Review of ATC’s Production of “Ain’t Misbehavin’”
by Marc Hansen
ATC’s revival of the classic Fats Waller musical “Ain’t Misbehavin,’” which won 7 Tony awards back in its heyday, is fantastic. The play does a magnificent job of bringing you back to the swinging, jazz filled 1920s. By the end, you really feel like you’ve just spent the night in a different era. Featuring 30 of Fats Waller and others hits, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” hits all the right notes.
“Ain’t Misbehavin’” isn’t a typical plot-driven play and as someone who loves stories, a great one would’ve only made it better, but a bad one could have also brought it down. The production is, instead, a collection of songs detailing the rise of Fats Waller and a tribute to the black musicians of the 1920s and ‘30s who were part of the Harlem Renaissance in New York City. There’s not much to dislike about “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (named after the Fats Waller song that opens the show) and it remains perfectly enjoyable, even without a plot. Besides, having a story only would’ve taken away from the production’s greatest accomplishment - the wonderful atmosphere it creates. Through the use of music, light, set design, and costumes, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” takes you to a new world, and makes you forget your own.
The stage has been transformed to look like a ‘40s nightclub with a disco ball and a piano that impressively moves around the stage. The ladies’ elaborate gowns only add to the illusion that we actually are in a ‘40s club and the way the light is used to create mood is incredible. The lights are perfectly dimmed in slow ballads, where you feel like just closing you eyes, curling up with a loved one, and letting the music take you in, but during the bright, jumpy swing numbers, the lights are bright and dramatic, more representative of the music’s poppy exuberance. Credit also has to go to the jazz musicians that give the production its playful energy. After all, what would a Fats Waller musical be without musicians that do its composer justice? Luckily from Darryl G. Ivey on keyboards to Thomas A. Fries on drums the band members are all top notch.
The cast is similarly excellent, from Angela Grovey’s spunky wit to Christopher L. Morgan as the charming goofball. And though they all have boisterous voices, Ken Robinson’s ability to hold a note stands out, as he proved in “Honeysuckle Rose.” Rebecca Covington and Aurelia Williams round out the cast, and while Covington has an undescribable, but immediate likeability (she even does a piece where she sings bad, in character), Williams, or the character she played, is a little too over the top. Either way, her loudness was mildly annoying.
But really, the star of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is Fats Waller, himself. It’s his playful energy and sense of ethnic pride that seeps through the performances. It’s everywhere, in the hilarious “Your Feet’s Too Big,” about dumping a woman because of her overly large feet, in the literally jumping Act 1 Finale “The Joint is Jumpin’” and in the ode to pianos “Handful of Keys,” in which the quintet cleverly sing like a piano (Robinson’s low bass note boops to the others’ high note bops). The production’s wit and energy is infectious, and it’s impossible to leave without a smile on your face. There’s always a certain joy in the meaningful plays that really get at something deep, but sometimes, as “Ain’t Misbehavin’” proves, it’s just nice to sit back and be entertained.
The only misstep in the songs is Morgan’s drawn out “The Viper’s Drag,” in which Morgan flaunts off his muscular physique as he seduces the crowd. Morgan just didn’t work for me as the bad-boy sexy type, especially after he had already been established as a lovable goofball, a la Clark Gable in It Happened One Night. That slight misstep was quickly forgiven though with the beautiful harmonies between the cast in the moving “Black and Blue,” by far the best performance in the production. Though you might think this would be likely to put the audience to sleep, because it’s so calming, the opposite is actually true. It’s so startingly good that we’re more awake than ever, and ready for the finale.
The production truly takes you back to a different time, a place you may not have even known about, but believe me, you’ll be glad to have taken the journey. Buying the soundtrack just wouldn’t be the same, because you’d miss out on all the crazy hijinks, the humorous facial expressions, and the pure, raw electricity from the actors playing off the audience. “Ain’t Misbehavin’” may not have a plot, but that’s only because its job is to transport you back to the era, and let you create the story for yourself.
Overall Grade: A-
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