User:Cwands/sandbox4

Early Years
Vereen was born Benjamin Augustus Middleton on October 10, 1946, in Miami, Florida. While still an infant, Vereen and his family relocated to the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. He discovered he was adopted when he applied for a passport to join Sammy Davis Jr. on a tour of "Golden Boy" to London when he was 25. He was adopted by James Vereen, a paint-factory worker and his wife, Pauline, who worked as a maid.

During his pre-teen years, he exhibited an innate talent for drama and dance and often performed in local variety shows. At the age of 14, Vereen enrolled at the High School of Performing Arts, where he studied under world-renown choreographers Martha Graham, George Balanchine, and Jerome Robbins. Upon his graduation, he struggled to find suitable stage work and was often forced to take odd jobs to supplement his income.

He was 18 years old when he made his New York stage bow off-off Broadway in "The Prodigal Son" at the Greenwich Mews Theater. By the following year, he was in Las Vegas, performing in Bob Fosse's production of "Sweet Charity," a show with which he toured in 1967-68. He returned to New York City to play Claude in "Hair" in the Broadway production, before joining the national touring company.

The following year, he was cast opposite Sammy Davis Jr. in the film adaptation of "Sweet Charity". After developing a rapport with Davis, Vereen was cast as his understudy in the upcoming production of "Golden Boy", which toured England and ended the run at the Palladium Theatre in London's West End.

Broadway
Vereen first won real notice on Broadway in 1971, playing Judas Iscariot in the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical "Jesus Christ Superstar," for which he earned his first Tony nomination. The following year, he earned the Tony as Best Actor in a Musical for his role as The Leading Player in "Pippin," although he did not have the title role.

Theatre
http://www.lycos.com/info/ben-vereen--sweet-charity.html

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/vereen_b.html

Ben Vereen's IBDB listing

Awards
Theatre
 * 1973 Tony Award® Best Actor in a Musical: Pippin [winner]
 * 1973 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Performance: Pippin [winner]
 * 1972 Tony Award® Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Jesus Christ Superstar [nominee]
 * 1972 Theatre World Award: Jesus Christ Superstar [winner]

Television
 * 1985 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Nominee
 * 1976 Golden Globe: New Star of the Year - Actor - Nominee
 * 1977 Emmy: Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in Variety or Music - Nominee
 * 1977 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series - Nominee
 * 1992 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special - Nominee

Other Awards The Community Mental Health Council awarded Ben with their 2004 Lifeline Celebration Achievement Award. For his humanitarian contributions, he has received a number of awards including Israel’s Cultural and Humanitarian Awards, three NAACP Image Awards, an Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award and a Victory Award. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Arizona, Emerson College, St. Francis College, and Columbia College in Chicago. In 2001, Medgar Evers College created the Ben Vereen Scholarship for the Performing Arts, and in 2004, he received an Achievement in Excellence Award from his alma mater, the High School of the Performing Arts.

He was the first simultaneous winner of the “Entertainer of the Year,” “Rising Star,” and “Song and Dance Star” awards from the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA). He also earned a coveted spot in the Casino Legends Hall of Fame.

Ben was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for his performance in the Hallmark movie An Accidental Friendship. In 2004, Ben was nominated for a “Career Achievement Award” by the Le Prix International Film Star Awards Organization.

Television
Vereen has also starred in numerous television programs, althought he is best know for the role of Chicken George, for which he won an Emmy nomination in 1977 in Alex Haley's landmark TV miniseries "Roots".

He was cast opposite Jeff Goldblum in the short-lived detective series "Tenspeed and Brownshoe" (1980). During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Vereen worked steadily on television with projects ranging from the sitcom "Webster" to the drama "Silk Stalkings".

In 1985 Ben Vereen starred in the Faerie Tale Theatre series as Puss in Boots alongside Gregory Hines. He appeared on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episode, “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse", in which he played Will Smith's biological father. He made several appearances on the 80's sitcom Webster as the title character's biological uncle.

In the 1990s Vereen guest-starred on TV's "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as the father of engineer Geordi LaForge, played by LeVar Burton. In "Roots Vereen" had played the grandson of another Burton character, Kunta Kinte.

He also appeared as Mayor Ben (a leopard) on the children's program Zoobilee Zoo. In 1994 he appeared in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Interface", as the father of Roots co-star LeVar Burton's Geordi LaForge - fellow Roots star Madge Sinclair portrayed his wife (Geordi's mother) as well. He also appeared on the television series The Nanny episode "Pishke Business". In 2010, he appeared on the television series How I Met Your Mother episodes "Cleaning House" and "False Positive".

Film
Vereen's very first film role was as a dancer in Sweet Charity, where he met Sammy Davis Jr. His film roles include song-and-dance men in Funny Lady and All That Jazz.

Personal
Vereen has appeared as a public speaker and humanitarian speaking on such topics as Black history, overcoming adversity, and the importance of continuing education.

In 2007 he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and has a website in which he shares his personal story along with advice from medical experts.[8]

His 16-year-old daughter, Naja, was killed in an auto accident in 1987, on the New Jersey Turnpike when a truck overturned on her car.

In 1992, Vereen was the victim of a life-threatening automobile accident when he was struck by a car while walking along a Malibu highway. His critical injuries (including a broken leg) required him to undergo arduous physical rehabilitation in the ensuing months.,

Vereen is also the Godfather to R&B singer Usher,and helped him prepare for his 2006 Broadway debut as Billy Flynn in "Chicago".

In August 2011, Ben Vereen was named Co-Artistic Director of Tampa's Broadway Theatre Project.Theatremania Press Release for Ben Vereen CoArtistic Director for Tampa's Broadway Project