Ain't Misbehavin'
- Previews are Oct. 24-29 | Opening night Oct. 30
- By Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr.
- Directed by Chris Coleman
JUMP TO: Dates, Run Time, Playbill, & More
“What whistles, hoots, throws off sparks and moves at about 180 miles an hour? Ain’t Misbehavin’!”
The New York Times
Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical, this sassy, sultry revue celebrates the remarkable life and talents of a legendary jazz great, Fats Waller. Director Chris Coleman has created “a bright and shining new production … he has knocked out the walls and opened the show to the streets, bringing in the heady Uptown of the Harlem Renaissance and the bleaker days of the Depression Thirties to give the songs a deeper visual and impressionistic context. He’s expanded the cast from five to eleven, and created a whole urban community: apartments, bedrooms, alleys, piano parlors and party rooms, the kitchen at the Waldorf. The transformation gives a texture to the place and times that’s very different from Ain’t Misbehavin’s usual setting, a hothouse nightclub with the band and singers all squeezed together, raising the roof … Ain’t Misbehavin’ delivers the goods with brash and happy verve. In short, the joint is jumpin’.” Bob Hicks, Oregon ArtsWatch
General Performance Times:
Evenings: Tuesday - Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
Matinees: Saturday and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Thursdays at noon
View the season calendar.
Run Time:
Approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes; including one intermission.
Who’s Who:
View the cast and creative team bios.
Playbill:
Explore the playbill.
Song List:
Peruse the Song List.
Note:
Ain’t Misbehavin’ is recommended for ages 12+; contains suggestive language and, contrary to the title, some harmless misbehavin’! The actors in this production will be using tobacco-free herbal cigarettes and a single fake gun. Children under 6 are not permitted at any PCS production
Resource Guide:
Download resource guide (PDF)
More About This Production
Thoughts on Ain’t Misbehavin’ from the Director
Hear from Director Chris Coleman on his zest for Fats Waller’s music and the Harlem Renaissance.
Fats Waller: Giant of Jazz
Not only was Fats Waller one of the greatest pianists jazz has ever known, he was also one of its most exuberantly funny entertainers — and as so often happens, one facet tends to obscure the other. His extraordinarily light and flexible touch belied his ...
“Ain’t Misbehavin’” Song List
Music by Thomas “Fats” Waller, except where (*) indicated.
Songs not written by Fats Waller were recorded by him.
ACT I
Ain’t Misbehavin’* DeMone, David St. Louis, André Ward, Charity Angél Dawson, Olivia Phillip, Mia Michelle McClain, Maiesha McQueen
Music by Thomas Waller and Harry Brooks;Lyrics by ...
Meet the Cast of "Ain’t Misbehavin"
Ain't Misbehavin' begins rehearsal on September 29th, and I can't believe we get to build this show with this incredible group of performers. Richard Maltby, the original director and creator of the show, has offered his permission to slightly expand the ensemble, so here we ...
What People Are Saying
Ain't Misbehavin' goes big and brash and rocks the house
"Sly, genial, and bursting with the wit and energy of one of the most innovative periods in American music, it’s one of the very best revues ever assembled: an effervescent expression of African American spirit, shaded by the harsh realities of a segregated and divisive nation. Portland Center Stage’s bright and shining new production, which brought down the opening-night house on Friday at the Armory, reveals that it’s also a show of surprising elasticity. ... Center Stage’s 'Ain’t Misbehavin’' delivers the goods with brash and happy verve. In short, the joint is jumpin’. Friday’s opening-night audience broke out in a spontaneous standing ovation that, unlike so many in polite and proper Portland, was amply, richly deserved. Heck, I joined ’em." -Oregon ArtsWatch
Timeless Jazz has Plenty to Say
"The cast is uniformly strong, and includes a number of Broadway veterans. The pedigree shows throughout, as they inhabit the song's romantic and comic moments, and dig into the inequities of the Depression era, particularly in the gripping 'Black and Blue.' ... This is a group of particularly gifted singers that nimbly explore the permutations of Waller's songs, offering fresh interpretations of standards, while finding new relevance for some of the more-obscure numbers; the turntable set by scenic designer Tony Cisek is a marvel, creating a quartet of intimate spaces that help the audience focus on the singers. ... Fats Waller's music is fresher than ever with this breezy and brisk production, featuring a strong-voiced cast that has a way with comedy." -The Oregonian
Portland Center Stage is Really Jumpin'!
"Portland Center Stage's production of this musical, conceived by Richard Maltby, Jr., and Murray Horowitz based on the music of Fats Waller, is a high-energy crowd-pleaser. In addition to the fantastic music, this show has great direction by PCS's artistic director Chris Coleman, an awesome rotating set by scenic designer Tony Cisek, and an all-around stellar cast ... Obviously, I recommend Ain't Misbehavin' very highly." -BroadwayWorld
Current & Upcoming
Improvisation Classes for Beginners
Whether you're looking to get more confident in social situations, think quicker on your feet, or get in touch with your imaginative side, these "one-off" improv classes will set you on the path to success!
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Witness the Magic of unscripted Elizabethan comedy! Step into the offbeat world of Love, Shakespeare, where seasoned Portland comedians attempt something audacious: performing a fully improvised Elizabethan play based on your suggestions!
Adult Class : TWELFTH NIGHT, Before & After
Join veteran actor Joe Costa for a unique opportunity to take a “deep dive” into both Shakespeare’s text of Twelfth Night, and the PCS Production. Participants will read the play out loud as a group, with “intermissions” provided for lively discussion of themes and content. Interested participants will have a chance to act in selected scenes, guided by the instructor.
Albina Music Trust presents A Brown Branch Christmas
Celebrate this holiday season with A Brown Branch Christmas at Portland Center Stage. Now in its fourth season, this two-night big band celebration features directors Domo Branch and Charlie Brown III guiding a heavy 15-piece lineup of regional and national musicians.
BIPOC Affinity Night DJ Party with ALoSo
Join us for a double feature BIPOC Affinity Night, featuring a live DJ set by ALoSo, plus holiday craft market vendor tables, art exhibits by Albina Music Trust Wall to Wall Sound and Jason Hill's Favorite Things, with complimentary select drinks provided by Multnomah Whiskey Library and Deschutes Brewery while supplies last.
Winter Teen Academy: Scene Work
Calling all teens! Are you looking to expand your acting skills and be the best scene partner you can be for your fellow actors? In this class, we will dig deep into scene study, character motivation, and active listening, while learning the necessary questions to ask in every rehearsal situation. You'll develop fuller characters and deeper relationships on stage by partnering in scene work — and have lots of fun too!
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Production Sponsors
2015–2016 Season Supporting Sponsors
