Ben Vereen: Steppin’ Out Live

Ben Vereen: Steppin’ Out Live
Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne, 23rd June. Parade Theatre, NIDA, Sydney, 28th June, 2012

V is for Virtuoso… E for Excellence, R for Remarkable, E for Exciting, another E for Electrifying….well, you get the picture.

Ben Vereen took to the stage at the Atheneaum, Melbourne on Saturday night and stayed for 3 hours (including the interval). At the end of that time, after channelling the youthful energy of Peter Pan, he didn’t want to leave, and the audience didn’t want him to go. It was love at first sight for both of us. You could feel it in the auditorium and wafting from the stage with the overused smoke machine. Love for a Legend, love for the arts, for musical theatre and its history, for pure talent in all its glory. With an absolutely killer band backing him, Ben took us on a journey and shared his great gift with us in a joyous celebration of what it means to love what you do, and do what you love.

The dancing, The Fosse days, are behind him now, a tragic car accident 20 years ago forced Ben to re-assess how he moves, though the grace is still there, and the slender fingers and elegant hands still have their own magic to do. In their place is a voice that soars, that whispers, that hits impossible head notes, that ranges from an operatic baritone to a soulful Marvin Gaye with everything in between. It more than rivals his idol and long-time friend Sammy Davis Jnr, to whom he pays tribute with a stream of numbers, including Sammy’s special version of Mr Bojangles.

But it’s the unexpected that blows the audience away; that sees other artists or theatre lovers watching in the dark well up with tears in the presence of such a great talent. His version of Defying Gravity is a showstopper. His rendition of Elton John’s Your Song accompanied only by the astounding Jazz musician Tom Kennedy on double bass, defies description. A beautiful rendition of Hey There touches both heart and soul. His performance of Sinatra’s over-performed My Way becomes a stunning acting piece that reminds us of why he won an Emmy nomination for “Roots” all those years ago. And when he introduced us to a little known but heart-breakingly poignant Aznavour song I Didn’t See The Time Go By, he connected to each and every one of us – from young dance students to retired old board-treaders – and held us gently in his thrall. Then there are the anecdotes, the jokes, the infectious sense of joy, the funky soul numbers that had us on our feet dancing.  Quite simply he is sublime….and the five different standing ovations he garnered throughout the show are a testament to a man who has honoured his art and perfected his craft. If you can get to his Sydney show next week you MUST, just so you can tell your grandchildren. To paraphrase Ben’s own words about Sammy, “There will never be anyone like him. I’m glad he stopped by.”

Coral Drouyn

Coral's interview with Ben Vereen.

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