Image courtesy of the Milwaukee Rep
Ain't Misbehavin' 2026 Cast - Milwaukee Rep promo image
“The joint is jumpin’. It’s really jumpin’.” And it’s all ‘happenin’” over at the Milwaukee Rep’s Stackner Cabaret with a rollicking, high-energy production of Ain’t Misbehavin’.
Based on the music of composer and pianist Fats Waller, Ain’t Misbehavin’ was created and originally directed by Broadway veteran Richard Maltby Jr., who also conceived the show with Murray Horwitz. It recreates the exuberant, high-spirited song and dance found in Harlem jazz clubs and ballrooms of 1920s-30s. As part of the Harlem Renaissance, Waller celebrated Black life through his legacy of music that integrated jazz, blues, swing, ragtime and even pop. It was a welcome—albeit temporary—relief from the harsh realities of the Great Depression.
And the Rep’s current production is a resounding, joyous celebration of what are now many classic standards in the American Songbook. The Rep staged Ain’t Misbehavin’ at the Stackner in 2014 and that same lively, entertaining spirit infuses this staging. The musical revue features five highly talented performers that showcase so many of Waller’s memorable tunes. The opener “Ain’t Misbahvin’” sets the bar high and it stays right there throughout the evening.
Entertaining Banter
Often performed as a torch song, Brad Raymond and Rae Davenport brought out the inherent humor and sexual innuendo in “Honeysuckle Rose.” Their back-and-forth banter highlighted an underlying yet key strength to Waller’s compositions; make it tuneful, catchy and funny. Director E. Faye Butler fully understands Waller’s intent and has capitalized on this throughout the dizzying array of numbers.
“Handful of Keys’” depicts this to great comic effect as the ensemble plays “air piano” with the actual—and masterful-playing directly behind them by William Foster McDaniel, also the show’s music director and arranger. Amahri Edwards-Jones is a natural born comedienne frenetically “playing, her exaggerated movements adding to the boisterous momentum of the number.
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Act II moves the show into the 1940s and additional composers and the mood definitely shifts, once again showcasing individual numbers and talents. Pianist McDaniel recaps “Honeysuckle Rose” at the start playing the tune in a variety of styles which elicits laughs just by speeding up and slowing down. Blues, jazz, ragtime. It’s all there and a delight to listen to and watch.
Strut his Stuff
In “The Viper’s Drag,” Jarran V. Muse gets to strut his “stuff,” in this case, a reefer, in the moody, red-lit haze, teasingly offering the joint to audience members and then pulling it back. He slithers and slinks his way across the stage, streetwise and seductive. “Find Out What They Like” brings out the bawdy as Davenport and Katherine Alexis Thomas discuss the not-so-subtle ways of pleasing a man. Brad Raymond once again commands the stage with his way-too-funny version of “Your Feet’s Too Big,” explaining—and exaggerating—all the reasons he rejects his romantic partner. His gift for ad-libs makes it a highlight, even as he trails off stage.
With the Rep’s Ain’t Misbehavin’, “the roof is really rockin.” And then some. All the more reason to step in— and have a good time.
Ain’t Misbehavin’ runs through April 26 in the Stackner Cabaret. Running time: approximately two hours with one intermission. Recommended for ages 14 and up. For more information, call the Rep Box Office: 414-224-1761, or visit www.milwaukeerep.com
