first night review: ain't misbehavin' - the fats waller musical show @ Le petit theatre

The cast of Ain't Misbehavin' (photo Brittney Werner)

​Ain't Misbehaving: The Fats Waller Musical Show @ Le Petit Theatre
Review by Beth D'Addono

Fats Waller isn’t from New Orleans, but thanks to the showstopping performances of the local
cast of Ain’t Misbehavin’, he might as well be. This brilliant rendition of the 1978 Grammy
award winning tribute musical brings impressive New Orleans talent to the Le Petit Theatre stage
with every shake, shimmy and song. It’s a musical feel-good celebration guaranteed to deliver
toe-tapping joy, and who doesn’t need that right about now?

Donald Jones-Bordenave brings it as the show’s director and choreographer and in one of the
starring roles, showcasing both his impressive moves and his resonant pipes. Joining him onstage
with charisma, talent and sass to burn, are Danielle Edinburgh Wilson, Rahim Glaspy, Jarrell
Hamilton, and Kadejah Onē. Each actor puts their whole heart and soul into solos and ensemble
performances worthy of the Broadway stage.

Delivering pathos, sex appeal, humor and plenty of double entendres, the cast crushes with some
of the best-known tunes from the Tin Pan Alley artist’s canon. Of course, there’s the title song,
“Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” and a red-hot duet of “Honeysuckle Rose,” and the hits just keep coming.
“Tain’t Nobody’s Biz-ness if I Do,” “Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now,” “I’m Gonna Sit Right
Down and Write Myself a Letter,” “Mean to Me,” “The Jitterbug Waltz,” “The Viper’s Drag,”
“Fat and Greasy,” “Black and Blue” and “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” offer a glimpse
of the composer’s genius. He only lived 39 short years, but with more than 400 songs to his
credit, his legacy is epic.

The New York-born Waller was part of the Harlem Renaissance. His innovations with stride
piano – which means playing bass with the left hand, melody with the right – remains a
foundation for modern jazz piano. If you love James Booker, that’s another reason to see this
show. Booker was a master of New Orleans flavored stride piano, inspired by Morton as well as
our own Professor Longhair.

The action takes place in an impressive bi-level night club setting from Bethany Lee, with
sumptuous costumes from Tiffany Sherrif and hair and make-up from Chazonia Lewis. This
song and dance revue is fueled by a kick ass seven-piece band: piano player Max DoVale,
Utopia Francois and Nicholas Harrison on alto and tenor sax, Cam Michal Clark on trumpet, Ian
Monroe on bass, Peter Gustafson on trombone and John Jones on drums.

​The flirtations and mini dramas onstage unfold easily. There’s no real story to follow. Instead, the thrum of incandescent home-grown musical talent impresses until the last note is sung, the last step danced. Get your tickets now – this show is a winner.

“Ain’t Misbehavin’” runs through June 22 at Le Petit Theatre, with shows Thursday through
Sunday.  Students of all ages get discounted tickets and groups of 10 or more can use code GROUP to save 20 percent online.

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