![\"Photo](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/thumbnail_ISAKTINER_BEN_VEREEN-5172-e1562561045658.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo by Isak Tiner.<\/p><\/div>\n
I cannot wait to hear that glorious voice\u00a0live<\/em>, which I have done just once before.\u00a0 And it was only a song or two back then, which is far from enough, so I\u2019m thankful for this upcoming opportunity. I\u2019ve been a fan of Ben\u2019s since I can remember. When I first came to LA as a teen-ager, I actually met him at a dance studio in Westwood, and he was lovely even then.<\/p>\n To find-out more about what he plans for his Catalina show, and about the man himself, I had the pleasure of speaking with him recently, a conversation I could not be more grateful for!\u00a0 And here\u2019s a newsflash\u2014Ben Vereen is actually a riot!\u00a0 I had no idea he\u2019s so funny!\u00a0 And he\u2019s charming, down-to-earth, personable, and intelligent.\u00a0 How can one person be all that\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0as wonderful a singer-dancer-actor as he is?<\/p>\n I adore people who speak and think on a higher level than most of us, so I was pleasantly surprised by Ben in that area, as well. \u00a0It made me realize that I have hardly ever heard him speak as himself<\/em>, allowing his talent<\/em> to do the talking for him.<\/p>\n I can\u2019t tell you everything<\/em> we chatted about, but here are the highlights of that super-fun convo; I really felt like I was talking to an old friend, rather than the show business icon that Ben Vereen is:<\/p>\n First of all, he had me at, \u201cHello, dear.\u201d<\/p>\n We spoke of both being from Brooklyn, and then coming to LA.\u00a0 But while\u00a0I\u00a0gave up being bi-coastal a few years ago, Ben still is.\u00a0 So I asked him, \u201cWhat do you feel is your home\u2014Brooklyn, New York, or LA?\u201d Without skipping a beat, Ben answered, \u201cMy suitcase,\u201d which made me burst out laughing because it caught me completely off-guard. I knew right away I was in for a lively, smart, thoughtful chat.<\/p>\n The Catalina Jazz Club.<\/p><\/div>\n I asked about this show we\u2019re about to see at the Catalina Jazz Club, and he told me he\u2019s always excited to perform it. He said, \u201cIt\u2019s called Steppin\u2019 Out With Ben Vereen Again<\/em>.\u201d (Emphasis on \u201cagain,\u201d because it\u2019s a revamp of a show he\u2019s done all over the world for years now.) He explained, \u201cI put some changes into the show; I just feel that it\u2019s time to put in some new songs about aging. When I was younger, we sang all those songs, and now that I\u2019m older, I am<\/em> those songs!\u201d<\/p>\n When I asked, \u201cOut of Broadway and concerts and TV and movies–you\u2019ve done it all!–is there anything that\u2019s your favorite?\u201d Without skipping a beat, he answered, \u201cEmployment.\u201d (Man, does this guy have the fabulous answers or what?!)<\/p>\n When I expressed how amusing I found him to be, especially when I had expected him to be so serious, Ben said, \u201cNo, we have enough seriousness in the world; my show is about celebration of life.\u201d And I<\/em> can\u2019t wait to celebrate right along with him!<\/p>\n Photo by Isak Tiner.<\/p><\/div>\n I asked about what other artists he admires today, and Ben came back with a sincere, \u201cEveryone.\u201d He added, \u201cI love to learn from people, from the good and the bad, \u2019cause life is a lesson, isn\u2019t it? So therefore, as you go along, you learn what to do and what not<\/em> to do, and that makes your journey even better.\u201d<\/p>\n I was happy to hear his answer to my query, \u201cIs there anyone in life who gave you particular encouragement, who you think about, who did so much for you?\u201d He replied, \u201cYes, Sammy Davis, Jr. We do a tribute in the show to Sammy because we want to keep his name alive.\u201d And there\u2019s no one who can perform Sammy\u2019s songs, and dances<\/em>, better than Ben Vereen, so that might just be my favorite part of his upcoming show.<\/p>\n I told Ben that I had seen him play the Genie in a Panto version of Aladdin<\/em> a few years ago at the Pasadena Playhouse. Of doing that very different kind of comic holiday show, he remarked, \u201cIt was very interesting. I loved it! I had a good time; I found things in it.\u201d And that show led to him doing the movie Time Out of Mind<\/em> with Richard Gere. (I\u2019m<\/em> adding that it was quite the coup for the Panto producers to have gotten Ben Vereen to do that show to begin with!)<\/p>\n Ben Vereen as the Genie in Aladdin and His Winter Wish. Photo by Clarence Alford.<\/p><\/div>\n We talked a bit about his days at the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan. (Being from Brooklyn, he thought he needed a passport to go to the city, a concept I totally connected with.) He told me that, in those days, he hung around with Halston, Martha Graham, and Liza Minnelli. I was impressed that he knew the legendary dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, and very unprofessionally asked, \u201cWas she weird?\u201d Ben took a beat and responded thoughtfully, \u201cShe was an artist.\u201d Perfect.<\/p>\n Outside of his extreme talent and high mind, I really appreciate how full of pride Ben is for his many children.\u00a0 He told me about two of his local daughters, body builder Kabara, and artist Karon Davis, who owns the\u00a0Underground Museum in Arlington Heights (at Washington and Crenshaw. A new installation will begin there next week, as a matter of fact.)\u00a0 She co-founded it with her late husband, artist Noah Davis, who Ben very proudly told me was considered to be the contemporary artist of the century!<\/p>\n Before we were done with our conversation, (which he kindly did not rush me through,) I shared this personal story with him: Mr. X told me that waaay back in the day, before he had ever heard of Ben Vereen, he saw Ben on a late night talk show, where he sang\u00a0Corner of the Sky<\/em>\u00a0from his Broadway show, Pippin<\/em>, which was not even his song in that show.\u00a0 Mr. X said it was the\u00a0absolute most thrilling\u00a0first-time exposure to someone, to this day<\/em>, that he\u2019s ever experienced; he actually got out of his seat at home by himself, and stood there in front of the TV with his mouth open.<\/p>\n Photo by Isak Tiner.<\/p><\/div>\n To wrap-up, in answer to my question, \u201cIf you could not be an entertainer, what do you think you would be, to feed your soul?,\u201d Ben thought for a second and replied, \u201cIf I could not be an entertainer, I\u2019d be a seeker of the truth and light.\u201d<\/p>\n Well, I<\/em>\u00a0can tell you\u00a0this<\/em>\u00a0truth\u2014I can\u2019t wait to see Ben\u2019s<\/em> light shine on stage at the Catalina Jazz Club next week.\u00a0 Mr. X will be there, as well, especially since Ben confided in me that he\u2019s planning to sing Corner of the Sky<\/em>, (of which he charmingly told me, \u201cI\u2019ll be doing it just for him.\u201d)<\/p>\n I hope you\u2019ll join us there, too.<\/p>\n For more info on this engagement, and all of Ben Vereen\u2019s many endeavors and charity work, (which, sadly, we ran out of\u00a0time to discuss that day,) please go to www.benvereen.info<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>