Schticky "Ain't Misbehavin'" at Longwharf a muscial revue

by Kory Loucks

NEW HAVEN - Think of the heydays of The Cotton Club in Harlem with Duke Ellington, Cab Caloway, and the hep cat jazz musician and entertainer Fats Waller.

That’s the era of the award-winning musical "Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Fats Waller Musical Show" - a revival that is cutting the rug and having a ball at the Long Wharf theatre through Nov. 20.

Waller was one of the greatest jazz pianists of the 1920s and 1930s, according to the helpful and informative playbill, and wrote and recorded many of the many songs in this musical revue.

The show is really more of a cabaret revue than a musical, since it’s based jazz pianist and musician Waller’s songs, without a plot.

Some of the more familiar of these old numbers would be the title song "Ain’t Misbehavin’." along with "T’Ain’t Nobody’s Business if I Do," "I Can’t Give You Anything But Love," and "Honeysuckle Rose."

The playbill also includes an informative glossary of jive talk, which is very useful. For example, the word "Viper" means drug dealer, while "woofing" is aimless talk, "bust one’s conk" is to work hard, and "July Jam" is something really hot.

This is a show of originals, with Richard Maltby Jr. directing the same show that garnered him a 1978 Tony Award, along with the choreographer Arthur Faria, returning to recreate the original dances that are so much a part of this production.

For those interested in meeting the show’s creator, Maltby is going to speak after the 2 p.m. matinee performance on Sunday, Nov. 13.

All the talented performers are also "Ain’t Misbehavin’" veterans. They know this music well and clearly have a great time doing their bits alone and together.

Eugene Barry-Hill is suave and silky as Andre, although all the character names are superfluous. He dances like a cloud, and is especially magnetic when he sings and dances the sultry, smooth "The Viper Drag," also known as "The Reefer Song."

Barry-Hill and Doug Eskew as Ken sing the rousing "Fat and Greasy" at the beginning of the second act that really got the crowd going on opening night Wednesday.

Many in the audience must have seen this show before, because they treated it like a concert and were singing loudly to many of the songs and were even giving audible running commentaries about how they liked the performances.

Eskew has a smile as big as all outdoors and he turns up those pearly whites to great affect at every opportunity. His comic song "Your Feet’s Too Big" is silly and delightful.

Cynthia Thomas plays Armelia with a sassy, vampy charm. Sometimes she sings in an annoying cutesy voice, but I think that’s intentional and part of the 1920s style.
Kecia Lewis-Evans, who understudied for Nell Carter in the original 1978 Broadway production, has a hearty, stunning voice that is a pleasure to hear.

Both Thomas and Lewis-Evans are full figured gals and they make the most of their cleavage - a schtick that gets tiresome by the middle of the first act.

Debra Walton plays Charlayne with kewpie doll charm. The diminutive performer, along with Barry-Hill, are both strongest when they dance. Her singing was tight at the start, Wednesday, but as the show progressed it improved, and by the end it was excellent.

The five also make a lovely ensemble, blending together in beautiful harmony and backed by a strong, tuneful band.

The single set designed by John Lee Beatty has a large arch in the back and rounded Art Deco railings on the bandstand. It’s functional and looks much like a cabaret or nightclub space.

Costume Designer Gail Baldoni has the actors decked out in bright, sparkly, snazzy outfits, with three-piece suits for the men and numerous flowing, low-cut dresses for the women. I particularly like the color-coordinated broad-brim hats for the gals that cleverly transform into cloche hats.

At one point in the show Thomas as Armelia mentions that Waller would sell his songs along Tin Pan Alley but write and play a whole different style of music in Harlem.
I only wish that the whole show had been interspersed with more colorful anecdotes about the fascinating Waller and his interesting life story. It would make the show much more compelling and cohesive, and fulfilling.

That observation aside, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is a rollicking, rolling, feisty, and fun night full of solid songs and swell dancing from an jazzy era long gone but not forgotten.

3 ½ Stars
AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’
Theater: Long Wharf Theatre
Location: 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven
Production: Conceived by Richard Maltby Jr. and Murray Horwitz. Created and directed by Maltby. Choreographed by Arthur Faria. Musical adaptations, orchestrations, and arrangements by Luther Henderson. Vocal and musical concepts by Jeffrey Gutcheon, with musical arrangements by Gutcheon and William Elliott. Set design by John Lee Beatty. Costume design by Gail Baldoni. Lighting design by Pat Collins. Sound design by Tom Morse.
Running time: 2 ½ hours plus one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through Nov. 20.
Tickets: $40 to $70. For more information call their box office at 203-787-4282, or visit their website at www.longwharf.org

ACTOR ... CHARACTER
Euegene Barry-Hill ... Andre
Doug Eskew ... Ken
Kecia Lewis-Evans ... Nell
Cynthia Thomas ... Armelia
Debra Walton ... Charlayne