"I'm dedicating this to his wife, Altavise, who just made the transition," said Vereen. Davis' widow died March 15 in Los Angeles.
Vereen met Davis when he served as Davis' understudy during the London production of "Golden Boy."
"He's one of the trailblazers, like Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald," Vereen said. "He's a magnificent man whose spirit is with us, even now."
An ordained minister, spirituality is central to Vereen's life.
"It's sort of what drives me. I've come to realize it's the source of everything I've ever done," he said. "I like to share with all people, one divine energy."
Vereen said he'll dip into Davis' songbook Saturday and pull out a few popular standards by other artists.
Vereen will be joined onstage by his band, along with several local musicians.
"What's exciting is the musicians coming together to do this," he said. "It gives them a chance to play that big band music."
Vereen's support for numerous causes has been recognized with awards, among them three NAACP Image Awards, an Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award, three honorary doctorates and several scholarships established in his name.
He's currently leading a diabetes awareness campaign. Vereen recently was diagnosed with the disease.
"If I can help someone as I travel along the way, then my living will not be in vain," he said.
Next up, he said, is another one-man show, this one about his trip from Brooklyn, where he grew up, to Broadway, where he met his destiny and his passion.
"I always have fun when I'm on stage," he said. "It's life to me, it's amazing."
<p class="factboxheadblack">An Evening with Ben Vereen</p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> 8 p.m. March 28 </p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> North Central College's Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave., Naperville </p> <p class="News"><b>Tickets:</b> $60 </p> <p class="News"><b>Info:</b> (630) 637-7469 or <a href="http://www.northcentralcollege.edu" target="new">www.northcentralcollege.edu</a></p>