‘Ain’t Misbehavin’’ gave an idol worthy performance

By Shawntai Brown
Western Herald

The idols stepped off the TV screen and into 1930s Harlem for the staging of hit Musical “Ain’t Misbehavin.’”
The cast of the musical performed twice this weekend on Miller Auditorium’s stage this past Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., wowing audiences with their extravagant costumes and even more extravagant voices.

The show opened with the recording of Fats Waller’s song “Ain’t Misbehavin.’” While Waller was never physically played by any of the performers, he was consistently a spiritual presence throughout the production. His music inspired a generation of jazz, soul and swing that inhabited the streets and clubs of Harlem bringing the elite and working class together. It was Waller who inspired the writing of “Ain’t Misbehavin,’” and his music, as well as the lyrics of Maltby Jr. can be found mixed into the production.

The show, which boasted season three “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard as the star, actually contained a good dose of talent, some of which out shinned the Velvet Teddy Bear, as Studdard has been called.

Two other idols joined Studdard for the show. Frenchie Davis of season two and Trenyce Cobbins of season three both played sassy band singers who will do what it takes to keep their men and live in the spotlight.
Patrice Covington and David Jennings also took the stage alongside the idols to make an outstanding group of strong voices that both silenced the audience and caused whistles and cat calls during group numbers.
The musical called for a variety of characters, but a few personalities seemed to follow each one of the cast members from song to song. Davis and Covington shinned together with their attitude and strong voices to go along. They made for a comedic duo whenever they touched the stage together, bringing forward animation and sexual energy. Cobbins played the lively singer who was always being caught with someone else’s man. Plagued by her thin figure and adorable outfits, Cobbin’s characters were the attention of every man and the center of every woman’s jealousy.

Jennings glided across the stage as a sly ladies man, bringing just as much energy and movement as Cobbins. Studdard took on an entirely different character than America has ever seen him portray. He held the persona of money maker with a short temper, even raising his hand at a woman in one song. Despite his character, Studdard received the loudest cheers from the audience at the commencement of the show, proving he still is America’s choice.

The last character was the very talented pianist, conductor of the band and music director David Alan Bunn. Bunn, on stage at all times, rarely faced the audience, but was constantly in on the action as he played the tunes to set the mood. A full band also brought the music and attitude of Harlem. Eddie Alex and Robert Carten tag teamed on clarinet and saxophone, Endre Rice played trumpet, Robert Stringer was on trombone, George Grier plucked the bass, and Kenneth Allen Krutchfield provided the hand-clapping, foot stomping beats on drums.

The costume and staging all added to the recreation of the musical era. Seth Diggs’ scenic design was gorgeous, featuring two rows of velvet curtains, circular lounge seats on both sides of the stage, and little square dining tables. An old wooden piano sat to the right and a large arch led to the band, which played behind a burgundy, sheer curtain. The arch featured a lighted, digital keyboard that illuminated, with keys blinking along to the livelier songs.

The women were dresses in royal blues and pinks with shimmering stones. As the musical made the glamorous atmosphere more apparent, the costuming took on more bling and glistening colors. The ladies bore giant rings over their matching gloves and sported pert and cocktail hats, while the men wore black suits, striped patterns, suspenders, and top hats. All costumes were designed by Gail Baldoni.

Overall the show was fun, energetic, and enjoyable for all ages; however, sexual content and lyrics of the struggle to success flew high as the performers sung about how to catch women, how to keep a man, and how to deal with heartbreak. Tastefully done, the music recorded by jazz greats, such as Nat “King” Cole and Waller told the stories of a generation dealing with war, women taking charge of their lives and African American music hitting the mainstream.

All the performers gave an idol worthy performance and the next cities on the 30th anniversary tour of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” should know that they ain’t gonna’ be disappointed.

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Posted by HeraldAdmin on Dec 7 2008. Filed under A & E. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
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