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BEN VEREEN IS ON TOUR WITH "STEPPIN' OUT WITH BEN VEREEN" AND IT'S MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME
BEN VEREEN, THANKS FOR COMING IN. >> HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE YOU.
THANK YOU. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS NEW SHOW OF YOURS,
STEPPIN' OUT, HOW DID YOU COME OUT WITH IT? >> I WANTED TO DO A SHOW AND FINALLY I DECIDED
I WANTED TO DO A SHOW TO THANK THE AUDIENCE FOR THE CHANCE THEY HAVE GIVEN ME AND THIS
IS WHAT YOU WILL SEE AT LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE FOR A BIGGER SHOW WHICH WE HOPE TO BRING TO
LA JOLLA DIRECTED BY EMILY MAN AND IT CAME ABOUT BECAUSE I WORKED WITH FABULOUS PEOPLE
I CANNOT SAY THANK YOU BYE, SO THIS IS MY THANK YOU.
>> REPORTER: WE HAVE SOME VIDEO THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT NOW FROM YOUR SHOW AT 54 BELOW.
>> YES. >> REPORTER: AND IS THIS A SIMILAR SHOW?
>> IT'S A CUT DOWN VERSION. THE SHOW THAT YOU WILL SEE AT THE LA JOLLA
PLAYHOUSE IS A LONGER AND BETTER SHOW. >> REPORTER: LET'S LISTEN TO IT.
>> OKAY. I'LL WAIT
. >> REPORTER: YOU HAVE REAL DANCE MOVES THERE.
>> WELL, YEAH, ALL I'VE BEEN THROUGH. I'M THANKFUL TO HAVE MY DANCE MOVES.
>> REPORTER: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE RICHLY DIVERSE CAREER WITH ROLES IN ROOTS AND JESUS CHRIST
SUPERSTAR AND HAIR AND SWEET CHARITY AND STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION AND YOU SAID THE
SHOW IS ESPECIALLY, I DON'T KNOW, ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO YOU, IS IT BECAUSE OF THE THANK
YOU OR BECAUSE IT'S IN SAN DIEGO? >> FIRST OF ALL, YES, THIS IS SAN DIEGO AND
YES THAT IS VERY SPECIAL I GET TO PLAY WHAT I'M GOING TO BE MY HOME, SAN DIEGO BECAUSE
THIS IS WHERE I LOVE SAN DIEGO. HEAVEN.
IT'S SPECIAL BECAUSE IT'S PERSONAL. IT'S PERSONAL.
IT GIVES ME A CHANCE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE AUDIENCE AND GIVE THEM A TASTE OF OUR JOURNEY
AND WHERE WE ARE GOING AND THE HOPES AND IF I CAN ENCOURAGE SOMEBODY IF MY SHOW AND IT'S
NOT IN VAIN. >> REPORTER: I WANT TO SAY I KNOW A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THE STEPPIN' OUT AND YOU PAY TRIBUTE TO FRANK SANATR AND CLOSE TO SAMMY DAVIS JUNIOR
AND I WANT TO TAKE A CLIP FROM THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW NOW, LET'S LOOK AT THAT.
THIS IS THE LIFE THIS IS WHERE THE LIVING IS
THIS IS THE LIFE BABY YOU ARE THERE
THIS IS THE LIFE YOU WAITED LONG ENOUGH
HEY, BABY IT'S THERE WHY THAT SUITS YOU
THIS IS THE LIFE >> THAT WAS AN AMAZING MOMENT BECAUSE WE COME
BACK FROM LONDON THE LAST TIME I SAW SAMMY AND DID GOLDEN BOY TOGETHER AND MIKE HAD ME
ON THE SHOW HOSTING THAT WEEK AND THE LAST PERSON I THOUGHT WOULD SHOW UP WOULD BE SAMMY
DAVIS JUNIOR AND HE WALKS ON STAGE AND I WAS FLOORED.
>> REPORTER: THIS PERFORMANCE THE CABARET SERIES IS AN INTIMATE SETTING AS OPPOSED TO
LARGE AUDIENCE WITH 100,000 PEOPLE YOU PERFORMED IN FRONT OF AT THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, HOW
DOES THIS CHANGE YOUR PERFORMANCE OR DOES IT?
>> YOU SAID THE KEYWORD, INTIMATE. IT BECOMES PERSONAL.
WE BEGIN TO SHARE SOMETHING THAT IS VERY UNIQUE, I LIKE TO THINK, BECAUSE WE ARE ONE ON ONE.
IN A SMALL SETTING WE ARE ONE ON ONE. SO I GET TO REALLY BE PERSONAL WITH YOU.
WITH THE BIGGER AUDIENCE YOU HAVE TO REACH THE RAPTORS AND NOW I CAN REACH TO THE HEART.
>> REPORTER: AND YOU ATTENDED PERFORMING ART SCHOOL IN NEW YORK.
>> YES I DID. >> REPORTER: WHAT MOMENT IN YOUR CHILDHOOD
OR WHEN DID YOU HAVE A MOMENT THAT YOU SAID, YES, I'M GOING TO BE A PERFORMER AND WHAT
I'M DOING AND GOING TO PERFORMING ART SCHOOL? >> I NEVER SAID I WANTED TO BE A PERFORMER.
>> REPORTER: NO. >> NO, IT TOOK ME.
IT CHOSE ME. I HAD OTHER DIRECTIONS IN MY MIND.
AND THAT IS SO FUNNY, IT'S IS A SAYING IF YOU WANT TO MAKE GOD LAUGH, TELL HIM YOUR
PLANS. YOU KNOW, AND I HAD OTHER PLANS IN MIND.
BUT GOD THE DIVINE ONE HAD OTHER JOURNEY. >> REPORTER: I'M GLAD.
>> THE JOURNEY HAS BEEN WONDERFUL AND AMAZING. WE ALL HAVE THAT AMAZING JOURNEY IN OUR LIVES
IF WE WAKE UP TO IT. >> REPORTER: I THINK PEOPLE CAN HEAR MORE
ABOUT YOUR AMAZING LIFE BY GOING TO YOUR PERFORMANCE "STEPPIN' OUT WITH BEN VEREEN" AT THE LA JOLLA
PLAYHOUSE 29‑31 AND FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION GO TO OUR WEBSITE KPBS.ORG, BEN
VEREEN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US TODAY.
>> THANK YOU MY QUEEN.