In response to requests from residents and visitors alike, the Miami Beach Stage Door Theatre will present a limited run of Song Man Dance Man, the widely acclaimed one-man show that played to enthusiastic audiences in its run at the theatre last year.
Song Man Dance Man will open on Friday, January 20, with performances throughout the weekends of January 20 and January 27. The one-man show about one-man shows was created and performed by Jon Peterson, emcee from Broadway’s revival of “Cabaret” and Drama Desk Nominee for the title role in the off-Broadway production “George M. Cohan Tonight!”
Peterson’s performance is a joyous celebration of seven consummate artists who captured the eyes, ears and hearts of their audiences: Fred Astaire andGene Kelly, whose unique styles transformed the movie musical; Donald O’Connor and Sammy Davis, Jr., both geniuses who had to struggle for appropriate recognition; Bobby Darin, who made the leap from ‘50s pop-star to sophisticated concert artist; the eccentric, brilliant Anthony Newley, whose pulsating, emotional style reverberated throughout the musical theater world; and, of course, George M. Cohan, who invented the song and dance man.
“Though the era of the song-and-dance man has faded into history, Peterson belongs in the company of those multifaceted entertainers, including the seven he honors in his solo show,” wrote Christine Dolen, veteran critic at The Miami Herald.,
Accolades such as “a true theatrical fusion reactor,” “galvanic performance,” “a storm of show business energy” and “ferociously talented” were just part of British-born Peterson’s motivation in creating his own one-man show, a musical tribute to song and dance stars of yesteryear.
“I wanted to remind people of just how good it can be; of how magical the world of show business was in those golden days because of these performers,” says Peterson about why he was motivated to create the one-man show. “The dazzling talent and charisma of these artists inspire life-changing devotion.”
For a YouTube glimpse of Peterson’s tour de force in a production of “Song Man Dance Man” in Las Vegas, visit http://bit.ly/nLde0g.
With personality and talent to spare, portraying multiple artistic personalities is not a stretch for Peterson. When Song Man Dance Man made its New York debut in 2008, Cabaret Scenes reported: “When he (Peterson) plants his feet and looks into the lights, it’s the kind of razzle-dazzle showmanship that will send goose bumps up your spine…”
Performance Schedule: January 20-22 and January 27-29
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Saturdays and Sundays at 2 PM. Tickets are $38 for all performances except for Saturday evenings, priced at $42. Tickets are available at the Box Office at Miami Beach Stage Door Theatre at the Byron Carlyle, 500 71st Street, Miami Beach, by calling (305) 397-8977. For further information, please go to www.miamibeachstage.org
