Cool Music for a Hot Summer
Music by Thomas “Fats” Waller, Conceived by Richard Maltby, Jr. Murray Horwitz, Lyrics by Various
Ain’t Misbehavin’ features rollicking, humorous songs in this show’s intoxicating tribute to the music of Fats Waller and Swing musicians he inspired during the 1920’s and 1930’s Harlem Renaissance.
The musical is a tribute to the Black musicians of the 1920s and 1930s who were part of the Harlem Renaissance, an era of growing creativity, cultural awareness, and ethnic pride, and takes its title from the 1929 Fats Waller song “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” It was a time when Manhattan nightclubs like the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom were the playgrounds of high society and Lenox Avenue dives were filled with piano players banging out the new beat known as swing. Six Black performers present an evening of rowdy, raunchy, and humorous songs that encapsulate the various moods of the era and reflect Waller’s view of life as a journey meant for pleasure and play.
The recipient of major recognition including an Olivier Award in London for best musical, a Drama Desk Award for Best Revival of a Musical, and Broadway and Tony awards for Best Musical and Best Revival of a Musical, Aint Misbehavin’ (according to The New York Times reviewer) brings “zing and sparkle” to its audiences. The show includes such favorites as “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “The Joint is Jumpin’,” “Black and Blue,” “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter,” and “I Can’t Give you Anything but Love.”
You will be delighted by joining us for our celebration of the truly legendary jazz great that was Fats Waller and of the Swing music he originated.
Run time: 2 hours & 20 minutes (plus a 15-minute intermission)
Presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI)