Ben Vereen Returns With An 8-Part Online Master Class at Bay Street
Classes will meet Mondays from 7 to 10 p.m. starting April 25 through June 13 via Zoom.
By: Stephi Wild
Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts will present an eight-part online Master Class in Acting led by Tony Award-winner Ben Vereen. Classes will meet Mondays from 7 to 10 p.m. starting April 25 through June 13 via Zoom. This is an exclusive opportunity to work with Tony Award-winning master, Ben Vereen, who will guide students through the craft of dramatic acting and musical theater. Registration is open to teens ages 13 and up and adults, and is $300 for all eight sessions or $600 for high schools and colleges registering up to 10 students. Drop-in rates are available for $50 per day. For more information, please contact the Box Office by calling 631 725 9500 Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 24/7 at baystreet.org.
"Authenticity" is the key word to describe Ben Vereen's master class: to be, as opposed to becoming the character. Ben not only brings his amazing talent as an actor and entertainer, but his knowledge of taking the content and bringing it into another dimension of interpretation. Within each three-hour class, he will work with students on either a portion of a song or a monologue of their choice, breaking down the form and language, before circling back with an individual sense of style and self-confidence. Following each person's performance, Ben will lead a question-and-answer session that involves the students. Please note, what happens in the room, stays in the room-to protect each student and to help all who participate to grow into the talented artists they are meant to be. Few entertainers today are as accomplished or versatile as Ben Vereen. His legendary performances transcend time and have been woven into the fabric of this country's artistic legacy. His first love and passion is and always will be the stage. "The theater was my first training ground. It taught me discipline, dedication, and appreciation of hard work and values that will stay with me for a lifetime. The stage sharpens the creative instrument and encourages you to go deeper inside and try new things," states Ben. Ben recently wrapped the Chuck Lorre series B Positive on CBS, and earlier this spring, completed multiple episodes of The Good Fight, playing Frederick Douglass, also on CBS. He performed his concert act for the Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas in August, and has upcoming dates in Chicago, Las Vegas, and the Carolinas in 2022. Before Broadway reopened, Ben appeared on CBS Watch Here, performed in Times Square for the Juneteenth celebration and was featured in Town and Country. He recently appeared in the national commercial to bring back New York and Broadway, It's Showtime in NYC. Ben performed an abundant of virtual events during Covid in 2020 and most of all his deep passion for the homeless, led him into producing, directing, and starring in a benefit for Care for the Homeless. His passion of the arts and education is ongoing and each year teaches classes online and in person. Ben appeared in Magnum P.I. and Bull for CBS, multiple episodes of Star for Fox, and the BET Series Tales. Ben also co-starred with Richard Gere in Time Out Of Mind, Chris Rock in Top Five, and was featured as Dr. Scott in the re-imagined The Rocky Horror Picture Show for 20th Century Fox. Bryan Cranston picked Ben to costar in Sneaky Pete for Amazon. Ben continues to tour the country with his concert act, motivational lectures, master classes. He performed sold out runs at Jazz at Lincoln Center, as well as in Toronto, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, as well as a lecture at Tuskegee University for Black History Month. As you know, he won a Tony Award/Drama Desk for Pippin, starred in such musicals as Jesus Christ Superstar, Fosse, Hair, Jelly's Last Jam, Chicago, Wicked, and I'm Not Rappaport, to name a few, and is remembered for films like Sweet Charity, All That Jazz, and the Emmy winning role of Chicken George in the iconic Roots. Bay Street Theater is a year-round, not-for-profit professional theater and community cultural center, which endeavors to innovate, educate, and entertain a diverse community through the practice of the performing arts. It serves as a social and cultural gathering place, an educational resource, and a home for a community of artists.