Dan's Papers - August 15, 2008 - Review: Ain't Misbehavin' at Bay Street Theatre

More than 30 years ago, Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr. come up with the idea of creating a musical revue based on the songs of "Fats" Waller. The material was there: dozens of songs attributed to Waller, who could be called the urban Cole Porter. Both songwriters boast witty lyrics, catchy titles and memorable tunes. Porter composes more complicated, rangy and well-structured melodies that take off and soar with a great voice, and hold their own even whispered - they have "good bones." Waller's ditties are just that - pleasant, tuneful swing and stride piano numbers that make for pure, easy-going entertainment.

And that is what Bay Street is offering with its production of Ain't Misbehavin' that opened August 8 and runs through August 31. The show, which opened on Broadway in 1978 and starred Nell Carter, won the Tony for Best Musical that year, and Carter won the Tony for Best Featured Actress. It's still a crowd pleaser, as evidenced by the standing ovation the cast received at the end of Saturday's performance.

And while there wasn't a Nell Carter standout, the able cast of singers (a couple of whom were fine dancers) worked well as an ensemble, accompanied by a theater rarity: a live band, this one led by musical director/conductor/pianist William Foster McDaniel.

Based on the original production, Greg Wilson's costumes were evocative of the period, with striped suits (including a Zoot) and spats for the men, patterned dresses and some big hats for the ladies. Jon Savage's set evoked a back room cabaret of the 1920s - no high styled Cotton Club here, but a Lenox Avenue piano bar with an upright, bandstand with velvet skirt hanging for a brass rails, a bar and tables. It was a perfectly workable structure that leant itself easily to a variety of staging.

Marcia Milgrom Dodge's direction had the actors performing almost all numbers with a tongue-in-cheek, wink and nod to the audience. This worked well for the silly and bawdy pieces like "Ain't Nobody's Business if I Do," "Fat and Greasy," and "Your Feet's Too Big" (but that number would've been better if James Alexander as Sweets was on his own feets, rather than seated in a chair).

But for the numbers that could and perhaps should be more hot and steamy rather than light and campy - like "Honeysuckle Rose," "Squeeze Me," "Cash for Your Trash," and "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now," the broad stroke direction didn't quite pay off. The result was a more homogenous approach to the songs, rather than individuating them with a dramatic push in one direction or the other, thus creating more contrast and drama.

The choreography, by Dodge and Associate Choreographer Jim Weaver, was welcomed and one wished there was more of it. Weaver, who also played the role of King, was the most engaging actor for this writer, and his singing/dancing with Monica Patton as Cherry, were highlights of the show.

Another outrageously funny bit - which really did push the boundaries of the song, was "Find Out What They Like," performed by Aurelia Williams (Ruby) and Q. Smith (Queenie). The two women took the number to the far reaches - very successfully. Another highlight was the ensemble piece, "Handful of Keys," at which point the show felt like it was really beginning to take off. The final number, the poignant "Black and Blue," was appropriately serious, with singers standing still, in a half circle, straight out to the audience, their faces in individual spot lights. It was an effective "moment." Indeed, quite a contrast to what had come before.