Review: AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' at Pioneer Theatre Company is a Euphoric Celebration

Pioneer Theatre Company's professional production of AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' is billed as a joyous, feel-good celebration of live theatre, and it doesn't disappoint. As Equity actors solemnly return to PTC's stage after an 18-month absence, they elicit tender emotions that eventually explode in elation.

AIN'T MISBEHAVIN': A FATS WALLER MUSICAL SHOW (conceived by Richard Maltby, Jr. and Murray Horwitz) received the 1978 Tony Award for Best Musical. With no plot to speak of, it's a straight-up revue crafted from the jazz music of Fats Waller, ranging in time from the 1920s to the 1940s.

The success of the show will live or die depending on the magnetism and talent of its cast, and this one has both in spades. Tyla Collier, Tyrick Wiltez Jones, Mariah Lyttle, Terita Redd and DeMone Seraphin serenade, croon, strut, belt and even seduce their way into the hearts of the audience.

The costumes by Sarita Fellows are striking and memorable. The fantastic period set by Jo Winiarski transforms over the tight 90-minute runtime from a shadowed backstage area to a sparkling onstage playground. Visual interest is maintained throughout the show due to the ongoing set changes, vivid lighting by Calvin Anderson, and tight direction and choreography by Gerry McIntire.

The staging of the concert musical is technically scripts-in-hand, but scripts are rarely seen, transcending the genre with clever movement, shapely formations and exciting dance. Even necessary alterations to accommodate an injured cast member don't negatively impact the presentation or dampen the euphoric mood of the cast and celebratory production.

AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' plays through September 25, 2021. For tickets, call the box office at 801-581-6961 or visit www.pioneertheatre.org.

Photo Credit: Cast of AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'