Benjamin Augustus Vereen (born October , ) is an American actor,
dancer and singer. Vereen gained prominence for his performances in
the original Broadway productions of the musicals Jesus Christ
Superstar, for which he received a Tony Award nomination, and Pippin,
for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.Vereen
was born Benjamin Augustus Middleton on October , , in Laurinburg,
North Carolina. While still an infant, Vereen and his family relocated
to the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City. He
was adopted by James Vereen, a paint-factory worker, and his wife,
Pauline, who worked as a maid and theatre wardrobe mistress. 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 . He was
raised Pentecostal.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 , Vereen enrolled at the High School of Performing Arts,
where he studied under world-renowned 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.
dancer and singer. Vereen gained prominence for his performances in
the original Broadway productions of the musicals Jesus Christ
Superstar, for which he received a Tony Award nomination, and Pippin,
for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.Vereen
was born Benjamin Augustus Middleton on October , , in Laurinburg,
North Carolina. While still an infant, Vereen and his family relocated
to the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City. He
was adopted by James Vereen, a paint-factory worker, and his wife,
Pauline, who worked as a maid and theatre wardrobe mistress. 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 . He was
raised Pentecostal.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 , Vereen enrolled at the High School of Performing Arts,
where he studied under world-renowned 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.
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