With the stride style he adapted from ragtime, Harlem native Thomas “Fats” Waller became a huge influence on the way jazz was played on the piano. Now you can watch his music performed in the small confines of the Velvet Lounge, Circle Theatre’s newly renovated lobby, in the Fort Worth troupe’s revival of Ain’t Misbehavin’.
Patrons will be transported to a Roaring ’20s speakeasy to sip wine and cocktails from bar tables, plush couches and cozy chairs while enjoying the intimate, immersive show. Seating is limited to about 40 for each of the 12 performances.
The 1978 musical revue, with a book by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby Jr., is not a biography. Instead, five vocalists — J. Dontray Davis, Davian Jackson, Janette Robinson, Crystal Williams and Micaela E. Workman — simply deliver 31 of the 400 tunes written or popularized by Waller during his short, prolific life.
Ain’t Misbehavin’ has remained popular since running for more than 1,600 performances on Broadway, winning Tonys for best musical, direction and performance by a featured actress. Its London production took home the Olivier Award for musical of the year. NBC aired a performance in 1982 by the original cast, including Nell Carter and André DeShields, who returned for a 1988 Broadway revival. A 1995 national tour starred the Pointer Sisters. American Idol winner Ruben Studdard was part of a 30th anniversary tour in 2008 and 2009.
Details
March 6-22 at 230 W. 4th St., Fort Worth. $45 for single tickets, $100-$150 for two-tops and $200-$300 for four-tops. Tables include cocktail service. VIP tickets include a bottle of wine. circletheatre.com.
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