Ben Vereen, professional actor, singer and dancer, performed his one-man show “”I Remember Sam”” in honor of his late friend Sammy Davis Jr. at Centennial Hall on Saturday. His magnificent voice resonated throughout the hall, and his energy, talent and touching memories captivated the audience.

Wildcat: Where will you be touring your show, “”I Remember Sam,”” and how long will you be in those cities?

Vereen: Actually, this is a stop. We’ve been doing the show on and off. It is still in development. So, we still haven’t fine-tuned it yet. The plan is to eventually take it to Europe and bring it back to the United States and paint Broadway with it. It needs fine-tuning. It needs more work. So, this is a work in progress.

W: In what ways has Sammy Davis Jr. been an inspiration in your life?

V: Sammy Davis was “”Cat.”” He was the icon. All of us had dreams of being a song-and-dance man, and listening to Sammy, we wanted to identify with him.

W: You’ve played so many roles – what has maybe impacted you the most?

V: Employment. It impacts us all. But, you know, it’s the wonderful thing about this business. I didn’t think I could make money in this business. I never thought about it. I just love what I do. And, then I learned all these things and then they paid me, too. Wow, it is amazing. So I am blessed, I am really blessed.

W: Is there a role in particular you would have regretted not doing?

V: I’ve got to think about that. (pause) No regrets.

W: What kind of advice would you give young performers starting out in show business?

V: Believe in yourself. Believe in yourself, it is the greatest entity in the entire planet. Within you is a genius. A genius is going to change the world, change the universe, because you came with the seed within you. Find that seed within you and be honest to it with integrity, truth, and it will work for you. Once you’ve learned, read the manual, release it, let it go, and trust.