Posted on Wednesday, March 9, 2005
"Ben Vereen Sings Sammy Davis, Jr." concludes the ¾¨Ó㴫ý Celebrity Series Saturday, April 9, at 8 p.m. in Orr Auditorium.
"International star Ben Vereen will present a night of his favorite Sammy Davis, Jr. songs, as well as hit songs from his own Broadway shows," said Gene DeCaprio, director of the ¾¨Ó㴫ý Celebrity Series. "Mr. Vereen's marvelous dancing and his 18-piece orchestra will also be part of the show. He was well-received in his last Celebrity Series appearance ten years ago."
Live audiences remain Vereen's first love. His exhilarating one-man show earned him the highest honors awarded by the American Guild of Artists: "Entertainer of the Year," "Rising Star," and "Song and Dance Star." But he is most famous for his role as Chicken George in the Emmy Award-winning mini-series "Roots." Vereen followed this performance with his own network special, "Ben Vereen: His Roots," which won seven Emmy Awards. He has also appearred in "The Jesse Owens Story," and the CBS mini-series, "Ellis Island," for which he received a Golden Globe nomination. On film, Vereen portrayed the quintessential entertainer in "All That Jazz."
¾¨Ó㴫ý's Orr Auditorium has been recently remodeled to include air conditioning, stage elevator, new carpeting, and re-upholstered seats, along with stage lighting and shell improvements.
A limited number of seats are still available. For tickets, contact Connie McGinnis, assistant director of Celebrity Series, at (724) 946-7354 or e-mail mcginncl@westminster.edu.
