Riverwalk certainly was “jumpin’” —as the song says — at the beginning of the second (and last) weekend of the sultry, glamorous, musical happening that is Ain’t Misbehavin’ — celebrating the music of Fats Waller and the Harlem Renaissance. I was being WARM in Florida last weekend and so missed the opening, but was privileged tonight to see one cast member, Marcus Herndon, in his FIRST performance; he had to skip the first weekend due to a tonsillectomy. His voice sounded top notch, despite the setback — and he was effectively blended back into the cast. Kudos to all who jumped in to cover his songs last weekend; and director Hope Rollins who put it all together under difficult circumstances. The ever-cool Terence Gipson, spunky Jessie Allen, glamorous Danielle Embry, bodacious Rebecca Lane, sultry Angel Taylor, slinky Carin McEvoy, and sophisticated Zakiya Williams joined the recovered tenor Marcus to embody these seductive rhythms and melodies.
The beautiful set (Bob Nees, with scenography by Alvin Holloway) brings the audience right into the 20’s-30’s bar, schmoozing with the engaging ensemble of singers and dancers. Choreographer Chantelle Henry is to be applauded not only for styling the moves for others, but for her uninhibited explosion of solo dancing. Director Hope Rollins shared choreography duties and was featured dancer on the moving “Black and Blue” injecting a powerful, blue mood into the mostly upbeat and flirtatious songs. The costume team put together a glamorous array of couture. Music Director James Geer seemed to channel a bit of his inner “Fats” at the keyboard, leading an excellent combo of musicians who joined the cast in embodying the soul of these memorable songs.
Make your reservations NOW. This lively revue deserves more full houses. Only one more weekend:
Ain’t Misbehavin continues at 8 pm Fri/Sat and 2 pm Sunday.www.RiverwalkTheatre.com517-482-5700
The beautiful set (Bob Nees, with scenography by Alvin Holloway) brings the audience right into the 20’s-30’s bar, schmoozing with the engaging ensemble of singers and dancers. Choreographer Chantelle Henry is to be applauded not only for styling the moves for others, but for her uninhibited explosion of solo dancing. Director Hope Rollins shared choreography duties and was featured dancer on the moving “Black and Blue” injecting a powerful, blue mood into the mostly upbeat and flirtatious songs. The costume team put together a glamorous array of couture. Music Director James Geer seemed to channel a bit of his inner “Fats” at the keyboard, leading an excellent combo of musicians who joined the cast in embodying the soul of these memorable songs.
Make your reservations NOW. This lively revue deserves more full houses. Only one more weekend:
Ain’t Misbehavin continues at 8 pm Fri/Sat and 2 pm Sunday.www.RiverwalkTheatre.com517-482-5700
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