Portland Stage and Maine State Music Theatre Present AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'

Portland Stage's collaboration with Maine State Music Theatre continues with a production of Ain't Misbehavin':The Fats Waller Musical Showfrom August 6 to September 1.Tickets range from $47 - $57. Premium on-stage seating (four seats per performance) are available for and upcharge of $10.

Ain't Misbehavin'marks the fourth collaboration between Portland Stage and Maine State Music Theatre. This Tony Award-winning show features approximately 30 "Fats" Waller songs in dazzling high-energy performances by an amazingly talented ensemble who transport audiences to a Harlem cabaret.

"We've got tap, swing, boogie...there isn't a moment where the stage isn't alive," says the show's director E. Faye Butler. "When you walk into the theater, it's not a theater. It's a 1930s night club..." complete with on-stage seating for audience members. These special premium seats (four per show) are available for an uncharge of $15 (or $10 for anyone who has already purchased tickets) and can be purchased only through phone or in person.

But the show is more than a musical revue of Fats Waller songs. The songs musically reflect the the The Harlem Renaissance - the first time in history that a concentration of black artists and political consciousness came together in one place. "It's black history, but it's also American history," says Butler. "Every city in America has their own history of the Harlem Renaissance."

The Harlem Renaissance launched many black American artists to popular recognition, including Waller. The mood of the show runs from the melancholy "Black and Blue" to the hilarious "Your Feet's Too Big" to the swinging title song "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love.".
The show is directed by E. Faye Butler (MSMT's Sophisticated Ladies) and choreographed by Kenny Ingram (MSMT's Sophisticated Ladies).
The cast includes Jonathan Adriel (TV's House of Cards; Washington Wizards Dancer); Dwelvan David (1st National Tour: Finding Neverland; The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess); Qiana McNary (Ursula, The Little Mermaid); Renelle Nicole (Crystal, Little Shop of Horrors at Mercury Theatre); La'Nette Wallace (Broadway: Ruben and Clay's Family Fun Christmas).

Music director is Roderick Demmings, Jr., scenic designer is Anita Stewart, costume designer is Kathleen P. Brown, lighting designer is Gregg Carville, sound designer is Travis Wright, and stage manager is Shane Van Vliet.

The show is sponsored by Goodwin Motor Group. Spotlight Sponsor is HM Payson, and media support is by The Portland Press Herald.

All performances are at Portland Stage, 25A Forest Avenue, Portland. Purchase Tickets at portlandstage.org or call the box office for more information at 207.774.0465.

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