Ain’t Misbehavin’
Stageworks Theatre, 1120 E. Kennedy Blvd., West Bldg., Tampa, through May 17. Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m. (Sun. at 3 p.m. is sold out.) $30. 813-374-2416,
stageworkstheatre.org.
As far as musical revues go, Ain’t Misbehavin’ is about as good as it gets. Unencumbered by such standard dramatic conventions as plot, conflict and characterization, the 1978 Tony winner focuses instead solely on the tunes. And oh, what tunes these are. Thomas “Fats” Waller (1904-1943) was one of the most influential jazz artists of the Harlem Renaissance, whose joie de vivre colored everything he did, from his writing to his playing to (if the lyrics to his songs are any indication) his loving.
So the show (currently being performed at Stageworks through May 17) is, of course, a joyous history lesson — a slice of jazz greatness that’s too cool for school. But first and foremost it’s also about something much more universal. It’s the war between the sexes, boys and girls. And in the exuberant world of Waller, the battlefield has moved to the playground and everyone has brought their best toys to the fray. The resulting clash, between love and lust, or some strange hybrid of the two, makes for an endlessly (though the time flies by for a piece that’s just under two hours) fascinating show.
Thankfully, director Erica Sutherlin [Full disclosure: She and I both teach at Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School] knew to leave well enough alone and let the music speak for itself, casting an extraordinarily talented quintet of performers who fit the songs like a glove (which can often be the hardest thing of all for a director). Naomy Ambroise, petite and adorable, moves seamlessly from coquette to vixen, often in the course of a few minutes. Tia Jemison, she of the expressive face, has a Ph.D in comic timing. LaToya McCormick’s voice is a force of nature, and her duet with Jemison, “Find Out What They Like,” grows positively steamy with sass.
The men fare just as well. Frank J. Edmondson III is a Waller look-alike (there is one in every production of Ain’t Misbehavin’, it seems) and has exactly the kind of voice you would expect to call out to you from across the smoky bar at 3 in the morning. His “Your Feet’s Too Big” is a comic highlight. Tron Montgomery is the unrepentant horndog of the group, strutting from conquest to conquest with the Cheshire cat smile capable of charming one’s knickers off.
The set by Frank Chavez — “a club where the drinks are cold and the music is hot” — adds a nice touch of faux realism to the proceedings, and the costumes, also by Chavez, are beautifully of the period. The choreography by Rodney Hamilton is fun without being flashy.
On the flip side, however, Megan Byrne’s lighting can best be described as murky. Likewise, the positioning of actors on stage is sometimes a bit wonky — one scene in particular, where McCormick was more or less center stage alone watching as others performed stage left, was especially lopsided.
And why isn’t the band listed in the program? I’m guessing David Estevez, the musical director, was playing the piano — but who were the other two? And why weren’t they recognized?
But these are small things, really. I mean, who has time to quibble when the piece as a whole has more than enough energy to spare? The revue may be 37 years old and the music in the popular repertoire for almost a century, but it feels alive and young and vital and fresh, unencumbered by anything more than the joy of a night well spent in the company of wine, women and song.
This article appears in May 7-13, 2015.