Displaying items by tag: Fats Waller
Ain't Misbehavin' Dazzles at Drury
There is something timeless and lasting about 1920s and 1930s jazz. The lively tunes and sultry tempos defined an era and resonates throughout every aspect of our culture from movies and cinema, music and radio, and to literature and theatre. I jumped at the opportunity to revisit the art-deco, jazz-fueled era to see The Fats Waller Musical Show, Ain’t Misbehavin.’
The incomparable Drury Lane in Oakbrook transports us back to the 1930s to celebrate the music of Grammy Hall of Fame American jazz pianist Thomas “Fats” Waller and the vibrant spirit of the Harlem Renaissance. Set in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood in 1939 Ain’t Misbehavin’: The Fates Waller Musical Show is a non-stop party, featuring over 30 numbers with including “Honeysuckle Rose,” “The Joint is Jumping,” and “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” and of course “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” With a live pianist, a four-piece brass band, and an incredible cast of talented singers and dancers, you’ll lose yourself in the irresistible rhythms and soulful melodies that defined an era of musical brilliance. From sultry ballads to upbeat swing numbers, come to Ain’t Misbehavin’ for an evening of unparalleled entertainment where you’ll find yourself swaying and humming along to the enduring melodies from the legendary Fats Waller.
Coming into the play I was expecting one of two things. The first that this was going to be about the life of Fats Waller in the same way Tina Turner: The Musical or Beautiful: The Carol King Musical is. As the show started with the cast engaging the audience in the same style speakeasies and clubs allowed in the 1920s and 30s, I started to think the show was more like Choir of Man, more of a journey or a snapshot in time. But Ain’t Misbehavin’ takes a different approach entirely, one that this author hopes to see more theatre like it. Ain’t Misbehavin’ is an auditory and visual time capsule come to life. What it lacks in a narrative, it makes up for in pure enjoyment of the soulful music that defined an era and paved the way for modern jazz. Director E. Faye Butler, a native Chicagoan and Southside resident surrounded by the beauty of the architecture and music of the Bronzeville neighborhood, says it best, “I wanted to bring a bit of history through the music of Fats Waller to the Drury Lane audience. Although Fats’ music was primarily written and performed in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance period, that same spirit and music was happening right here in Bronzeville at clubs where Fats performed, such as Club DeLisa, The Cabin Inn, The Regal Theatre, or The Palm Tavern. This was Chicago at its finest in 1939.”
With the exceptional talents of Sharriese Y. Hamilton, James T. Lane, Alanna Lovely, Alexis J. Roston, and Lorenzo Rush Jr., coupled with the music prowess of the Drury Lane Orchestra led by the incomparable William Foster McDaniel, this ensemble will have you jumping out of your seat and dancing in the aisles (or at least feel the urge to).
We’re brought into a world many people might not have experienced or heard about in every day experiences. To truly appreciate this piece you must not approach this show like others you have seen. It’s not a narrative. There is no great story arch. The actors and actresses need your engagement and enthusiasm (respectfully) and want you to interact with them when they signal you to. This is a club after all. Aren’t we all here to have a good time and listen to some incredible music? This is a show celebrating Fats Waller as much as it is celebrating incredible music that will stay with you long after the air raid sirens have gone off and we must once again be on our best behavior as we venture back to our lives. But for a short while, a brief moment in time, we can escape to 1939 Bronzeville where misbehaving is highly encouraged (respectfully).
The Tony-Award Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Fates Waller Musical Show revue is directed by E. Faye Butler and runs through Aug 18th, 2024, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. Tickets are available at www.drurylanetheatre.com.
A Lovely Night; Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella revives magic at Marriott Theatre
24 November 2024 in Theatre ReviewsIn 1997, Disney came out with the most magnificent adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella that has ever been made.…
A Lovely Night; Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella revives magic at Marriott Theatre
24 November 2024 in Theatre ReviewsIn 1997, Disney came out with the most magnificent adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella that has ever been made.…
Throbbin’ Wood, complete with Merry Men? Count me in!
21 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewWhat the hell is pantomime anyway? Will I be reviewing a game of Charades? Google to the rescue! But I…
Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival returns January 15-26, 2025
21 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreThe Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is pulling strings to raise funds this fall, offering three exclusive sneak peeks of…
Oil Lamp Theater Announces the Cast for its 2025 Season Opener: THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED), Jan. 24 - Feb. 16, 2025
21 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreOil Lamp Theater is proud to announce the cast and creative team for its first production of the 2025 season, The Complete…
Half-Price Holidays return to Hot Tix as Chicago theatres get festive for the 2024 holiday season
21 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreChicago theatres will present a wide variety of festive plays, musicals, dance, and comedy offerings this holiday season. In support,…
Steep Theatre Back Early 2025 with A Slow Air
20 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreSteep Theatre will kick off the new year with the Chicago Premiere of David Harrower's A Slow Air, directed by Steep…
Announcing cast of A Nativity Tribute in Driehaus Museum's historic Murphy Auditorium, presented in partnership with African American Museum of Performing Arts
20 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreThe Driehaus Museum and the African American Museum of Performing Arts (AAMPA) announce the casting for A Nativity Tribute, an adaptation of Langston Hughes' gospel…
Delightful Send-up of 1930s Musicals, 'Dames at Sea' Nearly Sunk by Bad Sound
18 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewOverall Citadel Theatre’s ‘Dames at Sea’ has a smashingly great cast of singers and dancers, perfect for a musical comedy…
'Blue' Holds Mirror to Race in America
18 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewWhen Francesca Zambello, director of The Glimmerglass Festival, commissioned an opera about race in America, the country was reeling from…
Review: 'Falsettos' at Court Theatre
17 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewEven 40 years later, the AIDS crisis continues to shape American life. Long before Hollywood brought AIDS stories to the…
Disney's The Little Mermaid at Drury Lane: An Inspiring and Delightful Production Celebrating Girls' Unique Voices
16 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewI thoroughly enjoyed Drury Lane's enchanting stage production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid from start to finish. While few are…
Pegasus Theatre Chicago Announces Dates, Plays and Playwrights for the 38th ANNUAL YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL, Jan. 5 - 26, 2025
15 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatrePegasus Theatre Chicago is proud to announce the authors and plays being presented at the 38th Annual Young Playwrights Festival, January 5 - 26,…
A Christmas Cabaret: A Magical Night with Thee Ricky Harris!
14 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreGet ready to dive into the holiday spirit like never before on December 7th and 8th with A Christmas Cabaret…
Moving, Engaging 'Every Brilliant Thing' Shines at Writers Theatre
14 November 2024 in Theatre in Review“Every Brilliant Thing,” places unusual demands on its lead character, Narrator. Jessie Fisher delivers a carefully calibrated performance from a…
Northlight to produce world premiere adaptation of Little Women
13 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreNorthlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2024–2025 season with Louisa May Alcott's…
Music Theater Works Announces its LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL Cast and Creative Teams, Dec. 19 - Jan. 19
13 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreMusic Theater Works is proud to announce the cast and creative team for the final production of its 2024 season, Legally Blonde:…
Lookingglass Announces Cast and Creative Team for the World Premiere of CIRCUS QUIXOTE, Jan. 30 - March 30, 2025
13 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreAfter pausing its operations last year to reorganize and create a new business model, Chicago's Tony-Award winning Lookingglass Theatre Company, in association…
BrightSide Theatre to present JEKYLL AND HYDE IN CONCERT January 17-26, 2025. Full cast announced!
13 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreBrightSide Theatre has announced that it will perform the long-running hit Broadway musical JEKYLL AND HYDE in a concert presentation…
Hell in a Handbag's Rudolph THE RED-HOSED REINDEER Returns December 13, 2024 – January 5, 2025 at Center on Halsted
12 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreHell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to open its 2024/25 Season with the 25th anniversary edition of Artistic Director David Cerda's* holiday classic Rudolph…
A Humorous Homage to History: The Marriage of Figaro Dazzles at The Lyric Opera
11 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewSometimes history has a way of repeating itself and it’s not always for the better. Try as we might to…
Do You Want To See Some Magic: Frozen The Broadway Musical at Paramount
09 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewThroughout our busy lives we often seek out the new. It is easy to see the allure. Beginnings offer a…
Irving Berlin's Magnificent White Christmas at Marriott Theatre: A Joyous and Heartfelt Celebration for Everyone
08 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewI've always had a deep fondness for the two timeless films Holiday Inn and White Christmas. These movies feature outstanding…
Sixth performance added! Steppenwolf Theatre Celebrates the Holidays with Jane Lynch's A Swingin' Little Christmas
08 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreDue to popular demand, Steppenwolf Theatre is pleased to announce Jane Lynch's A SWINGIN' LITTLE CHRISTMAS has added a sixth and final performance to its nearly sold-out…
THE JOFFREY BALLET CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAYS WITH RETURN OF CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON'S CHICAGO-SET THE NUTCRACKER
07 November 2024 in Upcoming DanceThe Joffrey Ballet's critically acclaimed reimagined classic, The Nutcracker by two-time Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, returns to the Lyric Opera House, 20 North…
Lifeline Theatre presents “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” for the holiday season, Nov 29 – Dec 22
07 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreLifeline Theatre brings their first MainStage production of the 2024-25 season to the stage with Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol. Tom Mula's holiday tale…
Shucked coming to CIBC Theatre in January
07 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreIndividual tickets for SHUCKED, the Tony Award® winning musical comedy The Wall Street Journal calls "flat out hilarious," will go on sale on…
Blood and Brilliance: Invictus Theatre’s ‘Macbeth’ Stands Tall in Chicago Theatre
07 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewInvictus Theatre Company’s latest production of The Tragedy of Macbeth, adapted and directed by Sarafina Vecchio, delivers a potent, intense…
A Spell-Binding Reinvention: "Leroy and Lucy" at Steppenwolf
05 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewNgozi Anyanwu’s Leroy and Lucy, in its electrifying world premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre, takes the legendary tale of Robert Johnson’s…
The Babes with Blades are a DREAM! A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
30 October 2024 in Theatre in ReviewI’ve delighted in Babes with Blades since they began in 1997, and they are never more delightful than when slashing…
Latest Articles
-
A Lovely Night; Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella revives magic at Marriott Theatre
Written by Kendall RoyzenIn 1997, Disney came out with the most magnificent adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella that has ever been made. With talent like Brandy, Whitney Houston, Bernadette Peters, Jason Alexander, and Paolo Montalban, the rendition of the classic fairytale lives… -
A Lovely Night; Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella revives magic at Marriott Theatre
Written by Kendall RoyzenIn 1997, Disney came out with the most magnificent adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella that has ever been made. With talent like Brandy, Whitney Houston, Bernadette Peters, Jason Alexander, and Paolo Montalban, the rendition of the classic fairytale lives…
-
Throbbin’ Wood, complete with Merry Men? Count me in!
Written by Sarz MaxwellWhat the hell is pantomime anyway? Will I be reviewing a game of Charades? Google to the rescue! But I searched in vain for a definition: pan·to·mime [ˈpan(t)əˌmīm] a play or entertainment in which performers express themselves mutely by gestures.… -
Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival returns January 15-26, 2025
Written by Buzz Center StageThe Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is pulling strings to raise funds this fall, offering three exclusive sneak peeks of the amazing puppet artistry of one of next January’s most hotly anticipated festival performers, presented in highly intimate, exclusive living…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.