Toby’s Dinner Theatre is THE place and its joint is jumping thanks to the infectious melodies of the late, great Mr. Thomas Waller, a.k.a Fats Waller. The show is Ain’t Misbehavin’, one of the most successful musical revues of the last century, and Fats would surely tip his derby to the performers now wailing and jiving at Toby’s.
Evoking the era of the speakeasies, bathtub gin, and segregated jazz clubs, Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a trip to a Harlem supper club featuring a trunk load of tunes by or made famous by taller. Setting the stage ablaze with jazzy riffs and powerful vocals, the ensemble cast serves up an evening that crackles with style, blowing the roof off the dinner theatre throughout the briskly paced evening.
Director Monique Midgette has assembled a cast born to bring the Waller score and style to life. Working with choreographer Shalyce Hemby, Midgette’s staging sails through the nearly 30 tunes, using the theater-in-the-round to its fullest. The subtle scenic design evoking a speakeasy atmosphere by David A. Hopkins is lit with an effervescent glow by lighting designer Lynn Joslin. Look out for some atmospheric, vintage images and motion picture clips projected throughout the evening.
The cast of five masterful triple threats are decked out in 1920s finery designed by Janine Sunday, giving a period allure and a vivid color palette to the stellar performances. All the performers work together, showing off intricate vocal harmonies and executing Hemby’s dance combinations with aplomb. But like all great musical revues, each member of the ensemble also takes turns in the spotlight and there is not a weak link among these bigger than life singing-actors.
Tobias A. Young slips into a natty suit and derby hat, becoming a close resemblance of Waller himself. Young’s jolly demeanor and grand stage presence is infectious. He is right at home beaming at the audience and using his powerful voice on his two big solo turns: “Your Feet’s Too Big” and “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter.”
As his lithe counterpart and partner in crime, Bryan Jeffrey takes the stage as a dynamic song and dance man in such numbers as the sensual “Viper’s Drag” about the allure of smoking “reefer,” as well as the first song Waller recorded, “T’Aint Nobody’s Bizness if I Do.”
Jeffrey is often matched and partnered by his cast members, such as a delightfully sung duet with Young, “The Ladies Who Sing with the Band,” and the dance feature “How Ya Baby” with Kanysha Williams. Williams take her own turn in the limelight when she leads the cast in “A Handful of Keys,” and the 1930s standard “Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now.”
Williams is joined by two more women who sing with the band, both equally talented and loaded with the panache. With a warm, alto voice, evoking a cello, Kelli Blackwell wraps her voice around such diverse numbers as “Squeeze Me,” and a charming duet with Young, “Two Sleepy People.”
Rounding out the cast, taking on the song track of the late Nell Carter, the breakout star from the original Ain’t Misbehavin’’, is Kadejah Oné. Miss Oné, like the other cast members, handles the ensemble and solo turns well. “Cash for Your Trash” is a rousing number in the first half, followed by the ballad “Mean to Me” in Act Two. While not imitating Carter’s unique vocal sound – that clear, nasal, belt – Oné pays homage to Carter while showing off her own stunning voice.
By the time the entire cast comes together for the title song, the nocturnal “Jitterbug Waltz,” or a rousing rendition of “The Joint is Jumpin’,” all seems right with the world as the audience is transported back to those supper club nights of the 20s and 30s. But the show also takes a moment to reflect on the more troubled times earlier in the 20th century when the entire company renders the powerful jazz standard “Black and Blue.” The moment is simply performed but shines a light on a shameful chapter in American history.
Backing up the onstage performers are the unseen heroes of the show, the seven-piece band lead by music director Ross Scott Rawlings. Hidden away in the recesses of Toby’s, the sound is authentic and the tunes sound even better as the band brings with hot licks and swinging sound to life.
The earthy humor and sophisticated atmosphere of Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a perfect remedy for the political grind that weighs on us. As Fats reminds us, “One never knows, do one?” I, for one, know Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a welcome and tuneful tonic.
Ain’t Misbehavin’ . Music by Thomas “Fats” Waller . Based on an idea by Richard Maltby, Jr. and Murray Horwitz . Directed by Monique Midgette . Choreographed by Shalyce Hemby . Musical Direction by Ross Scott Rawlings . Featuring: Kelli Blackwell, Crystal Freeman, Andre Hinds, Bryan Jeffrey, Kadejah Oné, James Toler, Kanysha Williams, Rey Wynters, and Tobias Young. Set Designer: David A. Hopkins . Costume Designer: Janine Sunday . Lighting Designer: Lynn Joslin . Sound Designer: Mark Smedley . Stage Manager: Kate Wacherle . Produced by Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia . Reviewed by Jeff Walker.
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