AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'

(Music by Fats Waller, arranged by Luther Henderson, Jeffrey Gutcheon and William Elliott: Conceived by Richard Maltby Jnr.)

Longacre Theatre, Broadway 8th February, 1978 (1604 perfs)
Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical 1978

"Ain't Misbehavin' is a rhapsodic treatment of 30 songs and piano solos (newly equipped with words) either composed, collaborated on or else simply recorded by the great "Fats" Waller" - Douglas Watt - New York Daily News

 

Synopsis

The show brings to life the whole world that Fats Waller lived in and largely represented: Harlem in the 30s - the Golden Age of places like The Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom, the honky-tonk dives along Lenox avene, of rent parties, of stride piano players and the new beat, swing. In a deceptively simple but dazzling set that suggests all at once a Harlem nightclub stage, a Harlem street, a 30s radio and a giant jukebox, Ain't Misbehavin' evokes a whole sense of jazz worlds - uptown and downtown, raffish and posh, funny and startlingly beautiful.

The atmosphere of the '20s, '30s and '40s is evoked rather than recreated.

Principals: 2 Male, 3 Female

Musical Numbers:

For the sake of identity, the singers listed for each song are those who performed in the original Broadway show - Nell Carter, Andre de Shields, Armelia McQueen, Ken Page and Charlaine Woodard.

• Ain't Misbehavin' (1929) - Company - Music by Thomas Waller and Harry Brooks; Lyric by Andy Razaf
• Lookin' Good But Feelin' Bad (1929) - Company - Lyric by Lester A. Santly
• 'T Ain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do (1922) - Andre & Company - (The first song recorded by Fats Waller) Music and Lyric by Porter Grainger and Everett Robbins: Additional Lyric by Richard Maltby, Jnr., and Murray Horwitz
• Honeysuckle Rose (1929) - Ken & Nell - Lyric by Andy Razaf
• Squeeze Me (1925) - Armelia - Lyric by Clarence Williams
• Handful of Keys (1933) - Company - (Piano introduction: Original Fats Waller recording) - Lyric by Richard Maltby, Jnr., and Murray Horwitz (based on an idea by Marty Grosz) Vocal Arrangement by William Elliott
• I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling (1929) - Nell & Company - Music by Thomas Waller and Harry Link; Lyric by Billy Rose
• How Ya Baby (1938) - Andre, Charlaine & Company - Lyric by J.C. Johnson
• The Jitterbug Waltz (1942) - Company - Lyric by Richard Maltby, Jnr: Vocal Arrangement by William Elliott
• The Ladies Who Sing with the Band (1943) - Andre & Ken - Lyric by George Marion, Jnr.
• Yacht Club Swing (1938) - Charlaine - Music by Thomas Waller and Herman Autrey; Lyric by J.C. Johnson
• When the Nylons Bloom Again (1943) - Armelia, Charlaine & Nell - Lyric by George Marion, Jnr.
• Cash for Your Trash (1942) - Nell - Lyric by Ed Kirkeby
• Off-Time (1929) - Company - Music by Thomas Waller and Harry Brooks; Lyric by Andy Razaf
• The Joint Is Jumpin' (1938) - Company - Lyric by Andy Razaf and J.C. Johnson
• Spreadin' Rhythm Around (1935) - Company - Music by Jimmy McHugh; Lyric by Ted Koehler: Additional Lyric by Richard Maltby, Jnr
• Lounging at the Waldorf (1936) - Armelia, Charlaine, Ken & Nell - Lyric by Richard Maltby, Jnr.: Vocal Arrangement by William Elliott
• The Viper's Drag (1934) - Andre & Company
• The Reefer Song (Traditional)
• Mean to Me (1929) - Nell - Music and Lyric by Roy Turk and Fred E Ahlert
• Your Feet's Too Big (1936) - Ken - Music and Lyric by Ada Benson and Fred Fisher
• That Ain't Right (1943) - Andre, Armelia & Company - Music and Lyric by Nat King Cole : Additional Lyric by Richard Maltby, Jnr- and Murray Horwitz
• Keepin' Out of Mischief Now (1932) - Charlaine - Lyric by Andy Razaf
• Find Out What They Like (1929) - Armelia & Nell - Lyric by Andy Razaf
• Fat and Greasy (1936) - Andre & Ken - Music and Lyric by Porter Grainger and Charlie Johnson
• Black and Blue (1929) - Company - Music by Thomas Waller and Harry Brooks; Lyric by Andy Razaf : Vocal Arrangement by William Elliott
• I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter (1933) - Ken - Music by Fred E. Ahlert; Lyric by Joe Young
• Two Sleepy People (1938) - Armelia & Ken - Music by Hoagy Carmichael; Lyric by Frank Loesser
• I've Got My Fingers Crossed (1935) - Charlaine, Armelia & Ken - Music by Jimmy McHugh; Lyric by Ted Koehler
• I Can't Give You Anything But Love (1928) - Andre & Charlaine - Music by Jimmy McHugh; Lyric by Dorothy Fields
• It's a Sin to Tell a Lie (1933) - Nell & Company - Music and Lyric by Billy Mayhew

Instrumentation:

Piano (2); Saxophone; Drums: Bass; Clarinet; Trumpet; Trombone

Discography:

OBC 78 - RCA 02965 (2)
ARC 95 - RCA 68415
BRC 95 - First Night CAST 53

Detail from the cover of the OBC Recording

Rights Holder : UK - Josef Weinberger : USA - Music Theatre International