**** Recommended Drury Lane Theatre’s production, Ain’t Misbehavin’, is a guaranteed good time. An incredibly talented cast, with the music of the onstage orchestra, makes for a toe-tapping revue celebrating the music of Fats Waller. Ain’t Misbehavin’ is smooth, sexy and polished. I give it 4 Spotlights.
Fats Waller’s first songs, Muscle Shoals Blues and Birmingham Blues – which were not included in this revue – were recorded in 1922 when he was just eighteen years old. He started recording with Victor Records in 1926. His songs were mega-hits during his lifetime; today many have moved into the lexicon of classics.
Beginning with title song, Ain’t Misbehavin’, the talented cast – Sharriese Y. Hamilton, James T. Lane, Alanna Lovely, Alexis J. Roston and Lorenzo Rush, Jr – all blessed with rich, full voices – perform 29 of Fats Waller’s biggest hits. They don’t just sing, they dance, too. They’re all good dancers, but Lorenzo Rush, Jr. gets a special mention. For a large man, he can really move!
In Act I, all three ladies in the cast wore dresses trimmed with sequins for an evening out in the club. The gentlemen were wearing fedoras with their suits. Lorenzo Rush, Jr and Sharriese Y. Hamilton sang a very sultry Honeysuckle Rose, and there might be some hanky-panky going on – maybe a certain man is ignoring his woman and going after a flirty younger woman.
James T Lane showed off his dancing chops in T Ain’t Nobody’s Biz-ness If I Do and The Viper’s Drag in Act II. Everyone sang and danced to The Ladies Who Sing With The Band. I was snapping my fingers to The Joint Is Jumpin’.
The costumes for Act II, includes fur trimmed coats and creamy-colored dresses for the ladies; fur-trimmed coats, elegant suits and hats for the gentlemen, meaning their rendition of Lounging at the Waldorf was very elegant. Later in the act, James and Lorenzo got the audience singing the chorus of a song called Fat And Greasy.
Ain’t Misbehavin’ closes up with a medley including songs like I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself A Letter, Two Sleepy People, I’ve Got My Fingers Crossed, I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” and It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie. A biographical note - I can remember my mother singing at least three of those songs when I was small.
I loved Andrew Boyce’s elegant nightclub set with the bandstand smack in the middle. William Foster McDaniel (Conductor/Piano) took a seat at a piano on a slightly shorter stand in front of the band. To my surprise, the entire piano stand, with McDaniel sitting there, rolled from center stage to the left, to the right and back to center. It even swiveled sideways to show off his flying fingers.
In addition to McDaniel, the Drury Lane Orchestra included Yosef Ben Israel (Bass), Rodney Harper (Drums), Dudley Owens (Clarinet & Tenor Saxophone), Fernando Pullum (Trumpet, Flugelhorn) and Carey Deadman (Musician Contractor).
Ain’t Misbehavin’ runs through August 18th at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. Parking is free. Running time is two hours, 20 minutes, with a 20-minute intermission. Performances are Wednesdays at 1:30 pm; Thursdays at 1:30 & 7:00 pm; Fridays at 7:00 pm; Saturdays at 3:00 and 8:00 pm; Sundays at 2:00 & 6:00 pm. Tickets start at $52.95 (including taxes & fees). FYI (630) 530-0111 or www.drurylanetheatre.com.