It wasn't until 1950 that she made her Broadway debut in Alive and Kicking . During that production, Verdon met and began working with famed choreographer Jack Cole who is revered as "the Father of Theatrical Jazz Dance." Her dancing wasn't the only talent contributing to her meteoric rise to fame. She garnered a reputation for bringing depth as an actress to all of the roles that she played. Verdon's big break was in 1953 when she stole the show in Can-Can. She went on to win a Tony Award for her performance. Over the next six years, she would go on to win three more.