B.W. COOK -- The Crowd

“Children are the future,” offered song and dance man Ben Vereen,

addressing some 200 guests of the Big Canyon/Spy Glass Hill Philharmonic

Committee.

The well-dressed Newport Beach crowd gathered under the cream-colored

tent of the Palm Garden Room on the property of the Four Seasons in

Newport Beach.

“The young people are the seeds of tomorrow. And you, all of you,

water those seeds with your love and your support, and they grow and grow

and grow,” continued Vereen, mesmerizing his audience with extreme warmth

and personality.

Beginning his performance on the band shell of the Palm Garden with a

slow, deliberate and soulful rendition of “God Bless America,” Vereen

took the crowd from a state of chatter into a silence that was so thick

you could hear the breath of a guest sitting at another table. A standing

ovation followed the opening number and led into a performance worthy of

a Broadway concert hall.

With only a piano, a gifted conductor named David Loeb and a

microphone, Vereen sent the local crowd on an emotional roller coaster

ride that included a touching tribute to the late Sammy Davis Jr., along

with remarks geared toward the Philharmonic Committee regarding the

importance of music in thelives of children.

“How impressive that Mr. Vereen took the time to learn about the work

of the Philharmonic Committee here in Newport Beach and include specific

and personal remarks meant for us in this marvelous performance,” offered

Ollie Hill, a Lido Isle resident who was supporting the event with

friends, includingAnn Stern, Cathy Lowden, Darleen Weiner, Zee Alred,

Suki McCardle and Marcia Saunders.

“This is an unbelievable treat,” continued Hill, dressed in a sleek,

orange designer suit.

A treat it was, as Vereen poured his heart out, bringing together the

themes relating to America’s struggle with terrorism, the great and

special text of American society and the future of children. He pranced.

He danced. He used the microphone as if it were some magical prop. He

talked with the audience and made himself a part of the community as if

he were a long-standing resident of Newport-Mesa.

In fact, Vereen shared that his home is only blocks away from ground

zero in New York City.

“I watched the horror unfold. I can tell you that the devastation seen

on television is nothing compared to the reality of being there,” said

Vereen, wiping away a tear. “But we are strong, and we are proud, and we

are united as a nation. We will rebuild, and once again our children will

face a secure future.”

In a sentimental, as well as comedic, moment Vereen shared some of his

early personal biographical history with the crowd.

“Is there anyone here from Brooklyn?” the entertainer asked. One lady

to the side of the room responded with glee. Vereen laughed, and the

crowd followed.

“You know we have been called a lot of things in my lifetime,” said

Vereen, looking at fellow African Americans in attendance for the show.

“I’ve been colored. I’ve been Negro. Then not long after I was a Negro, I

was black. And then I became African American.”

Vereen had the crowd in the palm of his hand delivering his next line.

“I’ll tell you what I’ve always been, and what I always will be. I am

an American,” he said.

More applause followed, with even a few whistles from guests such as

Peggy Goldwater Clay.

This special event was chaired by Darby Manclark with assistance from

fellow committee members Sharon Moore, Joyce Reaume, Joyce Dieda,

Patricia Lane, Kim Grubman, Barbara Taylor, Johnnie Cooley, Gabrielle

Chung and Jacqueline Lokka.

Rusty Hood looked smashing in her rust-colored fall suit. Marilyn Gust

was all smiles. Prominent Hollywood television director Marty Passetta

came down from Beverly Hills with his wife, Elyse, who was looking chic

in a black luncheon suit. Local artist Joanne Mix was in the crowd, along

with best-dressed Pat Cranford. Philharmonic Society director Dean Corey

was seated front and center.

The annual event raises funds to provide music education programs for

children in Orange County schools from kindergarten through high school.

One of the special programs of the Philharmonic Committee is supporting

the music mobile vans that bring orchestral instruments for students’

hands-on experience. The programs reach more than 250,000 Orange County

children each year.

Vereen said it best, “You people make an amazing difference. You

volunteer, you take time to share with the children, you offer your

money, and you had better believe that it matters. I’m a poor kid from

Brooklyn that is living proof that exposure to music can change lives.”

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.