Ain\u2019t Misbehavin\u2019<\/em>, the musical revue of Fats Waller songs, there\u2019s so much sensory overload from the loudly impressive vocals, the energetic dancing, and the glittering (and very cool) set that there\u2019s barely a moment suitable for reflection. When those rare moments arise, and you reflect \u201cwait a minute\u2026there\u2019s absolutely zero story here\u2026this is just a revue isn\u2019t it\u201d (if you didn\u2019t know beforehand, as I did not), you\u2019re just about to go \u201chmm\u201d but then another lively song sung by a bubbly performer swings under way and you forget to go \u201chmm\u201d because it\u2019s all so fun.<\/p>\nFats Waller was one of the biggest names in jazz music in the early 20th<\/sup> century, responsible for some of the most recognizable standards from that era. In less than 40 years, he wrote hundreds upon hundreds of songs, 400 of which he copyrighted (I hope he got a frequent user discount from the Copyright Office). His many memorable hits include the title song \u201cAin\u2019t Misbehavin\u2019\u201d, as well as my title\u2019s song \u201cThis Joint is Jumpin\u2019\u201d (god all these triple quotes ahhh), both of which provide high points in this show that\u2019s operating almost nonstop at full throttle. An enthusiastic audience did its part to keep the whole experience as close to max enjoyment as possible, despite the shortcomings of the show itself.<\/p>\nAnd despite enjoying the heck out of this (literally) sparkling show and its high-spirited talented cast, there are some shortcomings. Mainly that it\u2019s just a straightforward revue of Fats Waller\u2019s songs. This guy was a key player in one of the most important musical scenes in history. His Harlem style piano is responsible for modern jazz piano, and he achieved international success when that was still really hard to do, and at such a young age too. (Fats died super young of pneumonia while on a cross-country train, which, like, not to make everything about me but that doesn\u2019t exactly make me feel better<\/em> about all the long train journeys I take. Poor Fats.) Yet you don\u2019t learn anything about him from this show. Sure, you get general hints from the actual music, but no facts. I get that the creators were trying to let the music speak for itself, but while each song conveys a certain sentiment, it doesn\u2019t share actual information, when it so easily could have. At one point late in the second act, one of the cast members introduced a song saying a quick word about what happened when Fats brought his music to Harlem. Why weren’t more songs framed with a historical anecdote or fact from Waller\u2019s life? It was so simple and so effective. It\u2019s a shame (and super random) it happened just once.<\/p>\nNow, this is an old(ish) established show, so it\u2019s unfair to call out these issues with the bones when discussing Southwark\u2019s production in particular. With what they had, however, the Southwark is doing a fantastic job just blowing the roof off the place. The cast never stops working, and they\u2019re working hard as hell. The five cast members all belt their lungs out and dance their asses off, and they try their damnedest to play characters where there are none. (And there are none \u2013 they even call each other by their real names.) A standout for me was Carly Mercedes Dyer, who in the first act mainly shows off her incredible dancing while playing a lot of silly characters who goofily appear to not sing too well. And then in an early second act solo she pretty much goes \u201coh surprise, bitches, I\u2019m the most talented person here\u201d and belts her forking face off.<\/p>\n
Aside from the book issues (the lack thereof), there were only a few slow moments, like a few clunkers to begin Act II and the just unwinnable song \u201cJitterbug Waltz\u201d, with the constantly cascading melody that sounds super flat no matter who is singing it. But the slow moments are few and far between when you are barely given a second to breathe before the frenetic cast picks back up with an insane dance and a thrilling group number, or with a movingly belted solo (so much belting), or with another beloved classic like \u201c\u2019T Ain\u2019t Nobody\u2019s Bizness If I Do\u201d (last okay use of that first word) and, my favorite, \u201cI\u2019m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter\u201d (from You\u2019ve Got Mail, obvs). And the humor! Even without a book this cast filled the show with hilarious moments. It\u2019s almost (\/very) embarrassing how hard I was laughing during the RIDICULOUS song \u201cYour Feet\u2019s Too Big\u201d. This song, this amazing, incredible song that I somehow never knew but now adore, has a man literally going \u201cYour feet\u2019s too big\/don\u2019t want ya cause your feet\u2019s too big\/mad at you cause your feet\u2019s too big\/I hate you cause your feet\u2019s too big\u201d. I mean book or no book, nothing gets better than that. And book or no book, there\u2019s too much to enjoy about this wildly entertaining show.<\/p>\n
INFORMATION<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n The show is in two acts of 45 minutes each, with a 20 minute interval. Since there\u2019s no story, it would have made more sense to have it as a longer one-act, but the cast probably needs that break. Don\u2019t sit in the front few rows if you have sensitivity to light, as the stronger lights bounce off the gold floor (yep there\u2019s a shiny gold floor) and it can get a little uncomfortable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s Theatre Thursday! Today\u2019s show is the new production of Ain\u2019t Misbehavin\u2019 playing at London\u2019s Southwark Playhouse until June 1. The sheer exuberance resounding at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9988,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[147],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"yoast_head":"\n
Ain't Misbehavin' at the Southwark Playhouse: This Joint is Really Jumpin' - Laughfrodisiac<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n