Ben Vereen is on a short list of artists who’ve left their distinctive mark on Broadway. Known for a sly intensity and charisma, the actor reigned over the 1970s stage in the original productions of Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Pippin, for which he won a Tony Award. On screen, he appeared with Jessica Lange and Ann Reinking in Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz, and earned an Emmy nod for his performance as Chicken George in Roots.
In the hybrid medium of stage and screen unique to the pandemic, Vereen has lately been a regular fixture of virtual benefits, for causes including the Actor’s Fund and Care for the Homeless. He’s even leading an acting master class, via Zoom, through the Bay Street Theater and Sag Harbor Center for the Arts. Speaking from his L.A. home, Vereen reflected on the blessings of his career, the artists who’ve shaped him, and the lessons he’s still continuing to learn.
There has been so much time for reflection over this past year. Have you gleaned any wisdom you’d like to share?
Time will reveal itself to you, if you just be still and know the truth of what’s around you and within you. I don’t know if that helps anyone, but I’ve come to really appreciate that. The blessing of all this is that it’s made us stop and deal with who we are as a nation and as people. Love your family, love your friends who are faithful and truthful to you and you to them. Life is a precious thing. We have a tendency, at least I did, to be busy running around; now there’s time to experience it. It's been tragic and wonderful at the same time.
You’ve done a number of virtual benefits over the past year, including “Virtual Vereen and Friends,” which benefited Care for the Homeless. Why is doing that kind of work important to you right now?
I tell people, "There but for grace of your creator, be it God, Allah, Buddha, Jesus, whoever you call the Great Divine, go you and I, so what can we do to make it better?" So I’m doing my little part. Right now I’m working with a group here in L.A. called the Urban Voices Project, a homeless choir. It's up to people to say, "OK, enough is enough. We want to do something about our neighbor." I've been blessed to have a fantastic career. I'm a kid from Brooklyn. Even going into Manhattan, I thought I needed a passport. I never expected to be talking to you today about my life and what I do. Those are blessings.
You’ve created so many indelible performances. How would you describe your approach to building a character?
I ask a character's permission, it's a little ritual I do before I delve into their life. I do a spiritual cleansing, a meditation, and then I get the information. Once you’ve read the manual, throw it away and trust your instincts to fly the plane. In my workshop, I try to get people to the source of who they are. When you’re performing, one night you might slay and they’re rolling the aisles; the next night, you can give the same performance and the audience looks at you like you’re crazy. Every day you have to put on a new dress, a new outfit. You cannot bring yesterday into today, it doesn't fit. You must allow yourself to be open and receptive to today, because today has wonders for you. Small as they are, they're still miracles. The fact that you woke up this morning is a big deal! Say, "Wow, I woke up! OK, let’s go!"
You’re part of a pioneering class of artists who forged your own paths, including the late Cicely Tyson...
My darling, look at that blessing she gave us. Ninety some odd years, and I got to know her, call her friend, and spend time with her. How blessed is my life? Ann Reinking, Bob Fosse, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, the list goes on and on.
What have you taken away from your relationships with them?
The jewels that they gave me, I hope I'm living up to them. I've learned from the great teachers that have come my way, from their grit and their talents. I've lived to see Barack Obama, I've lived to see Kamala Harris in the White House. Look at the progress we’ve made, not because they’re Black, but because this is the right thing to do. I’ve learned to appreciate and treasure this life. When you're driving down the highway and it says "Rest Stop," some people build houses there. Go toward your destiny, your destiny is up the road.
This last question is obviously premature, but do you think about your legacy and what you’d like it to be?
I’ll let somebody else write my legacy, I’m too busy living it.
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Naveen Kumar is a writer, theater critic, and editor whose work appears in The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and Town & Country.
