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A CurtainUp DC Review
Ain't Misbehavin'
The show won numerous awards and created a genre that is now called a jukebox musical. Not all the songs have weathered the transition to this century as well as one would hope but those that have— "Honeysuckle Rose," "Two Sleepy People" and "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" — are still a joy to hear. Under Eric Schaeffer's Artistic Direction Signature Theatre in Shirlington has rightfully earned a great reputation for its musicals, particularly its productions of Stephen Sondheim's work. Ain't Misbehavin' ain't Sondheim, nor is it a great production due in part to Joe Calarco's mish mash direction and Jared Grimes's unimaginative updating of Arthur Faria's original choreography. The sequence of songs seems back to front. Why wait until the end of the second act to acknowledge the beautiful piano playing by Mark G. Meadows who knows how to tickle those ivories in the best slide piano style— glissando to purists, fast light fingering to the rest of us? Meadows fronts an able six-piece band whose members are introduced almost as an afterthought at the end of the second act. The five singers take on different personas depending on the song. Iyona Blake acts the diva and Kevin McAllister, a soppy romantic. Nova Y. Payton is either badly miked — why the singers need mikes in such a small venue is another question— or very squeeky in her upper register and Korinn Walfall's singing and dancing lacks personality. As for the men, two numbers stand out as best in show: Solomon Parker III's "Viper's Drag," about the effects of smoking reefers ("the sky is high and so am I," he sings) takes on a life of its own as Parker slithers across the stage. He is a nimble, facile dancer whose limbs seem fluid but as an actor he has a tendency to show off. Another high point is Kevin McAllister's "Your Feet's Too Big" which he delivers in a seemingly drunken state that only enhances the humor in the lyrics. He is a very able comic actor who can sing. And the ensemble's straight-faced choral dirge-like rendition of "Black and Blue" — the sadness inborn in being an African-American— is very moving. All in all it's a mixed bag of a show. The joint is not jumpin' all the time but when it does, it's good. But as the late, great Fats Waller was fond of saying, "one never knows, do one." |
PRODUCTION NOTES Ain't Misbehavin' The Fats Waller Musical Show Conceived by Richard Maltby, Jr. and Murray Horowitz Directed by Joe Calarco Cast: Iyona Blake, Kevin McAllister, Solomon Parker III, Nova Y. Payton, Korinn Walfall. Original choreography and musical staging by Arthur Faria Musical adaptations, orchestrations and arrangements by Luther Henderson Scenic Design by Paige Hathaway Costume Design by Sarita P. Fellows Lighting Design by Sherrice Mojgani Sound Design by Ryan Hickey Music Direction by Mark G. Meadows Choreography by Jared Grimes Running time: 2 hours and 30 minutes with one 15-minute intermission. Signature Theatre, www.SigTheatre.org January 23 to March 10, 2019. Reviewed by Susan Davidson, February 1, 2019. REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
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