STAGE TUBE: Ben Vereen Hosts Jazz at Lincoln Center's ' Fats Waller,' 4/16-4/17

Jazz at Lincoln Center will present "The Music of Fats Waller" on April 16 and 17 at 8 PM in the Rose Theater. Tony winning Broadway entertainer, singer, and dancer Ben Vereen will serve as host for the event as well as perform.

The spirit of the talented pianist and composer lives on through a talented cast of singers, pianists and other musicians, under the musical direction of Andy Farber, who will re-animate favorites like "Ain't Misbehavin'," "Alligator Crawl," and "Honeysuckle Rose." The rhythm section includes pianist Ehud Asherie, bassist Ben Wolfe, guitarist Doug Wamble, and drummer Alvester Garnett. Along with Andy Farber on saxophone, performers include clarinetist and saxophonist Dan Block, vocalist Carla Cook and and Allan Harris, and trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso.

Ben Vereen was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR in 1972 and won the Tony in 1973 for his role in PIPPIN. In 2005, Vereen appeared in WICKED as the Wizard of Oz in 2005.

There will be a Pre-Concert Discussion nightly at 7PM. Music Director Andy Farber joins Jazz at Lincoln Center's Ken Druker in an intimate discussion on the Fats Waller story and songbook, featuring insight into the evening's musical selections.

In the following video, artistic director Wynton Marsalis and guest musical director Andy Farber discuss the evening and the work of Fats Weller.

For more information or to order tickets, visit online at www.jalc.org.