The three-time Tony award winning musical theater, Ain’t Misbehavin’, opened in the Manhattan Theatre Club’s East 73rd Street cabaret in 1978. This musical pays tribute to the black musicians of the 1920s and 1930s who were apart of the Harlem Renaissance. This era was best known for its growing creativity, cultural awareness, and ethnic pride. The play is centered around the Manhattan nightclubs such as Cotton Club where you can find pianist playing swing music. The six characters present an evening of rowdy, and humorous songs that encapsulate the various moods of the era and reflect on Fats Waller’s view of life as a journey meant for pleasure and play.
Since this musical is based on the Harlem Renaissance era, the genres that are featured throughout this musical are swing, ragtime, and jazz. The instrumentation included two pianos, saxophone, drums, bass, clarinet, trumpet, and trombone.