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Melba Moore, Ken Prymus and Eugene Fleming to Star in Philly Ain't Misbehavin'
By Kenneth Jones
08 Nov 2007
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Melba Moore
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Tony Award winner Melba Moore will star in the intimate Prince Music Theater production of Ain't Misbehavin', starting Dec. 4 in Philadelphia.
The troupe singing the tunes of Fats Waller will also include Broadway performers Eugene Fleming and Ken Prymus.
The show that spotlights the music and style of songwriter-pianist Thomas "Fats" Waller appeared on Broadway in 1978 and won the Best Musical Tony Award. Conceived by Broadway director Richard Maltby, Jr. and Murray Horowitz, the show reintroduced songs from the Harlem Renaissance. The song list includes "T Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do," "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" and "Honeysuckle Rose."
Melba Moore made her Broadway debut as Dionne in the original 1968 production of Hair. She went on to replace Diane Keaton in the role of Sheila and became the first African-American performer on Broadway to replace a white performer. In 1970, she created the role of Lutiebelle in Purlie, for which she won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She would re-create the role for television opposite Robert Guillaume, in 1981. She earned Grammy nominations for her original music compositions and recordings. She has also performed as Fantine in the Broadway musical Les Misérables and recently played Matron Mama Morton in the national tour of Chicago at Philadelphia's Merriam Theatre.
Fleming's resume includes Broadway's A Chorus Line, the blues revue Black and Blue and most recently Never Gonna Dance. Prymus appeared in the original and revival Broadway casts of Ain't Misbehavin'.
The cast also includes Andrea Dora (of Broadway's Tarzan), Philadelphia native Gabrielle Hurtt (Prince's Hair) and (making her Prince debut) Chanta Layton (of Arden Theatre's Caroline, or Change).
Ain't Misbehavin' will be directed by Prince Music Theater's associate artistic director Richard M. Parison, Jr. (who staged last season's Annie Get Your Gun and the sold-out run of Hair, as well as the hit Prince revival of Hair).
Choreographing the production will be frequent Prince collaborator Mercedes Ellington (Annie Get Your Gun).
The creative team includes resident music supervisor Eric Barnes, scenic designer Todd Edward Ivins, lighting designer Shelley Hicklin, sound designer Nick Kourtides and costume designer Mark Mariani.
Ain't Misbehavin' will play Dec. 4-31.
For more information, visit www.princemusictheater.org.
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