Assembled under the expert eye of director / lyricist, Richard Maltby, Jr., Ain’t Misbehavin’ is one of the most popular, well-crafted revues of all time and winner of the 1978 Tony Award for Best Musical. The inimitable Thomas “Fats” Waller rose to international fame during the Golden Age of the Cotton Club and that jumpin’ new beat, swing music. Although not quite a biography, Ain’t Misbehavin’ evokes the delightful humor and infectious energy of this American original as a versatile cast struts, strums and sings the songs that he made famous, in a career that ranged from uptown clubs to downtown Tin Pan Alley to Hollywood and concert stages around the world. The intoxicating music of Fats Waller will delight and energize audiences as well as provide great insight into a vibrant time in American history and music.

EPSG:4326

Ain’t Misbehavin’

Count Basie Center for the Arts

Celebrate Black History Month with this exceptional cross-curricular opportunity.  A performance and slide show by the KSO’s Newport Ragtime Band surveys the roots of American musical heritage. The program features ragtime, blues, Dixieland and early jazz from 1898-1933, with tunes by legendary black musicians/composers Scott Joplin, James Reese Europe, W.C. Handy, Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller and others. The program also highlights many local Cincinnati connections to this music’s national popularity and historical significance.  The Q & A session at the end of the concert allows students and teachers the opportunity to ask questions of any musician on-stage.

Rags to Riches

7 Hills Church

Join us for an unforgettable evening with Aaron Diehl, a masterful pianist who has seamlessly blended the realms of jazz and classical music, at Union College's Memorial Chapel in Schenectady, NY, on Sunday, February 23, 2025, at 7:30 PM. This performance, titled "An Evening of Ragtime and Harlem Stride," promises a journey through the works of legendary composers such as Eubie Blake, Fats Waller, Jelly Roll Morton, and Scott Joplin, among others.

Aaron Diehl, celebrated for his melodic precision, harmonic sophistication, and elegant restraint, has earned acclaim from The New York Times and The Guardian for his innovative approach to music. With a career that spans performances with the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and other prestigious orchestras, Diehl brings a rich tapestry of musical influences to his performances. His role as the Artistic Director of 92NY’s Jazz in July Festival and collaborations with giants in both the jazz and classical worlds underscore his versatile and boundary-crossing talent.

The concert will take place in the historic Memorial Chapel at Union College, offering general admission seating with doors opening 45 minutes before the concert begins. In a special gesture to encourage young music enthusiasts, all kids and college students will be admitted free at the door.

Don't miss this opportunity to experience the artistry of Aaron Diehl, a pianist who embodies the spirit of jazz and classical fusion, in a performance that promises to be both enlightening and entertaining. Tickets are priced at $40.00, with a limited quantity of 796 tickets available. Secure your spot for an evening that celebrates the legacy and future of jazz and classical music.

Aaron Diehl, piano Union College

Union College

Assembled under the expert eye of director/lyricist, Richard Maltby, Jr., Ain’t Misbehavin’ is one of the most popular, well-crafted revues of all time and winner of the 1978 Tony Award for Best Musical. Although not quite a biography, Ain’t Misbehavin’ evokes the delightful humor and vibrancy of one of the Jazz genre’s inimitable icons as an energetic ensemble struts, strums and sings the songs that Thomas “Fats” Waller made famous in a career that ranged from uptown clubs to downtown Tin Pan Alley to Hollywood and concert stages in the U.S., Canada and Europe. (PG-13)


Ain't Misbehavin'

Chattanooga Theatre Centre

The Université de Montréal Big Band welcomes clarinetist-saxophonist Anat Cohen. Regarded as one of the finest clarinetists in jazz, she shines with her expressive virtuosity, her charisma and her inspired playing. Nominated for a Grammy Award on a number of occasions, Anat Cohen was also inducted into the Jazz Wall of Fame of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in 2009. Consider this your invitation to attend an exceptional event with a prodigious musician and the UdeM Big Band!

The Big Band and Anat Cohen

University of Montreal

The Sounds of Carnival: Frost Studio Jazz Band

University of Miami

Winner of three Drama Desk Awards and three Tony Awards including Best Musical, Ain't Misbehavin' is a musical revue with a book by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr., and music by various composers and lyricists as arranged and orchestrated by Luther Henderson.

Aventura Arts & Cultural Center

It’s 1930’s Harlem, and the joint is jumpin’! Nightclubs like the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom are the playgrounds of high society, and dive bars on Lenox Avenue pulse with piano players banging out new tunes that are a wild mix of raucous, rowdy, and mournful. Featuring the intoxicating music of Thomas “Fats” Waller – the big-hearted, bigger-than-life impresario and international jazz pianist who helped create and define American swing, Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a roof-raising musical tribute to the era. Delight in such favorites as “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter,” “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” and dozens more. Get your tickets early, because this stellar show, winner of both the Tony and Drama Desk Awards, will sell out quickly. You’ll be tapping your feet to an evening of rowdy, raunchy, and humorous songs.

Laguna Playhouse

Telling the story of an intriguing Broadway musical adaptation of Shakespeare. This jazz-infused version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream opened in 1939 with a heady mixture of talent, including Louis Armstrong and Maxine Sullivan, and musical contributions from Count Basie and Benny Goodman.

Swingin' the Dream

Stratford Methodist Church

Pacific Symphony musicians will be performing a free outdoor chamber music concert with our Symphony on the Go! mobile stage. You are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets.

SOTG - Soka University

Soka Performing Arts Center

Tony-winning musical showcases the infectious energy and masterful stylings of legendary jazz musician, Thomas “Fats” Waller.

Five actors croon, jive, wail, and dance their way through the songs that made Waller a household name. Delight in the heyday of American big band jazz music as the cast celebrates unforgettable hits that include “The Joint is Jumpin’,” “Spreadin’ Rythym Around,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” and the show’s namesake “Ain’t Misbehavin’.”

Playhouse Square

Pianist Cecil Lytle has been a San Diego presence for over four decades, a specialist in Liszt (he won First Prize in the Franz Liszt International Piano Competition), jazz, and 20th-century music. He appeared on Jazz at the Athenaeum in 1993, and this marks his first performance for our Chamber Music Series. His concert features music by two great piano virtuosos: Franz Liszt and Thomas “Fats” Waller.

Cecil Lytle, piano

Athenaeum Music & Arts Library

The inimitable Thomas “Fats” Waller rose to international fame during the Golden Age of the Cotton Club and that jumpin’ new beat, swing music. Although not quite a biography, Ain’t Misbehavin’ evokes the delightful humor and infectious energy of this American original as a versatile cast struts, strums and sings the songs that he made famous in a career that ranged from uptown clubs to downtown Tin Pan Alley to Hollywood and concert stages in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Ain’t Misbehavin'

Hillbarn Theatre

Principal Bass David Grossman — who enjoys a multifaceted musical career on both the West and East Coasts — leads a spirited quartet in two early works by Rossini.

Fats Waller

Events

Past events

27 - 28 Mar, 2026

Ain’t Misbehavin’ · Count Basie Center for the Arts

Feb 24, 2026

Rags to Riches · Kentucky Symphony Orchestra

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