Peri Lyons has a lot going for her: good looks, a nice voice (when she sticks to the lower registers), a bubbly personality, and an easy laugh. Moreover, as a songwriter, she pleases with witty lyrics and definable, melodic tunes that many a vocalist could make hay with.  Fame is the show’s target, and Lyon’s songs, including several of her own, effectively put a pin in the celebrity balloon.

But before she delivers a really professional, polished show, Lyons has a way to go.  In trying to achieve spontaneity at the Metropolitan Room, she offered rambling patter and ineffective segues. And despite two sessions at the O’Neill Cabaret Symposium, Lyons has yet to learn, when singing, to turn her attentions away from the spotlight and truly connect with her audience.  Overdone gestures and body language do not replace an artistic interaction with those in the room.

Still, with her strong points, the potential is there.  More attention to the show’s structure, a tighter grip on her patter and a disciplined director might well do wonders for Lyons’ cabaret future.

Peter Leavy
Cabaret Scenes
September 2, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org