ASF 2016 Study Materials for Ain'tThe Fats WallerMisbehavin' Musical Show conceived by Murray Horowitz & Richard Maltby Director Set Design Costume Design Lighting Design James Bowen Jesse Dreikosen Jeffrey Todhunter Kendall Smith Contact ASF at: www.asf.net Study materials written by 1.800.841-4273 Susan Willis, ASF Dramaturg [email protected] ASF/ 1 Ain't Misbehavin' The Fats Waller Musical Show conceived by Murray Horowitz & Richard Maltby Welcome to Ain't Misbehavin' and the Music of Fats Waller This joint is about to start jumping! Your toes will tap, your shoulders will jive, your head will bob along with some of the most infectious swing America has ever Characters created, the music of Thomas "Fats" Waller (the "characters" are identified by the names of the five actors in and some others who shaped the feel of the the first Broadway cast) 1920s, '30s, and early '40s. This musical André, a party hound, a flirt, revue is like one big rent party or club show and a bit of a womanizer on stage at ASF—the great stride music of Armelia, a voluptuous and Fats Waller with performers singing and sassy woman, strong-willed dancing his musical tales of love, longing, and not afraid to speak her and the zest for life. mind The pitch for the Broadway show reads Charlaine, a sweet, innocent "A sassy, sultry musical celebration of young lady legendary jazz great, Fats Waller." Sassy, Ken, a jovial, cheerful, loud yes. Sultry, yes. Musical, oh, yes indeed. man, larger than life Legendary, just listen. So there's every Life magazine's portrait of Thomas "Fats" Waller Nell, a confident and charming reason for celebration! woman of the world Song List for Ain't Misbehavin' In his review of the 1988 Broadway Act 1: "Ain't Misbehavin'" (1929) revival, New York Times drama critic Frank "Lookin' Good but Feelin' Bad" Rich proclaimed that the show "conjured "'T Ain't Nobody's Bizness"*• (1923) [a] between-the-wars dream world…. This "Honeysuckle Rose" (1935) musical anthology expands beyond its form "Squeeze Me"(1926) to become a resurrection of a great black "Handful of Keys"• (1929) artist's soul … Perhaps the key "I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling"(1929) "How Ya Baby" to the musical's approach … "Jitterbug Waltz"• is its willingness to let Waller "Ladies Who Sing with the Band" speak simply and eloquently "Yacht Club Swing" for himself, through his art…." "When the Nylons Bloom Again" So get ready see what "Cash for Your Trash" behavin' means to Fats Waller. "Off-Time" "The Joint Is Jumpin'" Act 2: "Spreadin' Rhythm Around"*• "Lounging at the Waldorf"• "The Viper's Drag" (1934) "Mean to Me"* "You Feet's Too Big"* "That Ain't Right"* "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" (1937) "Find Out What They Like" "Fat and Greasy"* "Black and Blue" (1929) "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter"* "Two Sleepy People"* Kyme and Jim Weaver "I've Got My Fingers Crossed"* in ASF's 1995 "I Can't Give You Anything but Ain't Misbehavin' Love"* (1938) "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie"* "Honeysuckle Band" * song by another composer; Waller made a hit • some or all lyrics added for the show ASF/ 2 Ain't Misbehavin' The Fats Waller Musical Show conceived by Murray Horowitz & Richard Maltby Murray Horwitz on the Genesis of the Show Ain't Misbehavin' How Horwitz Met "Fats" musical, Ain't Misbehavin'. But the As a teenager, Murray Horwitz was reason for the success of that show," already deeply involved in music; Horwitz insists, "was overwhelmingly "Fats Waller was specifically, he was a jazz fan, which the excellence and universal appeal of an irresistible force meant he listened to records of jazz Fats Waller." greats and cultivated his "ear." He Horwitz on the Appeal of Fats Waller of humanity. He let also wanted to perform comedy. One Universal—not music for some but music us know—in ways day in the Dayton, Ohio Public Library for all. Horwitz believes "[Waller's] nobody had—that he checked out Fats Waller's album target audience was all of us." In his we're all in this Valentine Stomp. music, Fats Waller "isn't just letting thing together." He was smitten, because he realized us know what the real deal is; he's Waller "is the point where those two reminding us that we already know —Murray Horwitz art forms meet: he is the greatest jazz what it is. And he's letting us know pianist who ever tried to make people that he knows we know.… The one laugh, and the greatest comedian who way that works is if, on some level, we ever played jazz." So he bought every all share some common traits, some piece of Waller's music he could find. values, some needs. Fats confirms Horwitz was surprised to learn the 1960s that for us. He lets us in on it with his did not share his passion for Waller; in fingers, his smile, his voice, and his fact, the world had largely forgotten his eyebrows, which … always let you music and moved on to the Beatles. know there was at least one more joke So Horwitz took action: "I was able inside the one he'd just told." to turn my passion into the Broadway Waller's music also helps us deal with our human flaws: "in his pianism, in his compositions, in his voice, in his The Nature of a Revue very physical presence, he continually A revue is a collection of song, dance, contrasts a heavy assertiveness with and/or skits rather than a piece telling an a light elegance." For DIscussion coherent through-story supplemented Horwitz wanted this show because In considering why Fats "nobody has ever played stride piano Waller's music may by song and dance—that art form is known as the Broadway musical. Ain't better than Fats Waller." Recordings have been overlooked keep his music alive for new for several decades, Misbehavin' combines songs that Fats Waller composed, collaborated on, or audiences, but sharing the "freshness, Horwitz wryly says: "After energy, and dazzle" of that music live all, he was an artist of recorded in his signature style. Fats Waller wrote for the early all-black on stage can demonstrate exactly why what was considered Fats Waller is one of the men whose the disposable world Broadway shows Keep Shufflin' (1926), Load of Coal (1928), and Hot Chocolates compositions "[changed] the course of of American popular American popular piano music." culture." (1929). Later he composed Early to Bed • What in "pop culture" today (1943), the first non-black Broadway show might be considered composed by an African American. "We think of thunder in the left "disposable" but may Richard Maltby, Jr. and Murray Horwitz hand, but it is as much about prove to have real value? give this revue a loose thematic shape the wit and suppleness in the Why? by organizing the material in Act 1 on the right. Challenging the rhythm, sweetness of love and the joy of music, swinging hard, balancing the Source: Murray Horwitz plus some war-themed songs, then in Act heaviness and the lightness, "Fats Waller Now, Fats Waller 2 turning to New York City, partying, danc- Fats gives us a way to make Forever" on "Fats Waller Forever" ing, and the heartache and crises of love, sense of modern life." website @ http://newarkwww. ending with a glittering medley of tunes —Murray Horwitz rutgers.edu/ijs/fw/contemp.htm Waller made hits. ASF/ 3 Ain't Misbehavin' The Fats Waller Musical Show conceived by Murray Horowitz & Richard Maltby Timeline for Thomas "Fats" Waller: The Master of Stride Piano Thomas Waller, called "Fats" from his • When his mother died in 1920, childhood, was born into music and made pressures led Waller to leave home it his life, moving through church music to and move in with the family of Russell ragtime to the new stride piano jazz, from Brooks, a pianist who introduced him street corners to film houses and rent to James P. Johnson. Recognizing parties to piano rolls, from clubs to revues Waller's talent, Johnson mentored him and Broadway, from Harlem to Ohio and in stride piano style and the works of Hollywood and Europe—the evolving 19th-century composers. worlds of music from 1915 to 1943. • Johnson got Waller started making Fats Waller's Life and Musical piano rolls in 1922-23, and Waller's Under Rev. Adam Clayton Journey: Youth and Training distinctive style proved very popular. Powell, Sr., during the • 1904: Born to Rev. Edward Waller, • He also met Willie 1920s Abyssinian was the a lay preacher with the Abyssinian "the Lion" Smith [a > largest Baptist church in > Baptist Church in Harlem, and Adeline wartime nickname], the U.S., with over 20,000 Waller, an organist—the the other great members and an extensive stride pianist in social program youngest of their eleven children, only five of Harlem, and played whom survived. his first nightclub • 1910-1919: His mother gig by sitting in for Smith at Leroy's taught him classical and spellbinding the Willie Smith, music and the organ a stride piano > and later hired a piano audience. master, won tutor, while the church's • His jovial personality himself a piano as music director started him on musical and his musical a child and became basics using J. S. Bach. He played for ability made Waller an influential the family's street revivals and in the a hit performing at "musician's school orchestra and also learned the clubs and at Harlem musician" who > James P.