By Keith Martin
Appalachian State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present a master class on musical theatre featuring Broadway, film and television star Ben Vereen from 3–5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11 in the Valborg Theatre on the university campus. The class is open to the general public, and participants will have the opportunity to observe the session and take part in a post-class conversation. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for adults.
The master class is the first-ever collaboration between the City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium (CoMMA) and the Department of Theatre and Dance. CoMMA is presenting Vereen’s one-man show, “Steppin’ Out with Ben Vereen” on November 12.
“Appalachian takes pride in offering a complete undergraduate experience,” explains department chair Kevin Warner. “Our department frequently brings in professional guest artists in both theatre and dance to provide first-hand knowledge and encouragement for our students.”
Dr. W. Jim Smith, director of CoMMA, said that this event is an example of the partnerships formed to extend their programmatic reach beyond the Morganton and Burke County region. “Education is at the core of both institutions, and what better academic partner could we have in Boone than Appalachian State University.”
Few entertainers today are as accomplished or versatile as Vereen, and his first love and passion is 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 a lifetime,” he stated. “The stage sharpens the creative instrument and encourages you to go deeper inside and try new things.”
On Broadway, Vereen has starred in “Wicked,” “Fosse,” “I’m Not Rappaport,” “Hair,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Pippin,” “Grind,” “Jelly’s Last Jam” and “A Christmas Carol.” His performance as the Leading Player in “Pippin” garnered him both the prestigious Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award for “Best Actor in a Musical.”
Vereen’s acting credits include the role of Chicken George in “Roots” and Louis Armstrong in “Louis Armstrong - Chicago Style.” His television guest appearances include “How I Met Your Mother,” “Grey’s Anatomy, for which he won the Prism Award, “Hot in Cleveland,” “NCIS,” “Law and Order: Criminal Intent,” “Star Trek - The Next Generation,” “The Jamie Fox Show,” and “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” On October 20, Vereen appeared on television in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and recently concluded filming a recurring role on “Sneaky Pete,” a new Amazon series with Brian Cranston. His own network television shows are “Ben Vereen: His Roots” (seven Emmy Awards), “Tenspeed and Brownshoe,” and “You Write the Songs.” In the early 90’s, he released a number of well-received children’s sing-along musical videos.
The Valborg Theatre is located on campus at the north side of Chapell Wilson Hall on Howard Street in Boone. The theater entrance faces the back of the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts on King Street. Parking is available after 5 p.m. on campus in faculty/staff lots and after 5:30 p.m. in the College Street parking deck near Belk Library and Information Commons.
To purchase tickets or for more information about the master class, call toll-free at 800-841-ARTS (2787) or visit www.theatreanddance.appstate.edu. For tickets to "Steppin’ Out with Ben Vereen," call 828-433-SHOW or 800-939-SHOW, or visit the City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium website at www.commaonline.org.
About the Department of Theatre and Dance
The Department of Theatre and Dance is one of seven departments housed in Appalachian’s College of Fine and Applied Arts. Its mission is to facilitate transformative experiences for students and the public, which cultivate compassionate, creative and collaborative communities through theatre and dance. The department also offers coursework for integrated learning through the arts to the general university student population. Its dynamic co-curricular production program provides exemplary theatre and dance experiences to departmental students, the university community and the region.
About Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 18,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
About the City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium (CoMMA)
In 1986, CoMMA opened its doors to a full house for the performance of “The Tap Dance Kid”. Since then, the theater has hosted more than 600 events including national tours of Broadway musicals, big band concerts, and ice ballets. In 2004, CoMMA unveiled the Ben Long fresco, “Sacred Dance and the Muses”, and the Etta Baker Exhibit was unveiled in 2014 giving Baker a place of tribute in her hometown auditorium. CoMMA is the envy of many cities across western North Carolina and has brought affordable entertainment to Morganton residents that they otherwise may never had the chance to enjoy.
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Media Contact:
Keith Martin
828-262-8179
MartinKT1@appstate.edu
Ben Vereen
Ben Vereen will present an open master class on musical theatre at Appalachian State University on Nov 11 from 3–5 p.m. Photo courtesy of the Cooper Company.