AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' Kicks Off Season of Musical Offerings At Crossroads

Ain't Misbehavin', the Fats Waller revue that pays a rousing homage to a bygone musical era of the Harlem Renaissance, will kick off a season of musical productions at Crossroads Theatre Company this fall. Executive Director Marshall Jones III says, "It will mark the first time the Tony Award®-winning theater is devoting its entire mainstage season to music, from rousing blues, jazz and swing to contemporary, story-driven musicals." The four selections comprise a variety of styles, genres and period pieces.

The season also marks the return to Crossroads of André DeShields, who starred in the original production of Ain't Misbehavin', and returns as its director; storyteller and musician Guy Davis, who performed at the theater in the 1990s with his parents Ruby Dee and the late Ossie Davis also returns to the Crossroads stage. Making his Crossroads debut will be Tony-Award®-winning lyricist and composer Jason Robert Brown.

Season memberships, which include one ticket to each of the four shows, are available at a special discounted price of $100 until July 31. After that date, the regular price of membership is $150.

Ain't Misbehavin' Book by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr., Music by Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller, and lyrics by various writers.
October 6-24, 2011

Ain't Misbehavin' kicks off the season with the stride piano favorites of Fats Waller, directed by original Broadway cast member Andre DeShields. DeShields will revive this toe-tapping favorite with a youthful cast and an old-time diva quality.

Ain't Misbehavin' recalls the glory of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and ‘30s, when high-society Manhattan nightclubs like the Cotton Club and Savoy Ballroom as well as Lenox Avenue dives were filled with piano players banging out the new beat known as swing. Five uniquely talented singers perform an evening of rowdy, raunchy, and humorous songs that capture the various moods of the era and reflect Waller's view of life as a journey meant for pleasure and play. The revue features hit favorites of the era including "I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby," "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie," "Squeeze Me" and "Ain't Misbehavin'."

Holiday Jubilee 2011
December 8-18, 2011

Holiday Jubilee 2011 a family favorite last season, returns bigger and better this year. The production unifies cultures and communities from across the world in a celebration of the holiday season. Broadway veterans and local talent alike will offer holiday favorites and tunes from various regions of the world with abundant audience participation. Rick Sordelet again will direct.

In Bed with the Blues: The Adventures of Fishy Waters Written and performed by Guy Davis
February 16-26, 2012

Storyteller and blues singer/guitar player Guy Davis returns to the Crossroads stage in his original one-man show, In Bed with the Blues: The Adventures of Fishy Waters. Through song and storytelling, Davis recounts the life and adventures of fictional blues man Fishy Waters and his travels through rugged America on a box car. Crossroads Co-Founder and Artistic Advisor Ricardo Khan directs and adapts the show for the Crossroads stage. Guy Davis was last seen at Crossroads with his parents Ruby Dee and the late Ossie Davis in the original work, Two Ha Ha's and a Homeboy.

The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown
April 12-22, 2012

The Last Five Years, a Drama Desk Award winner for Best Music and Best Lyrics, is an autobiographical love story of a five-year relationship, written by acclaimed lyricist and composer Jason Robert Brown. It tells the story of Jamie, a Jewish writer with a career on the rise, who falls in love with Cathy, an actress of Christian background, who also is getting her career off the ground. The two tell the tale of their relationship in turn: Cathy in backwards chronological order beginning with the end of their marriage, and Jamie chronologically, beginning with the "goodbye" of their first date.

Brown has been hailed as "one of Broadway's smartest and most sophisticated songwriters since Stephen Sondheim" (Philadelphia Inquirer). The Last Five Years was cited as one of Time Magazine's 10 Best of 2001. Brown also won the 1999 Tony for Best Original Musical Score for Parade.

Genesis Festival of New Plays and Voices, May 25-27

Envisioned in 1990 by Co-Founding Artistic Director Ricardo Khan and then-New Play Development Director Sydné Mahone as a means of giving voice to young writers and innovative forms of theatre in a nurturing creative environment, the Genesis Festival of New Plays and Voices provides a haven for audience members and artists alike to share in the creative process. Among plays that have found their way from Genesis to the world's stages are George C. Wolf's Spunk, Anna Deveare Smith's Dream, Linda Nieves-Powell's Yo Soy Latina and original works by Ntozoke Shange, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. Professional staged readings take place over the course of the weekend with a reception to follow. Finalists in the festival will be announced in the spring.

Crossroads Theatre Company was founded in 1978 by Ricardo Khan and L. Kenneth Richardson with the vision that African-American theater is intended for a broad-based, diverse audience. As a major force in the development of new ideas and the introduction of formerly marginalized writers, Crossroads produces works that enrich and diversify the representation of African American culture on the American stage. Crossroads has produced more than 40 world premieres and received the Tony Award® in 1999 for Outstanding Regional Theatre in the United States.

Crossroads Theatre Company

7 LIVINGSTON AVE., NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ

2011-2012 Season of Musical Offerings

Ain't Misbehavin: October 6-24, 2011
Holiday Jubilee 2011: December 8-18, 2011
In Bed with the Blues: The Adventures of Fishy Waters: February 16-26, 2012
The Last Five Years: April 12-22, 2012

Membership: $100 for all shows- available only through July 31st (regular price $150.)
Tickets: $50; $40 for Previews and $65 for Opening Night.
Purchase online at www.CrossroadsTheatreCompany.org or call 732-545-8100.
Location: Crossroads Theatre, 7 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Website: www.CrossroadsTheatreCompany.org
Telephone: 732-545-8100