Glory - Pippin - Ben Vereen

[proberush]

I have such a fucking man crush on Vereen.

[AmiraTamran]

How could anyone think their school did better? This is the cream of Broadway!

[MrMrMrprofessor]

I'm surprised nobody in the audience fainted from the amount of pure Epicness that was onstage in front of them.

Bob Fosse + Ben Vereen = Pure Heaven

[atlsuperstar]

ITS CALLED SOFT SHOE!!!!!!!!!!! Which means tapping is not involved! Please learn and appreciate the brilliance of Fosse choreo! jeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzz!

[Adam13171717]

This video is most popular with:

Female 13-17

[Paint]

MJ and Ben both got their moves from Fosse! HE'S the legend!

[SaintAlia10191]

I appriciate this number a lot more now that I'm older.

[krichards816]

This play has been a great soundtrack during my life. Thanks Steven! And thanks for signing my album.

[15bluethings]

just wow.

[therealdiegodonjuan]

Thank God I was too poor as a kid for my mom to put me in tap... wow this is gayer thatn I could have imagined

[LordScreech]

@therealdiegodonjuan maybe if she had put you in tap, you would actually have had some taste for this genius theatrical work. why did you look this up if it's not your thing? you don't have to like it, but it's not "gay." it's theatrical. get over it, grow up & learn what the word gay actually means

[PayNoAttentiontoCaes]

Wow. This is genius.

[LordScreech]

@PayNoAttentiontoCaes DAMN RIGHT

[izzyhzzy]

His style reminds me of Michael Jackson which is good (:

[laser2sail]

@kurpinator: That 2-minute routine is called the "Manson Trio." I take it to represent our governments selling us Cheerios rather than telling us what horrors actually happen in battle.

[zelmanzelman]

Thanks to the miracle of Youtube, and you sir, I can now see, hear, and enjoy this great performance again after a whole lot of years. Thank you. Thank you.

[swalsh323]

So dark, so uncomfortable, and so brilliantly, seductively disturbing, as only Fosse can deliver. Perfection.

[kurpinator]

this does not make sense to have tap dancing in a war number

[xOhMyGaGax]

@kurpinator That's the whole point. The juxtaposition of the song is having war presented in an almost vaudevillian comical way, that's the genius of it Hence the tap dancing.

[NYCBlonde]

@kurpinator 1) It's not tap. It's soft-shoe. 2) Why? The whole number is conceived as a sardonic representation of war and how it's sold to the public.

[LofMalfoy]

I'm interpreting that guy on our comeing pippin show, explain to me just how the hell I'm going to pull that off?

[laser2sail]

@LofMalfoy -I think Fosse was very cynical when he choreographed this. We see the battle scene, so what are the dancers? They represent what our leaders are telling us about war. And it's more refined than simply a one-time soft-shoe dance, this is a very practiced performance our leaders keep giving us, so carefully presented and so sexy that the enlightened viewer starts asking themselves how to react to it.

It's not just a dance, it's an entire performance. Am I helping or making it worse?

[LofMalfoy]

@laser2sail you are helping a lot! thank you. I get the idea of the act and the war and the dance and the hole bizzare thing abot this play, but I just don't know how to reach Ben Vereen's performance, because it was impecable.

[laser2sail]

@LofMalfoy - I think you should meet and agree with the other two of the trio to go to your choreographer and ask to put in extra time to work on the routine. I think your drive to do better will get you further than attempting to match Vereen's flash..

Watch this YouTube video: (search for) "manson trio minus ben"

[rhapsody710]

@LofMalfoy Don't try to make your performance *exactly* like Ben Vereen's. ;-) You can draw from Ben, but you have to plunge headfirst into the role, and make it YOURS. =)

[PinayLani]

I've just been cast as leading player in a local theater production. how I will get anywhere near the magnificence of ben vereen and his shiny blue pants I will never know...

[pantucci]

Note to Charlie Sheen. Get off the stage. Watch this to see real talent and hard work.

[xavtron]

@pantucci Ben Vereen has tiger blood and adonis dna

[annealli]

i saw you today at Victoria school : You are the best

Naz

[canuhandldis]

I am playing the part of The Leading Player at our school and I just hope to be this good. This man is a genious.

[allisonxm102]

To all you people who don't like the way Ben Vereen is acting, I wouldn't necessarily blame him. Keep in mind, Bob Fossee was the director.

Our school is doing a production of this musical, and it's wonderful.

[TheMarkymark316]

He plays this part awsome

I also just watched this whole play

[TheMarkymark316]

He plays this part awsome



[pmme829]

He deffinately brings alot of attention to his penis!! Thats all i saw during the whole thing

[Jayjen35]

@pmme829 Good! Since that is actually a part of the whole point of the scene...

[saanzacs]

Just how good was Ben Vereen!!!!!

[laurajbrigley]

Oh my god, I can't stop staring at Ben Vereen's shiny crotch.

[MorganMcCann]

My highschool is doing a production of this now, I really like it. I'm the light operator.

[themusicalfan]

Amazing :[___________] from belting out soul to dancing for 2 minuets straight! no one can even touch that!can't wait to do this @ my school.

[lindsey618]

he is extraordinary!!!! ive never seen anything like Ben Vereen before! phenomenal!!!!!

[thatisgoodforsoup]

@Quovatimus - We did both. Manson Trio in the front, and slo-mo in the back. It was pretty epic. Except we had 'backup dancers' for the Leading Player who were in all of the things for the Two Girls. It was fairly awesome.

[jblo92]

so much of this play relies on choreography, which is why many modern productions can't live up to the original with bob fosse directing and choreographing.

Ben Vereen helped a lot too, great singer and dancer.

[Say919oko]

i love his style. i can here chicago and cabaret and many others just in this song!

[Quovatimus]

Can you believe that when I was in this show our director totally cut the Manson Trio? He thought it would be to dark so he filled it with a slow motion "battle scene" instead. I was so disappointed!

[krichards816]

You were in this show? This show saved my life! YOU saved my life. Thank you. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. My parents live in Ridgefield, where steven is now. I went to St Lukes. Was a drama "major" . This play has been a part of my life forever. Parents had a vinel(sp). Growing up this was a soundtrack we always played in the backround. I guess I was lucky.. Even now I look back on this show for power.

[musicaljones11]

@Quovatimus the production I am in now does the slow motion battle scene along with the trio

[CiaranConnollyIdeals]

with that suit, he'd be screwed if he got a boner

[beckysw]

ben vereen is honestly the most charismatic man to ever hit broadway. this number is incredible. so creative. bob fosses choregraphy is incredible and the music is amazing. no flaws to this number, and thats saying alot since im VERY critical. bravo :-)

[lilsneez91]

I borrowed the dvd from the library and after watching I felt that the best scenes were the ones with ben vereen! He's such a talent! :D

[ynotsdiego]

The first Broadway show I ever saw. In-f**king credible! Thank god for you tube!

[b0st0n20]

ben vereen's talent is truly AMAZING. This is such a dark scene but at the same time he is so goofy and entertaining.

ben vereen and bob fosse combined- fantastic

[lexilurvestomkaulitz]

I just saw this tonight at a little outdoor theater, and it was better than half the stuff I've seen on Broadway. The Leading Player had a GREEAT voice, and played his part so well.

Plus, he was veryy attractive, and at one point he came into the audience (as part of the play) during Love Song and sat with his arm around me for about 10 minutes. Eeeeeep. xDD

[liveoutloud38]

Absolutely brilliant. Our Leading Player obviously knew who Ben Vereen is. He copied virtually everything, from the mixing to the "Mraah, you ain't seen nothin' yet folks!" I don't think there's any other way to do it right.

[starrave]

He's kind of got that Cheshire Cat air about him. Like the leader in a madhouse.

[progrockcoffee]

@pietravis I concur. It's hard to find very good Leading Players that capture the essence of the character and the message of the show like Ben Vereen did. That's why I'm studying his interpretation for my audition for the character, to see what makes him so magnetic and yet so controlling.

[brudolf367]

I remember him years after. What a performance!

[Cletzenbougen]

lol I love him:)

[pietravis]

Now where would Beyonce and her single ladies be without Fosse? lol. This clip is great, Ben Vereen is such a legendary performer, he's got more talent in that little hip thrust than anyone commenting "my school was better" does in their entire being. Let me just set the record straight: no, your school was not better. Keep dreaming!

[Jayjen35]

@pietravis Agreed! I always wondered about that.... In fact from what I've seen of ALL of the HS and most of the college productions posted here, NONE of them seem to have a clue what the show is about much less this Glory section!

Its a bit like the kid whose been playing guitar for about a year that insists that Jimmi Hendrix was a hack that HE could play rings around!....

[phillyST34K]

This guy is a true performer.

[oldixe]

Ben Vereen is one of the very best in all categories. Quite a few years ago there was a special on TV honoring him as Entertainer of the Year. I sure wish there were a video of that posted on You Tube. He would have been around the same age as he is in this clip from Pippin.

[oldixe]

Fosse certainly never made it easy for dancers. Ben Vereen could do it all.

[CaptainSchpack]

we're are dpoing this show at my school. it's pretty cool and this is one of my favourite songs

[cometogether756]

Where can I get pants like that? :]

[sirusbones]

I'm in this show right now. It's pretty fun. Our Leading Player is actually divided into four different characters, but the main one has most of the lines.

[orangepopgirl101]

i honestly thing the one at are school was better. i mean this is great but all the main actors (pippin charlamegne lewis pippins new girlfriend and the lead player) wer played by kids on there way to broadway. and all the players had the same kinda costumes. like they were different but all black and red and their faces wer pained and they had gloves on it was amazing.

[furthestchance]

@orangepopgirl101

use correct english, or don't type. ;D

[Brettski89]

I remember when we had a female lead player

calisthenics and jazz exp omg it was hoooot

[Homer22234555]

my school just did this for their play and broke Ben Vereen's character into 2 lead players

[TangyExplosives]

Yeah we have one girl who's playing his character but since we're doing this show 4 nights in a row, this song combined with all the others is way too much on her voice so we have two other people who are singing this and she gets a rest.

Theatrically it makes sense.

[Homer22234555]

totally

[AkuunKyande]

my favorite song in pippin

[shak15ti]

Ben Vereen made this role on broadway. ..I don't understand the source of some of these negative comments, though you have the right to your opinion.

[chocolatesouljah]

Agreed! Pippin opened in 1972. This was filmed in 1981. Vereen defined his still while Michael Jackson was developing his. Another note: Fosse is the choreographer. He was definitely influenced by Black street dance. In this case He was a big influence on MJ. Just check out Fosse in the "Snake In The Grass" clip from the "Little Prince" and you'll see how much Fosse influenced MJ.

[shak15ti]

I admired Fosse choreography for YEARS, Vereen then MJ later. If I had become professional with my dancing, I would have danced Fosse any way I could.

[chocolatesouljah]

I agree. I think of people like Carol Haney in "Steam Heat" and I want to be one of the guys in the trio with her.

[Mr1946corvette1]

@shak15ti it doesnt matter if they make the show or not people just love to be downers and try to be negative towards whatever they can to attempt to get a rise out of people

[zach2992]

@shak15ti I'm just not a fan of the overall direction. I look at videos of high schools and say "That's what I like in the show!"

[Jayjen35]

@zach2992  I think I'm misunderstanding you... Do you mean that you look at Bob Fosse's version and dislike it...then look at the ridiculous number of less than mediocre (at the VERY best) high school productions posted here and say, "now THERE'S what this show is supposed to be like!".....really....

What exactly do you object to in this work?

[trukilla420]

umm MJ is better than him by far!!!

[Jayjen35]

@trukilla420 Uh, not even by half actually.... unlike MJ who had everything he's ever danced created specifically to hide any flaws and accentuate all of his strengths, Ben Vereen worked for one of the most exacting choreographers there ever was! He could literally do everything there was to do on stage, for nearly anyone

[xaxie1]

man hes like MJ the way he moves

[mswhaley]

@xaxie1  actually MJ is like him. Ben Vereen is the greatest and I think a lot of MJ too.

[rhapsody710]

That's because MJ *learned* from guys like Ben Vereen.  ;-)

[vickicapricorn]

My Sweet Ben,,, You are the BEST and I will always love you.

[YouCantDeleteDenzelL]

OMG!!! LMAO!!!!!

"War is strict as Jesus"

*body parts fly out*

"War is finer than spring"

*more parts fly out

I always have a LMAO attack upon seeing that

Great musical BTW!!!! One of the best, and BEn Vereen is just amazing. One of the best singers on the planet!!!!

[mdoyle1523]

no offense to many people who comment, but no one really cares if your high school just did this and so- and -so was really awesome.

[Doliath]

THANK GOD SOMEONE IS FINALLY SAYING THIS!

What you describe is my absolute biggest pet peeve.

:)

[PeterrrrrHan]

OMG ben verenn came to our high school and gave us a unforgettable speech!!! =D

[mkl62]

10-10-2009. He's full of glee at 63. Happy Birthday, Ben. Or can I call you Chicken George? Heh-heh.

[outrageous01]

who is ben vereen playing in this clip?

[MrChibles]

The Lead Player (yes that is the actual part's name)

[fanaticus1988]

actually it's the leading player; he's the key element between the actors as theirselfs and in their roll...

[soaringvulture]

Ben Vereen was the greatest stage actor I've ever seen. Yes, he could sing, yes, he could dance but what makes him great was that when I was standing in the back of the theater, he reached out and performed right in front of me. He drew the entire audience into his performance. No one like him.

[godgivendesire]

is that what you did? :P :))

[mechamop]

People have. I recently read an absolutely fascinating piece that analyzed the musical. Interestingly enough, it was Bob Fosse's staging and script edits that made the play what it is.

[JDedam2]

i just did this show

[xclickbabz]

Ben Vereen = AMAZINGGG !

[MasterJoeyKeo]

it's an awesome song. so much fun to sing.

[ashgoespow]

we did this musical at my school actually with 3 schools and i LOVE it.

[PolloBoy11]

Such a creepy Musical

[megan77373]

Ben Vereen is brilliant!!!

[BROADWAYbaby909]

Amen to that! His skill is practically unparalleled. Everything about his intro - his acting and his singing coupled with the striking Fosse moves - just make it spellbinding.

[Fuminori]

omg Ben Vereen. Owns it.

[pantucci]

Forget putting 2nd rate TV stars and American Idols on Broadway to pull in the tourists---get some class productions like this in NY!

[blackmisery92]

Hmm, it seems much too comical. I like the greasepaint verion much better.

[paulmurphy11]

its supposed to be comical. its a spoof on the seriousness of war

[YouCantDeleteDenzelL]

@blackmisery92 - That's the point.

[jimmij0]

If he had been wearing a monocle and a cape along with the hat and the cane in this scene, he would have spontaneously combusted from the sheer awesomeness. Ben Vereen is one of my all time favorite actors.

[sdrhead]

Wow! And they say the leading player is a baritone? That seems like tenor material! I got all excited too! Lol it's a great part though!

[humblella]

It makes me happy to watch him. And Bob Fosse's choreography is phenomenal. We're doing this at my high school...it'll be interesting to see how we pull it off. I'm excited, though!

[ChanFram]

the choreography is insane

[Omni999]

I would love to do this play! Only a few can do the Leading Player role and pull it off. Ben Vereen... another Broadway Legend...

[kk5968]

i was just cast as the leading player. i'm freaking nervous

[elphielover247]

i ALSO GOT CAST AS LEADING PLAYER! OMG I WAS SO NERVOUS BCUZ I WILL never do it as well as Ben Vereen. THe show is next week.

[kk5968]

Break a leg!

[elphielover247]

thnx!

[DeathLaysSilent]

dont worry its not that hard of a part :DD have faith

[basicidiot]

i find it ironic veereen talks about jesus since he played judas in jesus christ superstar

[blackpython]

Ben Vereen is fantastic, and this is definately my favorite song in Pippin! Also, I know nothing about dancing, but I know what I like, and I've always loved Fosse's choreography.

[HeWhistledAtMe]

goosepimples

[woodenlegnamedsmith]

this is amazing!!!!!!!! i loooove this musical!

thank you sooo much for putting this on here :D

[megan77373]

I love this man, his voice is AMAZING!!! <3

[macbolan00]

hurray, they retuned the video! many thanks!!!