Ben Vereen coming to SF

Tony Award-winning performer Ben Vereen is spending this Saturday night (May 17) in Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco with a self-explanatory show called An Intimate Evening with the Legendary Ben Vereen.Vereen made his New York stage debut at age 18 in Prodigal Son and shortly after landed in Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar and Pippin (which won him his Tony). With film roles in Funny Lady and All That Jazz, Vereen also made a lasting impression on the small screen. He won an Emmy for "Ben Vereen...His Roots." In the '80s, Vereen appeared regularly on "Webster," but the death of his son left him feeling suicidal. But Vereen bounced back and performed again on Broadway in Jelly's Last Jam. Now he's back on stage and back on tour.The show is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $62 and $68. The JCCSF is at 3200 California St., San Francisco. Call 415-292-1233 or visit www.jccsf.org/arts for information.Here's Vereen heading the company of Pippin with the show-opening "Magic to Do."