Interview: Ben Vereen Is STEPPIN' OUT at Feinstein's/54 Below

Ben Vereen, the master entertainer who's won scores of awards over his decades-long career, hasn't been sitting on his laurels. He's been busy touring his much-praised concert performance, STEPPIN' OUT with Ben Vereen, which returns to Feinstein's/54 Below from November 21-26. He performed in front of sell-out crowds last January

Vereen has performed in scores of television shows and films, but nothing compares to facing a live crowd.

"There's nothing like live performing, nothing like touching the people in the organic moment," said Vereen.

"I have a passion for giving and sharing, getting in the groove," he said during a recent interview. His energy is focused and high because of the deep respect and appreciation he holds for his audiences. "I'm thankful that they are inspired by me," he said of the multi-generational crowds he attracts.

The veteran actor of PIPPIN and ROOTS recently participated in a television remake of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. His passion for song, dance and story-telling feeds his creative juices. "I am a receptor who receives from the universe and delivers what is being said to me. I am in service of the most high for all of us," Vereen said. "You have to go back to the well and get quiet and allow the silence to permeate you."

Vereen credits his daily practice of silent meditation with keeping him balanced. "I have to be silent in the stillness and the gratitude," he said. "It's not just me on the stage, it's within me." Vereen is so dedicated to his practice that he meditates several times a day. He's planning to go on a silent retreat to rejuvenate.

"I do that every now and then. There's so much that goes on in our lives and I have to find the space and allow it to admit itself," he said. "It's not about expecting to hear something. It's really not about expecting anything at all. It's about the is, just to be and the gratitude to be. It will supply you with all you need," said Vereen, who's been meditating for years.

"I meditate before every show. I remove the small self," he said. "Sometimes it's hard. It's not about the ego; it's about the being, the truth of the moment. I don't call it acting, I call it being," he said.

STEPPIN' OUT is not just a tribute to Broadway, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. "It's a tribute to my audience," Vereen said. "I'm there for them and I thank them for going on this journey. I've had such magnificent people in my life," he said. When he met with the Dalai Lama, he learned that he "has a wicked sense of humor."

STEPPIN' OUT audiences will be treated to the songs from JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, HAIR and WICKED, among other familiar tunes. Stories will be told.

"I sing songs from the heart," said the recently-turned 70-year-old. His birthday bash included super fans Usher, Bebe Neuwirth, Chita Rivera and a godson who took a circuitous route to embrace his godfather. "My godson was in Okinawa and he took a boat and helicopter to be with me on my birthday," Vereen said.

For more than 40 years Vereen has showcased his versatility and creativity in performance. He's taken his solo shows around the world. He was the first simultaneous winner of the Entertainer of the Year, Rising Star and Song and Dance Star awards, and performs with symphonies around the country.

Vereen also conducts master classes at high schools and colleges. "I like to sit down with students and teach from the inside out," Vereen said. "I get them to express themselves and watch the development. I teach excellence in performance."

Every show is a unique opportunity to bond with new fans. "Each show, as my grandson would say 'makes me want to be gooder-er.' It makes me want to give even more in hopes that people are entertained and informed," Vereen added. "We must inform each other of the greatest of love. This is really what the world needs. For all people.

"Love can heal if we give it the opportunity, but we have to get out of the way," he said. Among his lengthy credits is his role as Mayor Ben on the children's television show ZOOBILEE ZOO (1986-88), which encouraged kids to appreciate one another and enjoy music and dance.

He played Mayor Ben, a snow leopard, with a Jamaican accent. The show was popular with kids because they weren't talked down to, he said. "When people asked me why does a snow leopard have a Jamaican accent, I told them because he's from Jamaica," Vereen said with a laugh.

"I'm carrying this mantle and passing it on," Vereen said. A glass-half-full kind of guy, Vereen exudes warmth and sincerity even over the phone. "Optimism is a better way to look at the world," he said. "There's a resurgence of those who would want to smother optimism. That's why we need spiritual enforcers for the art of living," Vereen said.

"By saying we're bringing spirituality through the arts is an art form," he said "We've been taught to separate from that which created us, but we are walking, talking art pieces."

Vereen, who won a Tony in 1973 for his role in PIPPIN, loves all types of music but is especially fond of chanting. "I really love everything," he said. "I love Tina Turner, and when I chill out I like classical and smooth jazz."

Does anything scare him? Not really.

"I don't even think death scares me because I've been through that door. I lost a daughter, I lost a friend. There isn't much that scares me," Vereen said. "When I woke up on the day of my 70th birthday I said 'I made it!' My whole perspective of life now is that it's short.

"The higher power gives us a dash and what we do with that dash is called your life," he said. "I say live it to the fullest and the planet, the universe, will heal."

Steppin' Out with Ben Vereen will be at Feinstein's/54 Below, 254 West 54th Street, from Nov. 21-26.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski