User Reviews

AIN'T MISBEHAVIN, the grandly entertaining musical revue saluting the music of the legendary Fats Waller that made a star out of the late Nell Carter, was beautifully filmed in all its original glory for NBC television in 1982. No characters, no dialogue, just one showstopping musical number after the next. If you're going to film a Broadway musical, this is the textbook on how to do it. No alteration of the original material, no tampering with the score, no elaborate changes in settings, and utilizing the amazing original cast: Carter, Ken Page, Armelia McQueen, Andre DeShields, and Charlaine Woodard. This show features over 20 musical numbers and the original Broadway soundtrack is a two-record set, but you never feel the length because the show is so unbelievably entertaining, when it's over you just want more. For me, the highlights were Carter and Page's duet, "Honeysuckle Rose", McQueen's "Squeeze Me", "A Handful of Keys", "Lounging at the Waldorf", "Fat and Greasy", DeShield's showstopping "The Viper/Reefer Drag" and the beautiful and haunting "Black and Blue." This is an evening of musical theater you will never forget and you will DEFINITELY be humming the tunes when it's over. A must-see.

Well the good news for all you people above is that a DVD of the original cast is now available.

There is no doubt that the original cast recording is a classic that should not have been allowed to go out of print. Revivals of the show have never been up to that standard.

It has been transferred from a good quality videotape and is sometimes available through eBay, or as an alternative, directly from Unleyproject@aol.com. You can enquire further to that address, Neither the videotape or the DVD are commercially available at this stage, so there is no copyright infringement, and all the funds raised from this DVD apparently go to a charitable foundation based in South Australia.

This legendary Broadway show started way off Broadway but was so full of of talent and good cheer it worked its way to Broadway where it won Tony Awards for best musical and supporting actress Nell Carter. Altogether, this show ran from May 1978 til February 1982. This NBC production is dated 1982 and features the incredible original cast.

First off, the music of Fats Waller that this show is built around is great. Some Waller tunes like "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Honeysuckle Rose" are among the all-time standards of American pop music.

Secondly the cast of five singers (who also dance, clown, and act up a storm) is just about perfection. Nell Carter emerged as a star after this show hit Broadway and went on to movies, TV, and more stage work. Here, her best moments include the touching "Mean to Me" and the sassy "Cash for Your Trash." Carter also won an Emmy for this TV production.

Andre De Shields is memorable in his "Reefer" and "Viper" medley and dances up a storm in "How Ya Baby." He also won an Emmy for this TV production.

Charlaine Woodard gets the spotlight in "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" and matches De Shields in dancing to "How Ya Baby." Ken Page has a lot of fun with "Your Feets Too Big" and also "Fat and Greasy." Armelia McQueen is tops with the novelty song "When the Nylons Bloom Again" and "Squeeze Me" and pairs nicely with De Shields on "Two Sleepy People." The entire cast works well in the sad "Black and Blue" which is arranged as a choral event. There's also a lively "re-enactment" of a Harlem party in "This Joint is Jumping." And everyone gets a moment in the incredibly lively "Handful of Keys" number.

There are many more golden moments here with 29 of Waller's songs (as composer or singer) featured.

Staged in front of an intimate dinner club setting, the 5 stars go through their paces with minimal staging or costumes. Luther Henderson sits at an upright piano a la Waller and is often the only accompaniment. But at a certain point the scenery goes up and we get a small on-stage jazz band.

This show is full of Black humor and sass and is loaded with talent. No gimmicks here. No huge chorus. No clutter to get in the way of the music.

A terrific evening of theatre.

Ain't Misbehavin' was a true gem. Absolutely incredible performances and high energy delivery. This was taped for PBS's Great Performances and the simply refuse to release it. It is a true shame because we are missing some of the best performances on Broadway. Fat's Waller music is amazing, way ahead of its time as were the Ain't Misbehavin cast. Nell Carter, Ken Page and Andre de Shields out do themselves with wonderful voices and interpretations of Waller's music. This program belongs on DVD, it would especially be good to have a commentary or more background on the show. This show is a tribute to the music of harlem, n'awlins and a great time.

This show, Ain't Misbehavin' is full of talent and no gimmicks, just great singers and great songs. They don't use any of the crazy stuff you find in musicals today. It has a very simple set and if I recall correctly, no costume changes. I was fortunate enough to see it with the original cast. All they needed was Fats Waller's music and their abilities. All the performers were very good in their own unique way. They were not of the cookie cutter school. The original cast members are amazing! Too bad the show doesn't get produced more often. This was the very first musical I saw as a teenager and it left an indelible mark on me. After seeing the show I have always wanted to do what they did, sing and have fun. Since then, I have seen many musicals throughout the years, both touring companies and Broadway performances. There have been many that I have liked but the talent and the simplicity of this show is hard to beat. Mitch

I have also been waiting for the DVD for this to come out. This is an awesome musical and with the unexpected death of one of the stars, Nell Carter, this would be a really nice tribute to her, her family, her fans and her talent.

Why, oh why doesn't Columbia put this out on DVD so that everyone can experience the joy of seeing these four miraculous performers and these miraculous songs and musical numbers? This is the greatest single cabaret evening I've ever seen, certainly the best TV has ever offered. I taped this off of USA Network and am I glad I did; my copy is smeary and the audio is flawed, but I wouldn't give up this tape for anything -- until a DVD came along, that is...

I agree, this musical is the greatest. I came across this website that might help with locating this musical. Check out: my Broadway videos Hopefully, they will keep us posted on the release of this great musical. IF anyone finds this release,please share information. I too, lost my original tape recorded version over the years...... Nell Carter will truly be missed. She was one of the greatest entertainers of all times. I remember singing the songs and dancing in the living room with my mother, grandmother and aunt. We had a lot of good family memories with this musical. My Grandmother wants this video for her 87th birthday and I would love to surprise her with it. So if anyone has a knowledge of this tape, please share. Thanks.

I got to see this only once when it was on television in 1982. Puhleeze... Someone... Put this on DVD so we who have seen it before (and those who haven't had the privilege) can continue to hear the the music and watch these wonderful performers again! There's nothing out there to match this!

I don't remember what TV network put this on. Maybe PBS? Does anyone know? Perhaps I could, then, address them and see if it could be repeated. Or, maybe they have a video available. Maybe someone out there actually knows how or where a copy can be purchased? A show this good, with these particular actors/singers, should definitely be immortalized for the future!

I have to tell you, first of all, I am not a big fan of these kind of shows, but in this case, I have to make an exception. I was just a lad of 5 when my parents taped this off the USA network back in the 80's, and I have nothing but fond memories of this musical dating back over 20 years now. I remember as a young kid my dad and I belting out "You're Feets too Big" at random places and times, and my sister and I singing along with all the songs as we watched this tape over and over again. Then, a few years ago, I came across the original cast recording of the musical in Barnes & Noble and had to buy it right on the spot. I still listen and sing along to this day, and probably will for the rest of my life. This musical is as much a part of my childhood as anything else, and I like others, can not wait for someone to put this thing out on DVD so I can buy three copies of it...one for me, one for my sister, and one for my parents!!!

I, too, would like for someone to put this wonderful musical on DVD. It is amazing. Nell Carter won a Tony Award for her performance and after her untimely death, I felt that someone would step up to the plate and give me a chance to purchase this wonderful piece of artistry. An elementary school teacher introduced me to this musical. We performed "Ya feets too big" when I was in the 6th grade and it has stayed with me ever since. I would like to be able to share this with my kids. I had it on VHS also, but can't find it (and I am sad). I can't find any table station that is running "Ain't Misbehavin".

Please, please let someone put this wonderful show on DVD.

Recently in a pile of VHS tapes I was going through I found this fantastic television presentation, still in very good condition. Mind you it's a copy from the TV show... What I'm doing now is taking that VHS tape and converting it to a DVD. So far it's coming out very good, managed to restore most of the color and fix the hissing background sound. By the time I'm done it'll be a great copy that'll last for many, many years. I hope that the company who owns the rights to the show soon releases it on an official DVD. It would be nice to have a perfect copy, too. It will be a great addition to my collection and something that will be viewed many times in the future.

This broadway show has become a legacy in my family. My mother and sister went to see it in New York, then it came on TV a couple of years later and got to see that the great songs I'd been listening to on the album were sooo much better live. Now, my 8 year old is singing "You're feets too big." Like another comment I taped it off of the TV, but regretfully it has gotten lost. Trying to make do with the CD. Now that the Pointer Sisters have put out their own version, the original is much harder to find. *sigh