For several years, Jon Peterson’s talent has been a well-kept secret.  Having starred on Broadway as The Emcee in Cabaret and subsequently received multiple award nominations for his fantastic portrayal of the title character in off-Broadway’s George M. Cohan Tonight!, Peterson is a British-born performer who most recently wowed audiences playing the lead role of Arthur Kipps in Half a Sixpence at Goodspeed Opera House.  But based on his sensational new show, Song Man Dance Man, which had its New York premiere at The Triad Nov. 25, it’s high-time Peterson’s secret got out.

A “one-man show about the one-man shows,” Song Man Dance Man is a tribute to the great song and dance men who inspired Peterson and in whose company he clearly belongs.  Accompanied by his musical director Michael Lavine and singing songs made famous by Cohan, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Sammy Davis, Jr., Anthony Newley and Charles Aznavour, Peterson has filled his show with biographical tidbits, incredibly corny jokes, and some of the most difficult tap-dancing ever seen in a cabaret.  To say the piece is exhausting for Peterson would be an understatement.  But to say it’s also a thrilling tour-de-force for the audience, who never stop marveling at Peterson’s endless supply of energy, would be an understatement, too.

Peterson’s voice, a lyrical tenor with a throbbing intensity that recalls a young Judy Garland, is a beautiful instrument he applies smartly to material by Cohan, Gershwin, Bock and Bricusse.  It’s passion and ‘ping’ are ideally suited for the material of Anthony Newley so songs from Stop the World… and The Roar of the Greasepaint… are an especially good fit.  But whether singing “Give My Regards to Broadway” or “If I Ruled the World,” the overriding characteristic of Peterson’s vocal performance is his overwhelming sincerity.  When he plants his feet and looks into the lights, it’s the kind of razzle-dazzle showmanship that will send goose-bumps up your spine.  Peterson’s dancing, a breathtaking display of phenomenal taping, expert soft-shoe and old-fashioned hoofing, is never less than dazzling and he integrates his choreography beautifully within his numbers.

But this is also the first incarnation of Song Man Dance Man so there are the inevitable book problems that seem to plague cabaret performers everywhere.  In his zeal to honor so many men, Peterson may have bitten off more than he can chew and I’d recommend streamlining the show substantially in terms of content.  Perhaps just a show focusing on Astaire and Kelly?  Or, better yet, a show solely devoted to Newley, whose life and music are certainly ripe for the picking and for whom Peterson has such a spectacular affinity.  Additionally, Song Man Dance Man jumps around a bit in its narrative and Peterson would benefit from a seasoned director to help him craft his piece into a vehicle worthy of his incredible talent.  Whatever happens, there’s no doubt Song Man Dance Man will return again soon in a new incarnation.  It’s too good not to.  The mystery is why Peterson isn’t starring on Broadway in, well, …anything.

David Hurst
Cabaret Scenes
November 25, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org