Legendary showman Ben Vereen defied the odds, his age, his recent health setbacks and yes, even “gravity” by giving us a tour de force high-energy performance that had him singing, dancing, jumping and covering every inch of the stage during his “comeback” concert at The Town Hall.

Looking youthful, fit and very dapper in a gray, long evening coat and white scarf and, after a screen presentation of some of his finest stage and film clips accompanied by “Life Is Just A Bowl of Cherries,” he immediately connected with his adoring audience by taking the stage, completing the song and giving us a hint of what was in store!

“Hello, New York! I’m back! Let’s get the party started!,” he called out as he swiveled and salsa-ed through several early numbers that clearly got the enthusiastic crowd going. “With a Song in My Heart," “This Joint Is Jumpin’ and “Getting to Know You” put the audience just where he wanted them…in the palm of his hand—and they stayed there with several leaps to their feet throughout the two-hour concert.

Vereen’s energy never wavered and his voice seemed to get stronger and stronger as the festivities continued. Though it may not be the voice we remember from his triumphant roles in musicals like Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar or Jelly’s Last Jam or the dancing prowess we recall from his Tony Award-winning performance in Pippin, he was, nevertheless, “on his game.”

He gave credit to Chita Rivera (who was in the audience) who told him, “You’ll dance again, but in a new way!” and he thanked one of New York’s most prominent voice therapists, Bill Riley, for giving him back his voice. It was a healthy and effective instrument that handled everything in his demanding program with remarkable range and tremendous stamina.

Given all his trials (“I had three accidents in one day!”), his alcohol and drug addiction, diabetes, a debilitating stroke, the loss of his daughter and a ten million dollar lawsuit issued by a former son-in-law, it was truly incredible to hear him nail song after song and take so many vocal risks. He commended his truly exceptional four-piece band that included Aaron Vereen on percussion, Nelson Kole on piano, Thomas Kennedy on bass and Mark Dicciani on drums, each of whom provided brilliant solos as well.

After a fifteen-minute intermission. he returned to the stage refreshed and looking somewhat less restricted, in tux pants and red sneakers, and went into a Sammy Davis, Jr. tribute that more than equaled his earlier tribute to the Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra. He ended the second set with a poignant “Mr. Bojangles” which perfectly captured the essence of his friend and mentor. Nearly all of the songs in both sets were drawn from his latest CD and he will be embarking shortly on a national tour to celebrate its release.

Throughout the program he maintained an optimistic, upbeat attitude toward life with humorous quips about our changing social and technological environment. “I remember when I was a ‘Negro,’ now I’m African-American!” he chided and, ”Remember albums, remember tapes?” and, “Now we have 5000 TV channels and nothing to watch!”

Yes, Ben Vereen IS back and he provided a very special evening for fans and friends as part of The Town Hall’s 90th anniversary celebration. I think most in attendance would agree with the lady behind me in the audience who felt compelled to shout out as Vereen exited the stage…”We love you, Ben!” 

Lynn DiMenna
Cabaret Scenes
February 18, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org