By Gabrielle Young, Marketing Intern

“…definitely a show that you’re not going to want to miss…rowdy, raucous, sultry, and exciting…a wild and exciting ride through the golden age of jazz and the music of a celebrated American musical icon.” – Broadway World

AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ has been called “Deliciously Entertaining” by the Chicago Tribune and is a show that is sure to have Lyric’s audience jumpin’ and jivin’ throughout! Named after the song by Fats Waller (with Harry Brooks and Andy Razaf), AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ is one of the most popular musical revues with audiences and critics, receiving much acclaim that includes three Tony Awards. It was written by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr., and contains music centered around Waller, arranged and orchestrated by Luther Henderson. Audiences will be entertained by the 1920s-30s jazz and swing music in a celebration of music, a celebration of dance, and a celebration of Black voices.

AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ follows five performers in an evening of rowdy, raunchy, and humorous songs that encapsulates the mood of the era and the idea that life is a journey meant for pleasure and play. The musical pays tribute to the Black musicians of the 1920s and 1930s who were part of the Harlem Renaissance, an era of growing creativity, cultural awareness, and ethnic pride. It was a time when high society could be found in the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom, Manhattan nightclubs, and when piano players began introducing the musical style of swing to the jazz scene.

Centered around music by Waller, AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’S music will surprise audience members who may think they haven’t heard his music, and they will be surprised by how much of the music they have heard, dancing along with the memorable songs. Waller was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, and master entertainer who became one of the most popular and influential performers of his era, achieving critical and commercial success in both the United States and abroad. Pairing his jazz music with comedy to appeal to the masses, he was not just a great musician but an entertainer, which his music reflects.

This musical opened on Broadway in May 1978, and since it opened, it has been performed on the West End in London, filmed for U.S. television, toured nationally and internationally, and revived on both Broadway and the West End. Its popularity is evident not only through the amount of time the production has been staged but also through the number of awards it has received. AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ won three of the five Tony Awards it was nominated for, including Best Musical, and it was nominated again for Best Revival in 1989. Additionally, it received three Drama Desk Awards of six nominations, and it won the 1979 Grammy Award for Best Cast Show Album.

Filled with fun, off-the-charts energy, AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ is sure to have audiences dancing to the familiar tunes from the golden age of jazz and swing. Make sure to get your good seats at the lowest prices before they’re gone: https://lyrictheatreokc.com/shows/aint-misbehavin/.