Ain't Misbehavin'

Eep... it's a five person show, as originally conceived (and generally performerd) with 3 women and 2 men, who are black.

Unless you're school does it differently as like a big ensemble, multi-racial production...

Fats-Waller (the composer) is a character in the show, but I suppose he doesn't have to be...
There's also a song called Black and Blue about being black. I suppose they could cut it.

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Black and Blue is the eleven o'clock number and ought never to be cut from Ain't Misbehavin' for any reason, and if your director thinks it can be cut, they do not know sh*t from shinola. The entire show builds to Black and Blue. The last medley is a tag.

I worked backstage at the original and there aren't many shows that I know like this one.

It could be done with a mixed race cast, but I don't know why.

There is a subtext book to Ain't that has never been written about, but this subtext is that the songs each tell a bit of Fats Waller's life and beliefs. Study the lyrics for instance to "Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do". Those words are the life of Fats Waller, a biography in phrases. There is a reason that Richard Maltby wrote new lyrics for that song and placed the song near the top of the show.

The reason Ain't works so well is that unlike almost all other revues, it had a subliminal book that was explained to the original company and not even to replacement casts.

If Black and Blue were cut, where would the show hit its emotional climax?

It needs to be done with a small African-American cast for it to have any impact at all.

But I never have strong opinions...

Xx

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