- Performances: 1,604.
- Open / Close: May 9, 1978 – February 21, 1982
- Theater: Opened at the Longacre Theatre, moved to the Plymouth, then the Belasco.
- Tony Awards: Nominated for 5, won 3 including Best Musical. Richard Maltby Jr. won for Best Director; he would win his second for “Fosse.” Both Nell Carter and Charlayne Woodard were nominated in the Featured Actress category; Carter won.
- Fun Fact: As mentioned in the podcast, Irene Cara was a member of the original cabaret production that opened in February of 1978 at the Manhattan Theatre Club. She was replaced by Woodard.
- Fun Fact #2: Charlayne Woodard is still very much active, having starred as Priscilla Fury in a Marvel Studio miniseries called “Secret Invasion” in 2023.
Podcast
Sure, you “Ain’t Misbehavin'” at holiday time, but what about the rest of the year? For an expert on not misbehaving year-round, what person could I talk to that would be better than Desirée Roots?
Roots has graced Virginia stages for decades and her exceptional voice has made her a consistent draw for cabarets, big band performances, and special appearances with groups like the Richmond Symphony. Not only is she a great performer, but she has become a knowledgeable and savvy non-profit arts administrator and she brings all of that experience to bear in our deep dive into this show that features the enduring music of Fats Waller.
“Ain’t Misbehavin'” is a unique show – a jukebox musical of sorts before there was such a thing, but also a musical revue where the actors in the Broadway production would become the “characters” actors would play for all future production. There is only one other musical revue of its kind that ran longer on Broadway (“Smokey Joe’s Cafe”) so it is situated in a weird but fascinating niche in the Broadway canon.
Is “Ain’t Misbehavin'” overlooked and underproduced? Or does it remain an underappreciated but still regularly staged show in the regional circuit? Desirée and I talk about all of that and more in this great conversation.