MANSFIELD – Step onto the stage of the Renaissance Theatre this weekend, and you’ll be instantly transported to a different era.
It’s the 1940s, America has just plunged into World War II, and a four-piece band serenades the audience with the jazz tunes of Thomas “Fats” Waller amidst the golden age of swing music. This is the setting for the Renaissance’s stage-on-stage production of Ain’t Misbehavin,’ a music revue dedicated to Waller.
“There’s no real storyline, it’s just an homage to his music and that place in time in American music,” said director Michael Thomas.
Although not quite a biography, Ain’t Misbehavin’ evokes Waller’s delightful humor and infectious energy in this 1978 Tony Award-winning musical. Under the direction of Thomas and the musical direction of Brian Nabors, the cast features local performers Chantel Ross, Kristal Lawrence, Jody Odom, Deon Taylor, and Condrea Webber.
According to Thomas, the show features very little dialogue besides small vignettes that set the stage for each song.
“This is the point in history where during the day these folks were doormen or domestic workers, but at night at the Cotton Club in Harlem, that was their chance to become someone completely different,” Thomas said. “It’s a story of letting go and finding the joy in life.”
Each character visits the Cotton Club to get away from their “normal” lives, and each has a relationship with their fellow characters based on either love or hate. Webber’s role was brought to life on screen by the legendary jazz singer Nell Carter.
“That was a big deal for me as a child because I had somebody like me on TV,” Webber said. “So it was really cool to look up to her for that.”
Webber said most of the cast has been preparing for Ain’t Misbehavin’ for the better part of a year, though official rehearsals only began last month. The music-heavy show was a challenge to tackle, particularly the style of jazz.
“I trained in opera, and being a jazz musician takes a whole other side of my brain,” said cast member Deon Taylor. “I really have taken this show as a learning experience because jazz chords are way different than regular choral chords.
“It’s definitely testing me and making me a stronger musician.”
The music has proven difficult on the band side, as well. Thomas actually joins Nabors in playing keyboard accompaniment for the show because of the level of difficulty.
“(Waller) was very well known for what’s called ‘stride piano’ which is where your left hand is playing almost a full accompaniment on its own while your right hand is doing something completely different,” Thomas said. “When you listen to his recordings it sounds like two people playing. It’s almost impossible to do; I’m not sure anybody has that kind of talent.”
Ain’t Misbehavin’ will open at the Renaissance on Thursday, April 12 at 8 p.m. with additional performances at 8 p.m. on April 13 and 14, and one 2:30 p.m. matinee on April 15. Tickets are on sale via the Renaissance box office at 419-522-2726 or online at mansfieldtickets.com. Seating is limited due to the stage-on-stage presentation of the show.
“This gives us a chance to be a little more intimate and have the audience up close and involved with what’s going on, and really feel like they’re a part of it,” Thomas said.
That kind of intimacy has extended to the cast as well. Taylor noted the small group has formed a genuine bond both on and off stage.
“It’s not just acting, we’re just being who we are,” he said. “That’s something beautiful in the show you can capture – it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you look like, what really matters is gathering around the music.”
