Looking for rollicking tunes, heartfelt love songs, skilled dancing, raunchy fun and one of the best casts assembled at the Cleveland Play House in ages? You can get all that and more at the smash hit Ain't Misbehavin', now in its final weekend.
Fats Waller, one of the most prolific African-American songwriters of the 1920s and 30s, would be proud of this production. Innovative in more ways than one, this production, co-produced with
Arizona Theatre Company and
San Jose Repertory Theatre, closes Sunday, but then heads to San Jose to play for two more weeks, and a good thing it does. If you have the money and can't make it by Sunday, fly yourself to San Jose! The stellar direction by
Kent Gash is only enhanced by the top-notch cast, all of which are members of
Actors' Equity, the performer's union, and the union really earns it's stripes in this show.
A two-hour nonstop smorgasbord of some of the best jazz music ever written, Ain't Misbehavin' rarely misses a beat and when it does, it's usually intentional. With a cast with almost no weak links, a band that could rival
Glenn Miller's and solid set design by
Emily Beck and lighting design by William H. Grant, III, who designed the African-American Broadway production of
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, this production deserves to run far longer than its short two week engagement.
The cast, who between the five of them have performed on what seems like almost every major stage in the country, form a tight ensemble that play off of each other almost flawlessly. The only weak link in the entire group, and when I say weak, I mean at 93% strength vs. 100%, is
Ken Robinson, who at several points seemed to almost be cruising just below the speed limit. Otherwise, the highlights abound. From
Christopher Morgan's electric take on "The Viper's Drag" and "The Reefer Song", in which he oozes sensuality and slight insanity all at the same time, for over 7 minutes, to
Angela Grovey's amazing emotional turns; one moment a brassy, bruising broad in "Lounging at the Waldorf", the next, as vulnerable and still as one could be while singing the classic, "Mean to Me," both the men and the women make this two hours an evening to remember.
The rest of the cast gives us their all as well:
Rebecca Covington's rendition of "Keepin' Out of Mischief" had me beaming in my seat, and
AureLia Williams' stunning comedic turn in "When the Nylons Bloom Again" had me in stitches. The cast continually weaves a beautiful picture of five cool cats having the time of their lives as the sing beautifully in tune with each other. The highlight of the night, however, came right before the final encore set, when the lights went dark, overhead spots illuminated each member of the cast, and the most beautiful rendition of "Black and Blue" that I've heard in years was sung with simplicity, honesty and pain. All in all, an eminently satisfying, never dragging show. Only one quibble with the production value of the show: can we get some equilibrium in the sound mixing. Now, I recognize that having lived in New York City for several years, I've been spoiled by Broadway budgets and sound designs that sound like I'm in a studio listening to a 7.1 surround sound system, but the harmonies, while very beautiful, could have benefited from a steadier hand at the board tonight.
Ain't Misbehavin' plays four more times at the Bolton Theatre: Friday and Saturday at 8pm, Saturday at 3:00pm and Sunday at 2:00pm. Run, don't walk to catch what will surely be an incredible start to an incredible year for the
Cleveland Play House!
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