JENNIFER Holliday AP
I have had many “I can die now” moments in my lifetime, and thank God there are still more coming!
I find myself continuously blessed by working with some of the most amazing performers the world has ever seen. Last November 26, I had the great fortune of performing with Peabo Bryson, Jennifer Holliday and Ben Vereen.
Peabo is the silky-voiced R&B singer of the hits “Can You Stop the Rain,” “Tonight I Celebrate My Love for You,” and the pop versions of “Beauty and the Beast” and “A Whole New World.” I’ve worked with him on quite a few occasions previously: Bob Hope’s birthday; a Disney Christmas TV special; the People Project; and a new recording of “The King and I” (I was Tuptim to his Lun Tha).
Jennifer won the 1982 Tony Award for best leading actress as Effie White in the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls”; she went on to record the musical’s signature song, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” for which she won the 1983 Grammy Award for best R&B female vocal performance.
Ben was nominated for a Tony Award for playing Judas in “Jesus Christ Superstar” in 1972; he won the Tony the following year as The Leading Player in “Pippin.” He has also appeared, and was nominated for an Emmy, for playing Chicken George in the TV miniseries “Roots.” His recent theater outings include “Wicked.”
‘The Colors of Christmas’
The four of us are on board for “The Colors of Christmas,” an annual concert series (Peabo has done the entire run, which is about 20 years long) that tours the United States. Numerous singers have joined it over the years, including Roberta Flack, Sheena Easton, Philip Bailey, Oleta Adams and Jeffrey Osborne.
Jennifer and Ben have each done it once before, which makes me the newbie of this current tour.
PEABO Bryson
We’ll be at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center in California on Dec. 10; Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco on December 13, 14, and 15; Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Arizona on December 17; Star Plaza Theater in Merrillville, Indiana on December 18; and finally, Severance Hall in Cleveland, Ohio on December 20 and 21.
Rehearsing on the plane
The tour kicked off with the Nov. 26 private engagement at Casino Rama, two hours away from Toronto. Actually, for me, rehearsals began on the plane trip to Toronto, with my earphones stuck in my ears for a few hours, as I worked to memorize all my duets (there were two duets with Peabo, and two with Ben), and all the group numbers. Thankfully, I was learning Christmas music that was, more or less, familiar.
We had rehearsals scheduled the following day. I was most excited when Ben walked in. The man is gracious, greeting everyone with a ready hug and a smile that stretched from ear to ear. We get to sing a jazzy version of “My Favorite Things,” which is cool, as it’s a musical theater piece (from “The Sound of Music”) but completely re-imagined. At the actual performance, it was a bit of a struggle to stay focused as I found myself staring at him as he made his entrance.
BEN Vereen AP
More rehearsals
We all practiced the opening number at least 10 times, not stopping until we were closer to happy.
Come performance day, we had more rehearsal time (including running with the orchestra), so that by showtime, we were ready.
The thing that really astounded me wasn’t just the care with which each performer took with their solos and duets, and it wasn’t just about staying in tune.
Effortless
They were each craftsmen, carefully carving something out for the audience to enjoy. Every note, inflection and emotion came from each performer’s heart and soul. Nothing was manufactured or manipulated by software.
Oh, by the way, hearing Jennifer rehearse “And I Am Telling You” is nuts—it sounds so effortless! And yes, I get to sing “A Whole New World” with Peabo.
For those two weeks in December I shall be touring with a big smile on my face, humbled at the opportunity to be sharing the stage with not just artists, but craftsmen—putting together performances that would hopefully move the audience.