Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Presents AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' 4/30-5/29

The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park ends its Marx Theatre season with the music of jazz great Fats Waller in AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'. This supercharged sizzle of song and dance will run April 30 through May 29 in the Robert S. Marx Theatre.

From the comedy of "Your Feet's Too Big" to "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now," this Tony Award-winning Broadway favorite features more than 30 toe-tapping songs and promises an evening of high-energy, crowd-pleasing entertainment.

The show originally opened at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 1978 with Irene Cara. Its Broadway production (directed by Richard Maltby, Jr.) enjoyed a 1,604-performance run and, throughout its run, a cast of stars including Nell Carter, Debbie Allen and Adriane Lenox.

In 1978, the Manhattan Theatre Club developed the Broadway show based on Fats Waller's music. The production also enjoyed success on London's West End. The original production won the 1978 Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical and was nominated for Best Choreography and Best Featured Actress in a Musical, also winning several Drama Desk Awards. The original cast was broadcast on NBC, winning several Emmys for the performance and the show has toured nationwide, most recently featuring American Idol stars Frenchie Davis and Ruben Studdard in the 30th anniversary national tour.

The Playhouse's first production of AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' came at the end of Ed Stern's first year as Producing Artistic Director 18 years ago. "I deliberately ended with AIN'T MISBEHAVIN', thinking audiences would have a grand old time," said Stern. "Coming out of a year of getting settled, it was a pleasure to end the season with a theatrical celebration that only theatre can do." Stern said audience members were clearly enjoying the show, with some of them fighting the urge to dance in the aisles. "Eighteen years later, I loved the idea of having that memory come back to life."

Arthur Faria, who designed the original musical staging and choreography for AIN'T MISBEHAVIN', is now directing and choreographing The Playhouse's production.

Other members of the artistic team include Music Director William Foster McDaniel, Co-Set Designers John Lee Beatty and Kacie Hultgren, Original Costume Design by Randy Barcelo, Costume Design

Re-creation and Additional Costume Design by Gail Baldoni, Lighting Designer Pat Collins and Sound Designer Matt Kraus.

The Stage Manager is Andrea L. Shell, Second Stage Manager is Jenifer Morrow and Assistant Stage Manager is Jamie Lynne Sullivan.

The cast of Ain't Misbehavin' includes Doug Eskew (Thunder Knocking on the Door) as Ken, EuGene Barry-Hill as Andre, Debra Walton as Charlayne, Julia Lema (A Brief History of White Music) as Nell/Dance Captain and Cynthia Thomas as Armelia. Musicians include Jim Anderson (Bass), Art Gore (Drums), Michael D. Wade (Trumpet/Flugelhorn) and Marc Fields (Trombone).

Prices for AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' range from $25-$67, depending on day and seat location. New this season, tickets are just $25 for the preview performances at 8 p.m. Friday, April 30; 8 p.m. Saturday, May 1; 2 p.m. Sunday, May 2; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 4; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 5. Some restrictions apply. The official opening night is Thursday, May 6 at 8 p.m.

Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 4 and 8 p.m. on Saturdays; and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets to AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' are on sale now. For more information, call The Playhouse box office at 513/421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at 800/582-3208) or visit www.cincyplay.com. Call 513/345-2248 for TDD accessibility.

The Playhouse is supported, in part, by the generosity of the tens of thousands of individuals and businesses that give to the Fine Arts Fund. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund The Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

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