Happy Birthday to Song and Dance Legend Ben Vereen | Playbill

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Photo Features Happy Birthday to Song and Dance Legend Ben Vereen Tony Award winner Ben Vereen celebrates his birthday October 10.
By Hannah Vine
October 10, 2017
Ben Vereen Joseph Marzullo/WENN

Ben Vereen, who was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2011, is universally known and respected for his musical, dramatic and comedic roles on stage, film, and television. His TV credits include the miniseries A.D. and Alex Haley's Roots; plus Tenspeed and Brownshoe; Webster; Zoobilee Zoo; Silk Stalkings; and Louis Armstrong: Chicago Style.

Vereen won the 1973 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role of the Leading Player in Pippin. Other Broadway appearances include Hair; Jesus Christ Superstar; Grind; Jelly’s Last Jam; Fosse; I’m Not Rappaport; and Wicked. He started his stage career in the Off-Broadway musical The Prodigal Son.

Flip through photos of his career highlights below:

Look Back at Song and Dance Legend Ben Vereen On the Stage

HR - Ben Vereen and John Rubinstein in Pippin (Broadway 1972)

Look Back at Song and Dance Legend Ben Vereen On the Stage

Vereen won a Tony Award for Pippin in 1973.

43 PHOTOS
Ben Vereen
Ben Vereen
Gerome Ragni, Ben Vereen, Bert Sommers, Rhonda Ogelsby Coulet, Jennifer Warnes, Willie Weatherly, Teda Bracci, Jobriath, James Rado, Elaine Hill, Delores Hall, Denise Delapenna and Greg Arlin, LA production of <i>Hair</i> at the Aquarius Theatre, 1969
Gerome Ragni, Ben Vereen, Bert Sommers, Rhonda Ogelsby Coulet, Jennifer Warnes, Willie Weatherly, Teda Bracci, Jobriath, James Rado, Elaine Hill, Delores Hall, Denise Delapenna and Greg Arlin, LA production of Hair at the Aquarius Theatre, 1969
Jay Thompson
Carolyn Hill, Ben Vereen, Gloria Jones and Delores Hall in the LA production of <i>Hair</i> at the Aquarius Theatre, 1969
Carolyn Hill, Ben Vereen, Gloria Jones and Delores Hall in the LA production of Hair at the Aquarius Theatre, 1969
Sweet_Charity_Film_Ben Vereen_Sammy Davis, Jr._Bud Vest_1969_HR
Ben Vereen, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Bud Vest in the film Sweet Charity, 1969
Universal Pictures
Ben Vereen and Jeff Fenholt in rehearsal for <i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i>, 1971
Ben Vereen and Jeff Fenholt in rehearsal for Jesus Christ Superstar, 1971
Next Slide  
Ben Vereen in rehearsal for <i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i>, 1971
Ben Vereen in rehearsal for Jesus Christ Superstar, 1971
Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical <i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i>, 1971
Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical Jesus Christ Superstar, 1971
Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical <i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i>, 1971
Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical Jesus Christ Superstar, 1971
Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical <i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i>, 1971
Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical Jesus Christ Superstar, 1971
Ben Vereen, Jeff Fenholt and Yvonne Elliman backstage on opening night of the Broadway musical <i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i>, 1971
Ben Vereen, Jeff Fenholt and Yvonne Elliman backstage on opening night of the Broadway musical Jesus Christ Superstar, 1971
Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical <i>Pippin</i>, 1972
Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical Pippin, 1972
Ben Vereen and cast in the Broadway musical <i>Pippin</i>, 1972
Ben Vereen and cast in the Broadway musical Pippin, 1972
Ben Vereen and cast in the Broadway musical <i>Pippin</i>, 1972
Ben Vereen and cast in the Broadway musical Pippin, 1972
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Ben Vereen, John Rubenstein and cast in the Broadway musical <i>Pippin</i>, 1972
Ben Vereen, John Rubenstein and cast in the Broadway musical Pippin, 1972
Martha Swope
Ben Vereen in the film <i>Funny Lady</i>, 1975
Ben Vereen in the film Funny Lady, 1975
Ben Vereen in the TV variety series <i>Ben Vereen...Comin' At Ya</i>, 1975
Ben Vereen in the TV variety series Ben Vereen...Comin' At Ya, 1975
Ben Vereen on the TV series <i>The Muppet Show</i>, 1976
Ben Vereen on the TV series The Muppet Show, 1976
ATV
Chuck Connors and Ben Vereen in the TV miniseries <i>Roots</i>, 1977
Chuck Connors and Ben Vereen in the TV miniseries Roots, 1977
Louis Gossett Jr., Debbie Allen and Ben Vereen in the TV special <i>The Sentry Collection Presents Ben Vereen: His Roots</i>, 1978
Louis Gossett Jr., Debbie Allen and Ben Vereen in the TV special The Sentry Collection Presents Ben Vereen: His Roots, 1978
Ben Vereen in the film <i>All That Jazz</i>, 1979
Ben Vereen in the film All That Jazz, 1979
Ben Vereen, Roy Scheider and Ann Reinking in the film <i>All That Jazz</i>, 1979
Ben Vereen, Roy Scheider and Ann Reinking in the film All That Jazz, 1979
Jeff Goldblum and Ben Vereen in the TV series <i>Tenspeed and Brown Shoe</i>, 1980
Jeff Goldblum and Ben Vereen in the TV series Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, 1980
Emmanuel Lewis and Ben Vereen in the TV series <i>Webster</i>, 1984
Emmanuel Lewis and Ben Vereen in the TV series Webster, 1984
Ben Vereen in the TV miniseries <i>A.D.</i>, 1985
Ben Vereen in the TV miniseries A.D., 1985
Ben Vereen, Leilani Jones and Hal Prince during rehearsals for <I>Grind</I>, 1985
Ben Vereen, Leilani Jones and Hal Prince during rehearsals for Grind, 1985
Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical <i>Grind</i>, 1985
Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical Grind, 1985
Timothy Nolen, Leilani Jones and Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical <i>Grind</i>, 1985
Timothy Nolen, Leilani Jones and Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical Grind, 1985
Donald Acree and Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical <i>Grind</i>, 1985
Donald Acree and Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical Grind, 1985
Ben Vereen and Leilani Jones in the Broadway musical <i>Grind</i>, 1985
Ben Vereen and Leilani Jones in the Broadway musical Grind, 1985
Ben Vereen and the cast of the TV series <i>Zoobilee Zoo</i>, 1986
Ben Vereen and the cast of the TV series Zoobilee Zoo, 1986
Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical <i>Jelly's Last Jam</i>, 1993
Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical Jelly's Last Jam, 1993
Jelly's_Last_Jam_Production_Photo_Ben Vereen_Brian Stokes Mitchell_1993_HR
Ben Vereen and Brian Stokes Mitchell in the Broadway musical Jelly's Last Jam, 1993
Martha Swope
Jenny-Lynn Suckling, Ben Vereen and Rachelle Rak in the Broadway musical <i>Fosse</i>, 2001
Jenny-Lynn Suckling, Ben Vereen and Rachelle Rak in the Broadway musical Fosse, 2001
Judd Hirsch and Ben Vereen in Broadway's <i>I'm Not Rappaport</i>, 2002
Judd Hirsch and Ben Vereen in Broadway's I'm Not Rappaport, 2002
I'm_Not_Rappaport_Judd Hirsch_Ben Vereen_ 2002_HR
Judd Hirsch and Ben Vereen in Broadway's I'm Not Rappaport, 2002
Carol Rosegg
Rue McClanahan and Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical <i>Wicked</i>, 2005
Rue McClanahan and Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical Wicked, 2005
Wicked_Production_Photo_Ben Vereen_2005_HR
Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical Wicked, 2005
Joan Marcus
Ben Vereen and Evan Parke in <i>Fetch Clay, Make Man</i> at the McCarter Theatre Center, 2010
Ben Vereen and Evan Parke in Fetch Clay, Make Man at the McCarter Theatre Center, 2010
Ben Vereen previews <i>Steppin' Out with Ben Vereen</i> at 54 Below, 2012
Ben Vereen previews Steppin' Out with Ben Vereen at 54 Below, 2012
Ben Vereen at the Tony Awards, 2015
Ben Vereen at the Tony Awards, 2015
Rocky Horror09 HR
Ben Vereen as Dr. Everett Scott
Steve Wilkie/FOX
Rocky Horror Fox HR
Laverne Cox and Ben Vereen in The Rocky Horror Picture Show
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His film credits include Sweet Charity; Funny Lady; All That Jazz; Buy and Cell; Mama, I Want To Sing!; and the documentary Broadway: The Next Generation.

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