Colors of Christmas is back, making its 15th annual appearance at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (CCPA) on Friday, Dec. 14 and Saturday, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m. This year, Peabo Bryson is joined by some of pop music’s favorite performers, including Ben Vereen, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr., and Oleta Adams.
Peabo Bryson has the distinction of being the first singer in music history to have separate singles topping four different charts. “A Whole New World,” which was featured in the Disney movie Aladdin, won an Academy Award for Best Song in 1992, earned him a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal by a Duo or Group, and topped both the pop and adult contemporary charts.
Ben Vereen made his New York stage debut off-off-Broadway in The Prodigal Son at age 18. His background includes a role in the Broadway rock musical Hair, playing Judas in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar and a season with the National Shakespeare Company. He won an Emmy in 1978 for the musical special Ben Vereen…His Roots and has continued to land top supporting roles in both film and television projects such as Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz, Chicago, Fosse, Wicked, Touched by an Angel, Oz and The Intruders.
As original members of The 5th Dimension, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. enjoyed success with such timeless classics as “Wedding Bell Blues,” “One Less Bell to Answer,” “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In,” and “Up-Up and Away,” which won four 1968 Grammy Awards. Together, McCoo and Davis share numerous Grammy Awards, gold records and platinum albums. They continue to collaborate, entertain, and tour together.
Oleta Adams’s rise to fame began when Tears for Fears bandmates Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith discovered the young singer and invited her to sing on their upcoming album. In 1987 The Seeds of Love was released, featuring Adams’ vocals on the songs “Woman in Chains” and “Badman’s Song.”
Adams moved into the Gospel market in 1997 with Come Walk with Me. Her release, “All the Love,” marked her second venture into the gospel realm. She is featured on the benefit album Love Rocks, performing “Window of Hope.” All proceeds from the album benefit the Human Rights Campaign.
The singers will perform their greatest hits and yuletide favorites together and individually, backed by a full orchestra and a gospel choir. Bryson will also perform music from his new CD, Missing You.
Tickets are now on sale at the CCPA Ticket Office and range from $37.50 to $75 for the Friday evening performance and $42.50 to $80 for the Saturday evening and Sunday matinee performance.
The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts is located at 12700 Center Court Drive in Cerritos.
For tickets and more information, call (562) 467-8818 or visit www.cerritoscenter.com.
