View source for Ain't Misbehavin' (musical)

{{Refimprove|date=July 2023}}
{{Short description|1978 musical revue}}
{{Infobox Musical
|name= Ain't Misbehavin'
|image=aintmisbehavin.jpg
|caption=Original Cast Recording
|music=[[Fats Waller]]
|lyrics=Various Artists
|book=Murray Horwitz<br>[[Richard Maltby Jr.]]
|productions= 1978 [[New York City|New York]] [[cabaret]] <br> 1978 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] <br> 1979 [[West End theatre|West End]] <br> 1982 US [[television]] <br> 1988 Broadway  [[Revival (theatre)|revival]] <br> 1992 European tour <br> 1995 US National tour <br> 1995 West End revival <br> 2008 US National tour <br> 2019 Off-West End
<!-- Please do not include production-specific (acting, directing, etc.) awards -->
|awards= [[Tony Award for Best Musical]] <br> [[Drama Desk Award|Drama Desk Outstanding Musical]]
}}

'''''Ain't Misbehavin'''''' is a musical [[revue]] with a book by [[Murray Horwitz]] and [[Richard Maltby Jr.]], and music by various composers and lyricists as arranged and orchestrated by [[Luther Henderson]]. It is named after the song by [[Fats Waller]] (with [[Harry Brooks (composer)|Harry Brooks]] and [[Andy Razaf]]), "[[Ain't Misbehavin' (song)|Ain't Misbehavin{{'-}}]]".

The musical is a tribute to the music of Waller (1904–1943), who composed in a time when [[Manhattan]] [[nightclub]]s such as the [[Cotton Club]] and the [[Savoy Ballroom]] were the playgrounds of [[upper class|high society]] and [[Lenox Avenue]] dives were filled with piano players banging out the new beat known as [[Swing music|swing]]. Five performers present an evening of rowdy, raunchy, and humorous songs that encapsulate the various moods of the era and reflect Waller's view of life as a journey meant for pleasure and play.

==Productions==
''Ain't Misbehavin'' opened in the [[Manhattan Theatre Club]]'s East 73rd Street [[cabaret]] on February 8, 1978. The cast included [[Irene Cara]], [[Nell Carter]], [[André DeShields]], [[Armelia McQueen]], and [[Ken Page]]. It was staged by Arthur Faria, now recognized as one of the original authors, stage-managed by David Rosenak, and directed by Maltby. ''[[The New York Times]]'' reviewer wrote: "The show moves with the zing and sparkle of a Waller recording—filled with bright melodies and asides."<ref>{{cite news| last = Wilson| first = John S.| title = 'Here'Tis'-A Musical Bow to Fats Waller; The Cast| newspaper = [[The New York Times]]| pages = C13| date = February 20, 1978| url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F3071EFF3E5413728DDDA90A94DA405B888BF1D3&scp=2&sq=Ain%27t+Misbehavin%27+&st=p|access-date = January 17, 2012}}</ref> Buoyed by its reception, the producers decided to develop it into a full-scale production.

The musical opened on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] at the [[Longacre Theatre]] on May 9, 1978, and transferred to the [[Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre|Plymouth Theatre]] and then to the [[Belasco Theatre (Broadway)|Belasco Theatre]]. Maltby was the director, with musical staging and [[choreography]] by Arthur Faria. The original cast featured Carter, DeShields, McQueen, Page, and [[Charlayne Woodard]]. Luther Henderson, who adapted Waller's music for the revue, appeared as the production's original pianist ([[Hank Jones]] is among the noted pianists who took over as onstage performer<ref>liner notes to [[Ain't Misbehavin' (Hank Jones album)|Ain't Misbehavin']]</ref>). Replacements later in the run included [[Debbie Allen]], [[Yvette Freeman]], [[Adriane Lenox]], and [[Alan Weeks (actor)|Alan Weeks]]. An [[cast album|original cast recording]] was released by [[RCA Victor]]. The show closed on February 21, 1982, after 1,604 performances and 14 previews. 

The London [[West End theatre|West End]] production opened on March 22, 1979, at [[Her Majesty's Theatre]]. DeShields and Woodard were joined by Evan Bell, Annie Joe Edwards, and Jozella Reed. It was revived in London in 1995 at the Tricycle Theatre and then the [[Lyric Theatre, London|Lyric Theatre]], with [[Debby Bishop]], Dawn Hope, Melanie Marshall, Sean Palmer, and Ray Shell.<ref>{{cite web | title = Ain't Misbehavin'(London Revival, 1995)| work = broadwayworld.com| url = http://broadwayworld.com/bwidb/productions/Ain't_Misbehavin'_3088/| access-date = January 16, 2012}}</ref>  A London revival cast recording was released by First Night.<ref>{{cite web| last = Ankeny| first = Jason | title = Ain't Misbehavin': The Fats Waller Musical Show (1995 London Cast Recording)| website=[[AllMusic]]|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/aint-misbehavin-the-fats-waller-musical-show-1995-london-cast-recording-w110341| access-date = January 16, 2012}}</ref>

On June 21, 1982, [[NBC]] broadcast the revue with the original Broadway cast.

A Broadway revival with the same director, choreographer, and cast as the original 1978 production opened on August 15, 1988, at the [[Ambassador Theatre (New York)|Ambassador Theatre]], where it ran for 176 performances and eight previews. [[Frank Rich]], in his review for ''[[The New York Times]]'', wrote "In their scrupulous re-creation of the Fats Waller show that first electrified Broadway a decade ago, the original cast and creators have conjured the same between-the-wars dream world as before... Though almost bereft of dialogue, this musical anthology expands beyond its form to become a resurrection of a great black artist's soul. Perhaps the key to the musical's approach, as conceived by the director Richard Maltby Jr., is its willingness to let Waller speak simply and eloquently for himself, through his art but without show-biz embroidery."<ref>Rich, Frank. "Review/Theater;A Harlem Legend Lives Again On Broadway". ''[[The New York Times]]''. August 16, 1988. Section C; p. 15</ref>

In 1995, a national tour directed and choreographed by Faria starred the [[Pointer Sisters]], Eugene Barry-Hill, and [[Michael-Leon Wooley]]. Although it never reached Broadway as originally planned, a recording of highlights from the show was released by RCA.<ref>[http://www.masterworksbroadway.com/music/aint-misbehavin-1996#synopsis "'Ain't Misbehavin' (1996) Track Listing, Synopsis, Background and Cast Credits"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106172220/http://www.masterworksbroadway.com/music/aint-misbehavin-1996 |date=2011-11-06 }}, masterworksbroadway.com, accessed January 16, 2012</ref>

Beginning in November 2008 and lasting until at least May 2009, season two ''[[American Idol]]'' contestants [[Frenchie Davis]],[[Trenyce | Trenyce Cobbins]] and winner [[Ruben Studdard]] starred in the 30th-anniversary national tour of the show.<ref name="Broadway Buzz">{{cite web |access-date = 2008-03-29
|url = http://www.broadway.com/Gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=558651 
|title = Ruben Studdard, Frenchie Davis to Tour in Ain't Misbehavin'
|work=Broadway Buzz
|publisher=Broadway.com}}</ref>

==Song list==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;Act I
*"[[Ain't Misbehavin' (song)|Ain't Misbehavin']]"
*"Lookin' Good but Feelin' Bad"
*"[[Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness if I Do]]"
*"[[Honeysuckle Rose (song)|Honeysuckle Rose]]"
*"[[Squeeze Me]]"
*"[[Handful of Keys]]"
*"I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling"
*"How Ya Baby"
*"Jitterbug Waltz"
*"Ladies Who Sing with the Band"
*"Yacht Club Swing"
*"When the Nylons Bloom Again"
*"Cash for Your Trash"
*"Off-Time"
*"The Joint is Jumpin'"
{{col-break}}
;Act II
*"Spreadin' Rhythm Around"
*"Lounging at the Waldorf"
*"The Viper's Drag"
*"Mean to Me"
*"[[Your Feet's Too Big]]"
*"That Ain't Right"
*"[[Keepin' Out of Mischief Now]]"
*"Find Out What They Like"
*"Fat and Greasy"
*"Black and Blue"
*"[[I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter]]"
*"[[Two Sleepy People]]"
*"I've Got my Fingers Crossed"
*"[[I Can't Give You Anything but Love]]"
*"[[It's a Sin to Tell a Lie]]"
*"Honeysuckle Band"
{{col-end}}

==Awards and nominations==

===Original Broadway production===
{| class="wikitable" width="95%"
|-
! width="5%"| Year
! width="20%"| Award Ceremony
! width="45%"| Category
! width="20%"| Nominee
! width="10%"| Result
|-
| rowspan="15" align="center"| 1978
| rowspan="5"| [[Tony Award]]
| colspan="2"| [[Tony Award for Best Musical|Best Musical]]
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical|Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical]]
| [[Nell Carter]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Charlayne Woodard]]
| {{nom}}
|-  
| [[Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical|Best Direction of a Musical]]
| [[Richard Maltby, Jr.]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Choreography|Best Choreography]]
| Arthur Faria
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="6"| [[Drama Desk Award]]
| colspan="2"| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical|Outstanding Musical]]
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical|Outstanding Actor in a Musical]]
| [[Ken Page]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[André DeShields]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical|Outstanding Actress in a Musical]]
| [[Nell Carter]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Charlayne Woodard]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography|Outstanding Choreography]]
| Arthur Faria
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Theatre World Award]]
| rowspan="2"| Outstanding Stage Performance
| [[Nell Carter]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Armelia McQueen]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Outer Critics Circle Award]]
| colspan="2"| Best Musical
| {{won}}
|-
| [[New York Drama Critics' Circle|New York Drama Critics' Circle Award]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards Past Winners|url=https://www.dramacritics.org/dc_pastawards.html |access-date=31 January 2025 |website=New York Drama Critics' Circle|language=en}}</ref>
| Best Musical
| Fats Waller and Richard Maltby, Jr.
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="1" align="center"| 1979
| rowspan="6"| [[Grammy Award]]
| [[Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album|Best Musical Theater Album]]
| [[Thomas Z. Shepard]]
| {{won}}
|}

===Original London production===
{| class="wikitable" width="95%"
|-
! width="5%"| Year
! width="20%"| Award Ceremony
! width="45%"| Category
! width="20%"| Nominee
! width="10%"| Result
|-
| align="center"| 1979
| [[Laurence Olivier Award]]
| colspan="2"| [[Laurence Olivier Award|Musical of the Year]]
| {{nom}}
|}

===1982 NBC broadcast===
{| class="wikitable" width="95%"
|-
! width="5%"| Year
! width="20%"| Award Ceremony
! width="45%"| Category
! width="20%"| Nominee
! width="10%"| Result
|-
| rowspan="8" align="center"| 1982
| rowspan="8"| [[Primetime Emmy Award]]
| colspan="2"| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series|Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program|Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program]]
| [[Nell Carter]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[André DeShields]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography|Outstanding Choreography]]
| Arthur Faria
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction|Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special|Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety or Music Series or Special]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special|Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming|Outstanding Video Tape Editing for a Limited Series or a Special]]
| {{nom}}
|}

===1988 Broadway revival ===
{| class="wikitable" width="95%"
|-
! width="5%"| Year
! width="20%"| Award Ceremony
! width="45%"| Category
! width="20%"| Nominee
! width="10%"| Result
|-
| align="center"| 1988
| [[Tony Award]]
| colspan="2"| [[Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical|Best Revival of a Musical]]
| {{nom}}
|}

=== 30th anniversary revival tour===

{| class="wikitable" width="95%"
|-
! width="5%"| Year
! width="20%"| Award Ceremony
! width="45%"| Category
! width="20%"| Nominee
! width="10%"| Result
|-
| align="center"| 2010
| [[Grammy Award]]
| colspan="2"| [[Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album|Best Musical Theater Album
]]
| {{nom}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{ibdb title|4058}}
*[http://mtishows.com/show_detail.asp?showid=000002 ''Ain't Misbehavin''] at the Music Theatre International website
*[http://www.ovrtur.com/content/show.php?id=118817 Ovrtur.com Page]{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
*{{IMDb title|0227999}}

{{Navboxes
| title = Awards for ''Ain't Misbehavin'''
| list = 
{{DramaDesk Musical 1975–2000}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album}}
{{TonyAwardBestMusical 1976-2000}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ain't Misbehavin' (Musical)}}
[[Category:1978 musicals]]
[[Category:Broadway musicals]]
[[Category:African-American musicals]]
[[Category:All-Black cast Broadway shows]]
[[Category:Drama Desk Award–winning musicals]]
[[Category:Jukebox musicals]]
[[Category:Sung-through musicals]]
[[Category:Tony Award for Best Musical]]
[[Category:Revues]]
[[Category:Tony Award–winning musicals]]