Arkansas Repertoire Theatre: Ain’t Misbehavin’ Review

OPINION | REVIEW: Repertory Theatre’s ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’’ an ear pleaser

June 19, 2026 byHelaine Williams

It was hard to believe all that sound was coming from a cast of a mere five people during the Friday debut of "Ain't Misbehavin'," subtitled "The Fats Waller Musical Show," at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre in Little Rock.

The title song aptly set the tone, showcasing the cast's ability to blend different but complementary singing voices and styles into intricate, skillful works of ear-pleasing art, paired with fluid footwork. (And Candace Thomas, as Charlaine, did all that in a surgical boot.) The cast also displayed its talent for balancing sensuousness, double entendres and hilarity.

Among the more memorable moments were Marcus Allen Jordan, as Ken, and Tawanna Campbell, as Nell, singing "Honeysuckle Rose" (and somehow, making a bit of touchy-feely action not look vulgar at all), and Chabrelle D. Williams as Armelia singing "Squeeze Me" and hitting some high notes here and elsewhere.

Also impressive: the quick back-and-forth interplay between the cast members in "Handful of Keys" and the mesmerizing way their voices wound around each other as they sang "The Jitterbug Waltz." A favorite of the audience was "The Joint is Jumpin'" -- short but action-packed, complete with gunshots and the sound of the police, handled well by the cast.

Dorse Brown, as Andre, showed off some impressive moves as a man under the influence during "The Viper's Drag," making being high look almost elegant. Jordan got the audience swaying with "Your Feet's Too Big," then with Brown, got them singing back with "Fat and Greasy."

After a quick mood change with the somber "Black and Blue," the cast perked everybody back up with the finale, a medley that packed a lot into each song bit.

The live accompaniment band, led by musical director and pianist Julia Buckingham, wasn't misbehavin' either.