When they compile the list of important African-American performers, Ben Vereen will have his seat at the table. As a major force in musical theatre for decades, Vereen has honed the artistry of entertainment, transitioning seamlessly between large theaters and smaller cabaret venues like the Rrazz Room. He's distinguished himself with almost every award presented and takes great pride in having had the "great joy of working with giants.". A majority of his cabaret show is dedicated to arguably two of the greatest performers of the last century, "Chairman of the Board" Frank Sinatra and "Mr. Entertainment" himself, Sammy Davis, Jr.

From the opening samba rhythms of "With a Song in My Heart," Vereen commanded the small stage with his joy and humor. A medley of hits from his Broadway roles included "Corner of the Sky" and a unique recitative version of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar. Usually sung by Mary Magdalene, Vereen, who played Judas, has equal validity in not understanding his emotional relationship to Jesus. "Memories," typically sung à la Betty Buckley, got the Vereen treatment and it worked—his tenor blending in a talk-sing style that combined with his emotive expressions, provided a unique and charming perspective to the material.

Backed by excellent musicians, Vereen's arrangements (by pianist Nelson Cole) were generous and kicked into full stride during the Sinatra mini-set. The songs were well chosen for Vereen's style, "It Was a Very Good Year," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "The Lady is a Tramp," "Come Fly With Me" and "My Kind of Town (Chicago Is)." One of the sterling moments of the show was an immense version of "My Way," which could easily have been a set closer. But Vereen wasn't finished just yet. The material from the Sammy Davis tribute fits Ben like an old suit. A jazzy "Once in a Lifetime" and swingin "A Lot of Livin' to Do" were tailor made for Vereen. His "Misty," accompanied on drums by Marc Dicciani, was remarkable, as was the full band arrangement on "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered." Vereen was quick to state he wasn't imitating Sammy, but paying tribute to the man he so admired. If anyone is going to sing a song so identified with Davis as "Mr. Bojangles," it should be Ben Vereen.

I missed seeing the greats like Ella, Sarah Vaughan, The Nicholas Brothers, and Billie Holiday. I lived through Sammy Davis, Jr., Carmen McRae and Nat King Cole. It was a distinct pleasure to be able to catch Ben Vereen's addition to the legacy.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
May 5, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org