Luther Henderson News

What did our critic think of AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' at Geva Theatre? It's curious that 'Ain't Misbehavin'' feels like such a perfect show for a Rochester audience, given that Fats Waller has no apparent Rochester connection; he was born in New York City, died in Kansas City, and spent the bulk of his short life entertaining audiences across the U.S and abroad.

Thomas “Fats” Waller, a pioneer in jazz piano, was a prolific composer, writing over 400 songs in his lifetime, with hits like “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Honeysuckle Rose” even making it into the Grammy Hall of Fame. So, it is no surprise that in 1978 a Broadway Musical, AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ premiered featuring dozens of Waller’s songs and a cast of five African American actors, including a young Andre de Shields (HADESTOWN) and the late, great Nell Carter who won a Tony Award for her performance. Since its premiere, AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ has lived on, thrilling audiences all around the world including the latest production at the Titusville Playhouse in Titusville, FL – an energetic and electric production that sizzles from beginning to end.

Long Wharf Theatre announced today additional details for fall programming at 222 Sargent Drive as part of Act 1 of its 2022-2023 season. Dignity, Always Dignity will be presented on September 10 and 11, while performances for Jelly’s Last Jam will take place on September 17 and 18.

Mike Dixon is one of the theatre industries legendary characters. With over forty years in the business, he has been Musical Director for more than twenty West End productions.

Today, Theatre Under The Stars announced changes to its upcoming 2022/23 Season including the addition of a brand new show. TUTS will be producing the regional premiere of The Secret of My Success. Based on the hit 1980s film that starred Michael J. Fox.

Long Wharf Theatre yesterday announced the launch of its 2022/2023 season, “Everywhere for Everyone.” Under its new model, audiences will see programming radiating out from the institution's storied home at 222 Sargent Drive and into communities across Greater New Haven.

Today, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) announced the exciting line-up of musicals for its 2022/23 Season featuring a beloved Disney classic and pre-Broadway co-production with Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre.

Music Director Leon Botstein will lead the American Symphony Orchestra on March 24 in a tribute to the genre-defying genius of the great Duke Ellington with an all-Ellington symphonic concert at Carnegie Hall, where the composer played a series of annual concerts and premiered many of his greatest works, including Black, Brown, and Beige and New World A-Comin'.

Centre Stage has announced its 2022-2023 Season as well as a long-awaited rebrand.

OPERA America has announced the third cycle of IDEA Opera Grants (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access), an initiative that supports teams of composers and librettists who identify as African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and/or Native American in the development of new operatic works and the advancement of their careers in the opera industry.

The American Symphony Orchestra celebrates its return to the stage and its 60th anniversary season in 2021-22 with four full-orchestra programs at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, and a free opening concert titled Mahler in New York at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on December 16. The opening program focuses on composers whom Mahler had championed during his years in New York.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra makes its long-awaited return to the concert hall, with Gustavo Gimeno's highly-anticipated in-person début as Music Director. November's concerts promise to be emotional experiences as audiences return to Roy Thomson Hall for the first time since March 2020. 

West Valley Arts presents Ain't Misbehavin': The Fats Waller Musical Show, running from April 22 - May 15, 2021 at the West Valley Performing Arts Center (formerly Harman Theatre).

Los Angeles Opera was the first to launch original programming in response to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Because of the success of its online  programming, LAO decided to make that feature a permanent part of its offering and to give it a name that reflects fresh and innovative interpretations of the art form. Welcome to LA Opera On Now.

The Idaho Shakespeare Festival has announced its tentative 2021 lineup, after cancelled its 2020 edition due to the health crisis.

The Idaho Shakespeare Festival is likely to face delays for their 2020 season according to a new report.

New Repertory Theatre has announced their 2020-2021 season.

Long Wharf Theatre announced today the complete lineup for its 2020/21 Breaking Boundaries season. In the first season fully programmed by Artistic Director Jacob G. Padrón, the non-profit theatre is re-dedicating itself to its founding mission to present innovative art with the community at its center and is committed to creating work that galvanizes New Haven and revolutionizes the new American theatre. The season will include work by directors Tatiana Pandiani, Aneesha Kudtarkar and Patricia McGregor; playwrights Monet Hurst-Mendoza, Kristoffer Diaz and Madhuri Shekar; a radical reimagining of a classic Shakespeare tale adapted and directed by Shana Cooper; and a revival of the award-winning musical Jelly's Last Jam, with a book by George C. Wolfe, music by Jelly Roll Morton & Luther Henderson and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead.

First production images are released today of Ain't Misbehavin' - now playing at Mercury Theatre Colchester until Saturday 30 March. The production then transfers to Southwark Playhouse from Friday 19 April to Saturday 1 June, as the first London revival in almost 25 years.