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LearningSpectrum Project 2009 General Resource ListAs part of SpectrumBoston we invite you to learn more by explore this resources available in various formats.Books/Authors Music/Audio Recordings Movies Reference material for Black Entrepreneur’s Exhibit Color Purple-show guide Ain't Misbehavin' Ain't Misbehavin'
AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' originally opened on Broadway on May 9, 1978, and instantly made history. Within four weeks, this musical revue won every award a musical can win in a Broadway season: the Tony Award for Best Musical (along with Tonys for Director Richard Maltby, Jr. and Nell Carter for Best Featured Actress), the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Drama Desk Award, all for Best Musical. The extraordinary feat of AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' is that it delivers several layers of entertainment. On the first level, it is a treatment of 30 songs and piano solos. On another level, it is a showcase for the enormous talents of an all-star cast; including American Idol champ Ruben Studdard and Frenchie Davis, also of American Idol fame and Broadway's RENT. AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' brings to life the world that the legendary Fats Waller lived in and largely represented: Harlem in the 1930's-the Golden Age of places like the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom, of honky tonk dives along Lenox Avenue, of rent parties, of stride piano players and that new beat, swing. The deceptively simple but dazzling set recreated by original Broadway set designer, John Lee Beatty, suggests all at once a Harlem nightclub stage, a Harlem street, a '30's radio and a giant jukebox, But if the entertainment of AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' exists on several levels, there is one final level that is as unexpected as it is thrilling to discover as you sit in the theatre: Fats Waller comes alive on stage! No one in the cast ever impersonates him. Rather, the spirit of this extraordinary man is conjured up by the content, the exuberance, the musical wit, the pure energy, and the joy of 30 show-stopping numbers, and a smokin'-hot band live on-stage. It is part of the extraordinary conception of Director Richard Maltby, Jr. that the atmosphere of the '20s, '30s and early 40s is evoked rather than re-created in AINT MISBEHAVIN'. AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' originated when Murray Horwitz invited Richard Maltby, Jr. to his apartment to listen to some rare Fats Waller recordings. According to Maltby it was the wit in the piano music, not the comic asides, that convinced him that Waller's music and personality could live on stage. Since that fateful night, AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' has been produced Off-Broadway, twice on Broadway (revived in 1988 with original cast member Nell Carter as an above-the-title star), and three times on tour, not to mention all over the world with regional, community theatre, and stock productions. Don't miss the chance to relive the magic of this incredible time. Come see the 30th Anniversary Tour of AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'!* *Courtesy of www.aintmisbehavinontour.com
Fats Waller was undoubtedly one of the finest jazz pianists of all-time. Though he is best remembered today as the author of such popular compositions as ''Ain't Misbehavin''' and ''Honeysuckle Rose,'' he also bestowed upon the world a string of successful and lively recordings and worked on a number of Broadway shows. Sadly, though, Waller's career was cut short by an untimely death. There is little doubt that he had much more to contribute to the world of music than his brief lifespan allowed him to give.
The son of a preacher, Waller learned piano and organ early in life. As a youth he played in a school orchestra led by Edgar Sampson and took piano lessons from James P. Johnson. He made his first recording in 1922 and spent the rest of that decade performing in theaters and cabarets around New York City, Chicago, and Washington, DC. He also led his own trio in Philadelphia. In the late 1920s he established a relationship with lyricist Andy Razaf. The duo wrote many memorable tunes together, including the score for the Broadway musical Connie's Hot Chocolates, which featured Louis Armstrong In 1932 Waller began his own radio program, Fats Waller's Rhythm Club, on Cincinnati station WLW. The show proved popular and in 1934 he moved to New York and brought the program to CBS. Waller's big break came while performing at a party hosted by composer George Gershwin. An executive from Victor Records was impressed by his ability and, based upon the success of his radio show, signed him to a contract. With a small group of accompanying musicians, usually six, Waller recorded more than 400 often-humorous titles over the next eight years released under the name ''Fats Waller and His Rhythm.'' Waller also recorded independently for the Commodore label. Over the next several years Waller toured the United States and Europe, performing on his own and briefly putting together a 13-piece orchestra in the early 1940s. The orchestra appeared mainly in theaters and made a few recordings. In 1942 Waller played Carnegie Hall. Throughout his life Waller had a drinking problem as well as a weight problem. This combination took its toll on his health. Fats Waller died from pneumonia in 1943 while traveling on board a train near Kansas City. *Coutesty of www.parabrisas.com
In any study of the development of Afro-American culture, the period of the 1920’s known as the Harlem or Negro Renaissance is pivotal. It was a time when black and white Americans alike “discovered” the vibrancy and uniqueness of black art, music, and especially, literature. The decade was marked by exciting nightlife in Harlem’s cabarets, particularly the Cotton Club; by the publishing of a great number of novels, short stories, plays, poems, and articles about and by blacks; by great musicals written by and starring blacks, most importantly the legendaryShuffle Along; and by the production of artwork by talented young artists like Aaron Douglas and Richmond Barthe. What made this period significant was the fact that the “Negro was in vogue,” as Langston Hughes writes in his autobiographyThe Big Sea. For the first time in American history, large numbers of black artists could earn their livings and be critically acknowledged in their fields. It was a time of excitement for the younger generation of the Negro intelligentsia, dubbed the “New Negroes” in Alain Locke’s collection of the same name, published in 1925. This “new psychology” was a freedom of expression hitherto unknown in such a large number of black artists as well as receptiveness to anything “black” on the part of many whites. In all forms of art, there developed a need to identify and utilize both Afro-American folk forms (tales, spirituals, and customs) and African forms. What made this renaissance pivotal for Afro-Americans, most particularly artists and intellectuals, was the affirmation of a distinct cultural heritage and thevisibilityof that culture’s manifestation.
The fact that this phenomenon occurred in the 1920’s is easily understood in light of American history of the era. The Negro Renaissance was a significant tile in the overall mosaic of the post-war period, often referred to as the “Jazz Age.” This label itself reflects the influence of Afro-American culture on the period. Black artists, like noted white artists of the “lost generation” that included Hemingway and Fitzgerald, were influenced by the rejection of traditional moral values which produced a mania for exotic lifestyles. In fact, this post-war lost generation often “found itself” in a trek to Harlem’s entertainment spots!
Prohibition, and the speakeasies it spawned, helped create a culture of nightlife and dancing. Harlem’s Cotton Club illustrates concretely the paradox of black-white relations in many northern capitals: the club was instrumental in launching the careers of many brilliant black musicians like Duke Ellington, yet it was operated by whites primarily for white audiences. Writes Hughes: “White people began to come in droves. For several years they packed the expensive Cotton Club on Lenox Avenue. But I was never there, because the Cotton Club was a Jim Crow club for gangsters and monied whites.” “Rent” parties (an admission charge helped hosts to pay their rents) and other clubs, including Small’s Paradise, were also popular. Although the patronage of whites was a factor in the Harlem Renaissance the period is notable above all for its black artistic and philosophical awakening. Why was Harlem the focal point of this movement? Scholars have provided numerous explanations, the most obvious being that New York, the cultural center of America, was the logical center for the genesis of formal Afro-American culture. Harlem’s black population in 1920 was extremely large and continued to increase throughout the decade, reaching 200,000 by 1930 according to James Weldon Johnson’s Black Manhattan. The Harlem black community contained not only American blacks, but many West Indians. It was the national headquarters for recently founded protest groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Urban League. Black pride in Harlem had been exemplified on July 28, 1917, by a parade of ten thousand Negroes silently protesting anti-black violence. Further, by 1920 Harlem had gained a symbolic significance for blacks which caused it to be referred to as a “mecca” by scholars of the period. * *Courtesy of Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute by Caroline Jackson
Click on some of the following links to explore more about the Harlem Renaissance
  Click on the pictures below to explore other figures of the Harlem Renaissance
Spotlight On Ruben Studdard
Ruben Studdard was born Christopher Ruben Studdard in 1978 in Frankfurt, Germany while his father was stationed there with the U.S. Army. His parents were teachers when they returned to the states to Birmingham, Alabama, and Ruben sang at age three at the Rising Star Baptist Church. He continued to sing gospel in church, often performing solos. He played football at Huffman High School and received a scholarship to Alabama A & M University. Growing up listening to Donny Hathaway and Fred Hammond as well as gospel music, Studdard decided to major in voice studies in college, graduating in 2000. After college he sang with a jazz and R & B group called Just a Few Cats. A backup singer from the band asked Ruben to go with her to Nashville to audition for American Idol in 2003. After singing “Ribbon in the Sky” by Stevie Wonder at the audition, Studdard made the local finals. During the televised competition, he became known as “Velvet Teddy Bear” and was noted for wearing shirts printed with “205” on them, which was the area code of his hometown Birmingham. He gained viewer following for his performances of such music legends as Lionel Richie, Neil Sedaka, and Luther Vandross. Studdard won the second season title of American Idol over Clay Aiken by only 134,000 votes out of over 24 million cast. Studdard was the only male winner until season five. After Idol, Studdard released his first single, “Flying Without Wings” and it debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Advance orders for his debut album, Soulful, topped the 1 million mark before it was released and it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Studdard received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R & B Vocal Performance. In March 2004, Ruben won the NAACP Outstanding New Artist award. In 2004, Studdard released the gospel album I Need an Angel and sold over 96,000 copies in its first week. It entered the Gospel charts at #1, #20 on the Billboard 200, and was #1 on the 2005 Billboard Year-End Gospel Albums Chart. In addition to singing, Studdard has made television appearances, including the series 8 Simple Rules, Life on a Stick, All of Us, and Eve. He also made a cameo in the film Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. Between his second and third albums, Studdard began a diet and fitness program to deal with his weight, out of concern for a family history of diabetes and high blood pressure. He lost over 70 pounds on a vegetarian diet. Studdard’s third album, The Return – a return to his R & B roots – was released in October 2006 to sales of 71,000 its first week and #8 on the Billboard 200 chart. * *Courtesy of www.rubenstuddard.net
Music, especially Jazz, was a major part of the Harlem Renaissance Movement. Many people think that Hip-hop and Rap is currently going through its own renaissance. Do you think this is true? What artists and songs are important and influential to today’s hip-hop scene?
Popular Entertainment of the Harlem Renaissance played a major role in the definition of African American culture and political movements. In today’s society Television, Movies, and the Internet provide a majority of our source of entertainment. Discuss certain movies, TV shows, or internet websites that you think greatly influence our current culture and politics.
Ruben Studdard began his career as a musicians. If you saw the show discuss Ruben’s performance in the live stage version of Ain’t Misbehavin’ and his transition from his career as a singer into an actor.
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