Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/472348
MARCH 4-10, 2015 UCW 9 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Ain't Misbeavin' is not your typical show. And it is not a show that you will want to miss. Originally created as a musical revue, Ain't Misbehavin' pays homage to the music of Fats Waller and to the black musicians of the 1920s and '30s who were the driving force behind the Harlem Renaissance. Coming to the Cape Fear Regional Theatre stage March 5-22, the show invites you to come in and sit down a while. It asks that you leave your problems at home and prepare to have a good time. It's an invitation to spend the evening with friends who are on stage, but who are really just part of an evening of fun. So suspend the idea that you are going to the theatre to watch a play. Instead, you are going to spend the evening with Gigi, David, Carla and Tony — just some fun folks who are all about having a good time. Last year, Gary John La Rosa was asked by CFRT Artistic Director Tom Quaintance for his wish list of shows he would like to direct. La Rosa immediately chose Ain't Misbehavin', and is excited to have the opportunity to return to Fayetteville to bring this exciting show to life. La Rosa explains that while the show doesn't have a script per se, there is a story line that ties all of the music and singing together. That line is held together by intricate music and lyrics of Waller. La Rosa noted that it is easy to take the songs on face value, but when you dig into them and really listen you see the complexity, humor and pain that is all blended into them. The music tells the story of the musicians who could play on the stage at the top hotels in Manhatten, but couldn't walk in the front door. It talks about heartache and abuse, and all the other human conditions that are universally shared, but in this context, from the perspective of the musicians who are featured in the revue. To bring the show to life, La Rosa brought together a talented cast, which includes veteran CFRT performer Gigi Ritchey, David LaMarr, Carla Stewart and Tony Perry. For Ritchey, doing the show is a homecoming of sorts. She last performed in the CFRT's 50th anniversary show, and since then, she has gone through a lot of changes. The former outreach person for Rep. Mike McIntyre, Ritchey found herself making life changes when McIntyre retired last year. She began pursuing her dream, and is working on her master's in Christian Counseling from Liberty University. Her job change, also freed up some time for her to pursue another passion: performing. "This show is just so joyous," said Richey. "We are all up there having a really great time with this music, and then there are some really tender moments. The title of the show is really an inside joke, because everyone is misbeavin' in this show." For Richey, working with La Rosa has been quite a learning experience. "I love that he is always asking 'why,' " she said. "When we do something, he asks us why we did it in the particular way. Why did we hold our hand a certain way or why did we sing a lyric a certain way." In thinking about and looking at the why, the cast has been able to capitalize on special moments in the show and to create moments that they were not even aware of. "Gary has really just brought so much out in this show that I didn't see at first," said Richey. "Understanding why, has helped us pick those special moments." LaMarr, who has previously performed in the show, agrees with Richey. Having done the show before, he is seeing it in a different light while working with La Rosa. LaMarr said that he first fell in love with the show when he was in the midst of a life-changing decision. He was trying to decide what direction he was going to take in life as he was finishing college. His professor gave him the cast album of Ain't Misbehavin' and he fell in love with it and made the decision to pursue a career on the stage. "I will do this show anytime anyone asks me," he said. The musical director for the show is Brian Whitted. Whitted, a Fayetteville native, started his career at CFRT, and with the help of Broadway contacts he met at the theatre, made the transition. While already committed to do this show, Whitted got a call from Bette Midler asking him to tour with her. He put the Divine Miss M off for a few weeks so that he could work this show, and will join her following the run. Ain't Misbehavin' is shaping up to be the 'don't miss' show of the season. Tickets are on sale now and range in price from $15 to $28. For tickets and show times, call the CFRT Box Office at 323-4233 or online at www.cfrt.org. Ain't Misbehavin' Has Everyone Misbehavin' at the CFRT by JANICE BURTON JANICE BURTON, Associate Publisher, Up & Coming Weekly. COMMENTS? Edi- tor@upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200.