BWW Reviews: AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' at Vintage Theatre

The music of jazz legend Thomas "Fats" Waller is iconic. Born in the Harlem nightlife, his blues/jazz melodies are hauntingly beautiful and complex, and are the feature of Vintage Theatre's production of "Ain't Misbehavin'".

The show is a loosely-wrangled revue of Fats Waller's music. Songs flow into one another and the band is always busy. But the real trick of this type of musical revue is getting the audience to adopt the "plot" or structure of the show, which Vintage has not been able to do with this production.

The show starts off with an empty room in what appears to be a Harlem apartment. The musicians and singers enter through the window, and establish what seems to be a "break-in" jazz party. And this is pretty much the "plot" that is presented. Singers and musicians enter and sing some nostalgic jazz pieces, and then leave in the same abrupt manner. For a show that is set in the "roaring" 20s, the show was fairly tame, but not without significant merit from other aspects of the show.

The singers were phenomenal. They had a mastery of the music that clearly showed their passion for these jazz tunes. ShaShauna Nickelson, Cicely O'Kain and Hannah Wheeler all gave stunning performances as the three female singers. Leonard Barrett and Dwayne Carrington also gave stellar performances and the ensemble really "jived". The three-piece band was headed by music director Eric Weinstein, whose piano skills were nothing short of mesmerizing. On a music front, the show was spectacular. I only wish that the staging and direction, by Donnie L. Betts, gave the music a real show to shine in.

The set design (Jen Orf) was detailed, and adequate for the story being told, and the lighting design (Alexis Bond) matched. I can't help but wish that all the designers and performers were challenged with a bit more of a production and not just a concert, but that fault lies largely with the script of the show itself, and not Vintage's presentation of it. It's incredibly difficult to direct and envision a show that has no clear content other than music. For what this show was, it was great. I was entertained. I was blown away by the musical talent of every performer on the stage. And now I want to see them all in another production that serves their vast talents much better.

"Ain't Misbehavin'" runs February 27th-April 26th at the Vintage Theatre Main Stage. Tickets are $28 in advance/ $32 at the door. 1468 Dayton Street in Aurora. For more information, contact 303-856-7830 or go to www.vintagetheatre.org

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