"Ain't Misbehavin' " national tour, through Feb. 22, Kingsbury Hall (355-2787 or www.newspaceentertainment.com)
There's no mistake who the star of "Ain't Misbehavin' " is … it's the music.
The national tour, which plays at Kingsbury Hall until Feb. 22, stars "American Idol" 's Ruben Studdard, Trenyce Cobbins and Frenchie Davis, who had an understudy on opening night due to an illness. (There's no word on when she'll return.)
A revue of the music of Thomas "Fats" Waller (with a few other notables thrown in), "Ain't Misbehavin' " features more than 30 songs and is mainly a vehicle to showcase and salute a great American musical era.
For the most part, it did just that. With a brass-filled jazz ensemble upstage, David Alan Bunn sat at the piano and brought to life the stride-playing style for which Waller was known.
Having never done theater before, Studdard was actually quite charming. His voice sounded full and rich as he handled the numerous bass lines in the group numbers.
But his solos were where the "Velvet Teddy Bear" really stood out. "Your Feet's Too Big" was a favorite, and his comedic delivery was well done.
Every now and then, the musical gets in the way of itself, trying to interject "comedy" where none is needed. Such was the case with a handful of the women's numbers — leaving them with little to do and certainly not showcasing their vocal abilities.
But when they all sang, it was wonderful. The cast, which also includes Patrice Covington, David Jennings and Teresa Stanley (Davis' understudy — who did a nice version of "Mean to Me"), blended well and appeared to genuinely enjoy being on stage together.
The harmonies in "Black and Blue" were just gorgeous. And the final number, which has the cast acting as the band, was also fun.
I was disappointed with the sound system on opening night. The microphones seemed to only capture the high-end sounds, leaving the singers sounding tinny and lacking the warmth and full roundness I'm sure they have.
It also made it difficult to understand the lyrics and few spoken words.
By Act II, it seemed to be corrected, but then the whole show just got louder … and if it's too loud, you risk losing the nuance that is so important in many of these pieces.
I also thought the choreography was a bit stale and had the performers doing the same four moves throughout the show.
Aside from that, and a couple of sloppy light cues, the piece was a lot of fun.
If you're in the mood for something lighthearted, fun and something with a bit of pep, Ruben and the gang are worth checking out.
Sensitivity rating: Occasional sexual gestures; one dance number about marijuana; smoking on stage.
E-mail: ehansen@desnews.com