ben vereen

But while sitcom fame and money are wonderful things, the 55-year-old actor's heart has always been in the theater, specifically musical theater, he said.

Dressed in skinny jeans, flats, a white shirt and still wearing her stage makeup, the petite Ashley Blair Fitzgerald sits cross-legged in a small conference room after her matinee performance in "Smokey Joe's Cafe" at Arena Stage in Washington.

West Friendship: Chili cook-offs are definitely hot stuff. Especially when the spicy delicacy is being prepared by young Mitchell Feaga.