"George M. Cohan Tonight!" comes to Worcester, MA. **my review**

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 11/12/06 at 1:33am

Give My Regards To…Worcester?
GEORGE M. COHAN TONIGHT makes its New England Premiere!


When I first heard George M. Cohan Tonight! was coming to Foothills Theatre in Worcester, MA, I was ecstatic. Not only did it feature music from one of the best musical composers, but it also starred one of my favorite performers, Jon Peterson. Put these two together and you’re bound to have a stellar show. Cohan’s music gave American musical its snap and in return, Mr. Peterson gives Cohan’s story its spunk.

The show opens in what appears to be an old prop room. Crates, ladders, a coat rack, and many other various props decorate the vicinity. In the darkness, steps George M. Cohan (Peterson). He begins to perform a tap dance routine and starts to sing “Hello, Broadway!” and with a smile, he reels you in. What follows is sheer magic – through song, dance, and plenty of hilarious impressions (including a fellow female vaudevillian, his own father, mother and sister and an old school principal), Mr. Peterson breathes life into Cohan’s history.

Starting with the basic facts of Cohan’s existence; his traveling family, his lack of formal education, and his birthday of the “fourth of July”, George tells the audience of how his family “criss-crossed this continent ten times” when he was a boy. He tells us of how he was brought up in theatre, thus learning all its aspects. But most of all, he provides us musical interludes –“Josephine”, an ode to his sister, Josie, who appeared alongside him in most of his family’s shows and later, his own shows; “My Father Told Me”, a song telling of how George’s father would offer him advice about the show business (“Do what you love/the money will find you/my father is a truly wise man/I only hope the money knows it too”); “You Won’t Do Any Business If You Haven’t Got A Band”, a rousing tale of how his parents met misfortune when they tried playing a town without a band (it was a popular notion at the time for traveling vaudeville companies to have a band). There are far too many numbers, but each is delivered with brilliance and zest by Mr. Peterson, who has a truly magnificent voice.

The story of Cohan itself isn’t too hard to follow. It’s a rag to riches tale of the little guy with big dreams. In all fairness, George M. Cohan was a possibility thinker. Though people gave him a hard time for his lack of formal education, his brashness and his egotistical behavior, he truly was a gifted man with a vision – to revise the American musical as we know it.

However, the real magic of this show is in the form of Jon Peterson. Breaking only to take an occasional sip of water, he turns the 90 minute revue into an extravaganza of tapping, singing, and true wit. He gives the show its soul and depth – especially when we are nearing the end of Cohan’s life. He croons “Mary’s A Grand Old Name” and “Josephine (Reprise)”, talking about the sudden death of Josie and his father, his failed marriage, and ailing friend and partner, Sam Harris.
It’s hard to explain in words the wonder he creates. At the end of the night, I was completely mesmerized by how he completely and totally made the audience feel like they were part of this story. And even though at points in the show where he was like a ping-pong ball, bouncing all around the stage (and sometimes not even letting the audience react to the his witty lines or wonderful singing) by the time he sat down and sang “Life’s A Funny Proposition After All” (“Life's a very funny proposition, you can bet/And no one's ever solved the problem properly as yet/Young for a day, then old and gray/Like the rose that buds and blooms and fades and falls away/Losing health to gain our wealth as through this dream we tour/Ev'rything's a guess and nothing's absolutely sure/Battles exciting and fates we're fighting until the curtain falls/Life's a very funny proposition after all”); he slowed down just enough for the audience to fully appreciate his talent.

What impressed me more than his terrific dancing ability was the fact that he never once appeared winded. During one number, he jumped on top of a crate and still kept on tapping. After which, he launched into another anecdote. Instead of sounding out of breath, he just proceeded with the next bit as though that big dance routine he did was nothing at all. Even though he is a truly gifted entertainer, what is so astonishing is his sincere kindness to all his admirers. I was waiting with my mother in the lobby afterwards because I wanted to see Jon and give him some flowers. He came out and talked with everyone who had also been waiting. Each person was important to him and even though he had just performed a tremendous show, he took the time to speak with all those who were there to see him.

It takes a good actor to put on a show. It takes an exceptional one to draw a crowd and make the performance memorable.



George M. Cohan Tonight! is running through to the 19th of November at Foothills Theatre, 100 Front Street, City Square, Worcester, MA. All shows are at 8 pm, with exception of Thursday (there will be a 2 pm matinee). For more ticket and seating information, please go to http://www.foothillstheatre.com/

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/12/06 at 1:36am

Great review, snookums!

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 11/12/06 at 1:41am

Thanks. :)

Also -- I should add;

I talked to Jon afterwards and he will be taking a week's break after the show ends at Foothills. After which, he will be heading up to Rochester, New York for three weeks to star in GMC. I'm not sure of the dates or location, but there will probably be more info on his official site as the time draws nearer.

And - on November 18th (this is at Foothills) from 12pm to 1pm, he will be giving a tap dance lesson for all interested patrons.