'Ain't Misbehavin'' but having a grand time anyway

High-energy high jinks, down-to-earth humor, great musical numbers, sparkling dances, live piano and onstage jazz band— “Ain’t Misbehavin’” at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor has got to be the swingin’est party in town.

Directed and choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge and associate director and choreographer Jim Weaver, the show celebrates the rich legacy of Thomas “Fats” Waller—composer, jazz pianist, singer, and recording artist in the days when “swing was king.” The current production was adapted by Ms. Dodge from a revue originally conceived and directed by Richard Maltby Jr.

The staging of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” at Bay Street is an exuberant romp by a cast of multi-talented performers who have transformed the 299-seat theater into a smoky 1930s Harlem nightclub. It works beautifully. The Lenox Avenue IRT stop is up the left aisle, the entrance to the “rent party” on the right. A group of musicians is entertaining themselves and the neighborhood folks. “Feed the Kitty”—a cookie jar—and welcome to non-stop music: soon the joint will be jumpin’.

Your hosts are the five principal actors: Aurelia Williams as Ruby; Q. Smith as Queenie; Jim Weaver as King; James Alexander as Sweets; and Monica Patton as Cherry.

“Professor” William Foster McDaniel is the production’s musical director and conductor and plays Fats Waller himself; he is stationed at the upright piano and the band is ready. Imagine having a drink as the company sings “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Lookin’ Good but Feelin’ Bad,” both written in 1929.

Don’t worry. It gets nothing but better as solos, duets, and trios alternate with song and dance routines by the company. The men wear sharp suits with ties and vests, fedoras, bowler hats, shoes with spats. The women are in colorful dresses, kimonos, and, of course, dancing shoes.

You’ll know many of the songs, no matter how old you are. Artists over decades have made them timeless classics. A steamy rendition of “Honeysuckle Rose” sung by James Alexander (Sweets) and Q. Smith (Queenie) in a Bay Street Theatre debut for both actors has both comic and blood pressure-raising moments.

Mr. Alexander, who has toured nationally with “Little Shop of Horrors” and other productions, and has numerous Off-Broadway credits as well, is a recipient of the Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance for his part in “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” Ms. Smith’s Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include “Les Miserables,” “Dreamgirls,” and “Smoky Joe’s Café,” among others.

Aurelia Williams’s rich voice, as Ruby, goes from sultry soprano to sexy squeak in “Squeeze Me,” a 1925 song with lyrics by Clarence Williams. Dressed in outrageous red and purple, she defines the word “Daddy” in some unconventional ways. Not surprisingly, the credits of this versatile singer-actress range from “Pirates of Penzance” to “Nunsense” and “Seussical,” to “The Sopranos.”

Mr. Weaver also sings and dances as King. His many talents shine in solos and group numbers, including the first song recorded by Fats Waller, “T’Ain’t Nobody’s Biz-ness If I Do” (1922) and “How Ya Baby” (1938).

Monica Patton, lithe and charming as Cherry, has worked with such stars as Diahann Carroll, Eartha Kitt, and Freda Payne, and has appeared nationally and internationally in “Abby’s Song,” “Ragtime,” and “Bubblin’ Brown Sugar.” She also maintains an active career as a concert and recording artist.

She dances and sings up a storm in her numbers, including “Yacht Club Swing,” and the trio “When the Nylons Bloom Again,” with Ms. Smith and Ms. Williams.

One of the outstanding company numbers is “Handful of Keys,” which answers the question “so what is stride piano, anyway?” Just in case you were wondering, the actors demonstrate on an imaginary keyboard—“the left hand pounds out the rhythm … and the right hand plays the melody … cross the hands.” Got it?

By the end of Act I, “The Joint Is Jumpin’” and that results in an irate, broom-wielding neighbor calling the police.

Can the cops resist joining the party? Of course not. After all, the folks ain’t really misbehavin’. They’re just “Spreading Rhythm Around.”

Act II contains treasures too numerous to list, all performed with boundless energy and effervescent skill by this excellent cast. Among the highlights: “Mean to Me,” sung with melancholy sweetness by Ms. Smith; followed by “Your Feet’s Too Big,” a wonderful comic turn by Mr. Alexander; and a totally stunning performance of “The Viper’s Drag” by Mr. Weaver and the company, in which King dreams of “a reefer more than five feet long.” As Mr. Weaver puffs and reels, and strays, crazy-eyed, into the audience, the illusion becomes perfect. That smoke, it’s unmistakable. A chaste sign in the lobby informs patrons that “theatrical smoke and herbal tobacco products” are used in the production. Bravo to whoever came up with this genius bit of stagecraft.

“Black and Blue” changes the mood. The song, with music by Waller and Harry Brooks and lyrics by Andy Razaf in a vocal arrangement by William Elliott is a tragic lament sung by the company directly to the audience. “What did I do/to be so black… and… blue?” It strikes a chill to the heart.

Five songs by other composers that Fats Waller made hits comprise the finale of the show, which is performed in glittering evening dress by the ensemble. One, to show that the party is ending, is Hoagy Carmichael’s “Two Sleepy People,” sung by Mr. Alexander and Ms. Williams.

It is impossible to single out any one performer as “the best.” The entire cast, including supporting members Christopher Mills, Karen Paulemon, and Corey Triplett, playing “the folks in the neighborhood,” is superb. Pianist and conductor William McDaniel, a wonderful musician with literally dozens of conducting credits, carries the audience right back to the days of Cab Calloway and Fats Waller.

The same can be said for the orchestra that accompanies every number. Cheers for Bob Carten on alto and tenor sax and clarinet; Ken Crutchfield on drums; Billy May on bass; and Dan Yaeger on trumpet and flugelhorn.

Renewed bravos and thanks for a fine production to director Marcia Milgrom Dodge and the associate director and choreographer, the remarkable Jim Weaver. Kudos as well to Jon Savage for set design, Greg Wilson for costumes, Kirk Bookman for lighting, Tony Melfa for sound, and Kathy Fabian/Propstar for properties design.

Invite yourself to this party by all means. It’s worth much more than the price of admission. It will get you jitterbuggin’ and even misbehavin’ (just a little). And no excuses that “Your Feet’s Too Big!”

“Ain’t Misbehavin’” will run at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor through August 31. For ticket information, call the box office at 631-725-9500, or visit www.baystreet.org.