Tony Winner Ben Vereen to Play Victoria Playhouse Petrolia This Summer

Victoria Playhouse Petrolia has announced that Tony Award winner and Emmy nominee BEN VEREEN has joined the company of WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD, running June 9 to 28, 2015. Vereen is a celebrated theatre performer with a career spanning over 50 years. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972 and won a Tony and Drama Desk Award in 1973 for his performance in Pippin. From 2005-2006, he appeared as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in Broadway's Wicked. Vereen is also a celebrated television performer, who earned an Emmy Award nomination for the TV miniseries Roots in 1977. He also played Will Smith's biological father on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and had a recurring role on How I Met Your Mother. Ben remains the consummate actor, singer, and all around entertainer with a storied and legendary career.

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD is a breathtaking, concert style celebration of uplifting and inspiring music. Audiences will be moved by the spirit and emotional power of song with popular standards and Broadway classics.

Stage and screen star Ben Vereen will lead the company of some of Canada's top performers including Rebecca Poff (First Wives Club, The Phantom of the Opera, Patsy Cline),

Jake Stern (Godspell National tour) and Jen Walls (Starbright Christmas, Toronto Cabaret Artist). The show with feature a ten-piece show choir along with the Starbright Band led by Mark Payne.

David Rogers (Co-Artistic Director and Creator of the show) stated:
"I have always been a huge fan of Ben Vereen and am so exciting that a talent of his magnitude and phenomenal showmanship will be leading the show. Mr. Vereen expressed to me how he feels the theme of the show is a great idea and exactly what the world needs now."

Tickets are on sale now at www.thevpp.ca or by calling the box office at 1-800-717- 7694. Performances run Tuesday through Sunday with both matinee and evening options available.

For more information, please visit www.thevpp.ca and http://www.benvereen.info

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