Mini Biography: A glitzy, indefatigable showman if ever there was one, Ben Vereen's career as a preeminent song-and-dance man has enjoyed international attention. Brooklyn-born (on October 10, 1946) and raised, inspiration came while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area where he sang in churches and choirs that toured throughout the borough. During his formative years, he was intrigued by dance so his mother found a way to enroll him in classes at a studio. Taking to it all like a duck to water, he went on to attend New York's High School of the Performing Arts. He was only 18 when he made his New York stage bow off-off Broadway in "The Prodigal Son." Following an understudy role to Sammy Davis Jr. in "Golden Boy,", he was cast in a 1967 touring company of "Sweet Charity" and found his true, expressionistic dance style in the form of Bob Fosse, going on to make his film debut as one of the "frug dancers" in the film version of Sweet Charity (1969). He served as a replacement in the Broadway rock musical cast of "Hair" in 1969 and played both the lead roles of Claude and Berger during his run.

The early 1970s movement of "peace and love" proved to be his star-making era on Broadway. His soulful, captivating portrayal of Judas in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar" earned him the promising Theatre World Award and a Tony nomination.Vereen was then cast as "The Leading Player" in the 1972 Broadway musical "Pippin" and electrified audiences in a performance of almost mythic proportions. He finally grabbed the Tony and Drama Desk awards that year.

Few entertainers today are as three-dimensional and versatile as Ben Vereen. His energy and soul transcends time; while his electrifying success is the result of rare talent, superb mastery and strong discipline. Of course, his first love and passion is and always will be the stage. "The theater was my first training ground. It taught me discipline, dedication and appreciation of hard work and values that will stay with me a lifetime. The stage sharpens the creative instrument and encourages you to go deeper inside and try new things." states Vereen.

On Broadway, Ben Vereen has appeared in Wicked, Fosse, the critically acclaimed, I'm Not Rappaport, Sweet Charity, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin, Grind, Jelly's Last Jam, A Christmas Carol, and Chicago. His role in Pippin garnered him both the prestigious Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award for "Best Actor in a Musical". Clive Barnes of the "New York Post" stated "Ben Vereen - unquestionably one of the finest performances seen on Broadway." In 2002, he received the Black Theatre Award.