Jeri Tidwell Photography
Toby’s Dinner Theatre has produced one memorable show after another since the facility opened in Columbia, MD in 1979. In the nearly two years I’ve been reviewing shows at Toby’s, there have been a wide range of productions from the serious (Show Boat) to the silly (Young Frankenstein), mostly appealing to all ages. Most of these shows have some kind of narrative storytelling, and even when it’s a show that’s considered a ‘jukebox musical’ like Mamma Mia!, there is always a story to tell. And if you’re not familiar with that term, it basically means a show that uses pre-existing music like the songs of ABBA for Mamma Mia! or Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons for Jersey Boys.
Toby’s latest production could be considered a real jukebox of a musical, Ain’t Misbehavin’ which features the music of legendary jazz composer Thomas ‘Fats’ Waller. But this isn’t a show that aims to tell the story of Fats Waller’s life like, say, Beautiful does with the music of Carol King, this is a show that’s just designed to introduce, or re-introduce, the music of Waller to audiences who may have never heard of him before, or know some of his familiar tunes but never knew who wrote them. It also makes it a difficult show to review as there is no real story to tell.
Jeri Tidwell Photography
But, if you look — and listen — closer, the performers are telling stories with the music. The show is comprised of thirty — yes, THREE-ZERO — songs and two reprises. With a cast of … FIVE! That’s a lot of singing, and choreography, for just five individuals to master and perform for two hours. A few of the songs are definitely familiar, such as the title tune, ”T Ain’t Nobody’s Biz-ness If I Do’, ‘Honeysuckle Rose’, ‘The Joint is Jumpin” and ‘I Can’t Give You Anything But Love’ (which Waller did not write but made popular), with many that are not as familiar and sometimes a bit goofy like ‘Fat and Greasy’ and ‘When the Nylons Bloom Again’. There’s even a song about smoking reefer, ‘The Viper’s Drag’ which ends up being a showstopper thanks to the slinky, sexy performance of Bryan Jeffrey. And while most of the songs are upbeat, the cast slows things down for a minute with the heart-wrenching ‘Black and Blue’. I have to admit that one did make my eyes well up a bit.
While there is no real story, you’re not going to learn anything about Fats Waller’s life from the show but you will understand his talent, the show is designed in such a way that each song is a story with the cast taking on a character to act out each number. It’s almost like watching a music video live a few feet from your seat. And while everyone remains in the same outfit for the run of the show, there are additions to the costumes that befit the number. I thought it was a clever way to inject some storytelling into the proceedings so it didn’t just come off as a concert performance. The direction by Monique Midgette and choreography by Shalyce Hemby really keeps things moving all around the performance area. And TOby’s is the perfect setting for a show like this that feels like it belongs in a nightclub / cabaret type of setting (the theatre has been decked out with chandeliers to give it that club-like ambiance). The lighting by Lynn Joslin also assists in transitioning from one number to the next.
Jeri Tidwell Photography
But, with all of the technical aspects of the show running smoothly, it really comes down to the five cast members and the seven musicians in the orchestra to entertain the audience. And they do a stupendous job. The cast — Kelli Blackwell, Kadeljah Oné, Bryan Jeffrey, Tobias A. Young and Kanysha Williams — all have the purest voices and a great stage presence. Everyone gets their time to shine throughout the show, and they handle everything from friends to adversaries very well as the number dictates. And when they come together as one for the ‘Black and Blue’ number, it’s simply magical how their voices blend in harmony. While everyone deserves all the accolades they get, I have to also point out during one number Kanysha Williams is required to sing off-key and scream very loudly, which is no easy feat when you have to sing 29 other songs perfectly.
Ain’t Misbehavin’ may not be the typical show you’ve come to expect from Toby’s Dinner Theatre but there’s no denying that once again all the talent on and behind the stage have delivered another knockout of a show.
Chuck Duncan
And being a dinner theatre, I have to mention the buffet for this show. There are the standards like house specialty Spinach Funque and the carving station, but new additions to the buffet this time around include Braised Cabbage with mixed greens and onions, Honeysuckle Rose Ribs with a cinnamon/chipotle run and smokey BBQ sauce and Chicken and Waffles, which many people were very excited about. You can see from the photo that you can pile a plate high and not get everything offered (and that was just a few items not including something carved) … but you can go back for seconds. In addition to dessert and the ice cream sundae bar, there is a special themed drink, The Viper’s Drag which is a frozen strawberry drink that can have an added bit of spiced rum for the adults. And you get to keep the glass! (And I’m told the Sunday brunch includes the best bacon in town.) Everything is delicious, and combined with the show is well worth the price of admission.
Ain’t Misbehavin’ runs about 2 hours with one twenty minute intermission. Note that fog and haze are used in this production. The show runs through November 4, 2018. Toby’s next production is Disney’s The Little Mermaid opening November 9.
Music Theatre International (MTI)
Check our Ticketmaster link for ticket availability.
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