The recent Broadway musical of "Shuffle Along" documented the creation of the 1921 musical of that name that took black performers from way, way uptown and moved them to mid- town. It took many years for all black musicals to really take hold on the great white way, and over the past 40 years, black musical revues have been a Broadway mainstay. "Bubbling Brown Sugar" lead to "Eubie", followed by " Ain't Misbehavin'", "Sophisticated Ladies", "Black and Blue", "After Midnight" and others. "Ain't Misbehavin'" got a magnificent television special which proves why that show is perhaps the most revived of those shows.
Ken Page is obviously meant to emulate the legendary Fats Waller, the lovable song writer and performer who managed to make an impact (mostly in specialties) in movies, and his songs are some of the most well known standards of the American songbook. Joining Page are the dynamic Andre De Shields, the sweet faced Charlaine Woodard, the motherly but sultry Armelia McQueen and the brassy Nell Carter who ended up with top billing in this thanks to her tremendous success on T.V.
If it isn't Woodard delightfully screeching out "The Yacht Club Swing", Page noting that " Your feet's too big", Carter pushing "Cash For Your Trash", McQueen asking to be "Squeezed Again" or De Shields showing off his dancing skills, this also gives the performers many chances to show their variety of ranges. Woodard is sultry "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" and Carter shows off her tenderness in "You're Mean to Me". When the three ladies get together, they show humor and heart, never stepping on the others toes, and really giving their all. This is truly a crowd pleaser that is as great on video as it was on stage. Great things can come in small packages!
Ken Page is obviously meant to emulate the legendary Fats Waller, the lovable song writer and performer who managed to make an impact (mostly in specialties) in movies, and his songs are some of the most well known standards of the American songbook. Joining Page are the dynamic Andre De Shields, the sweet faced Charlaine Woodard, the motherly but sultry Armelia McQueen and the brassy Nell Carter who ended up with top billing in this thanks to her tremendous success on T.V.
If it isn't Woodard delightfully screeching out "The Yacht Club Swing", Page noting that " Your feet's too big", Carter pushing "Cash For Your Trash", McQueen asking to be "Squeezed Again" or De Shields showing off his dancing skills, this also gives the performers many chances to show their variety of ranges. Woodard is sultry "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" and Carter shows off her tenderness in "You're Mean to Me". When the three ladies get together, they show humor and heart, never stepping on the others toes, and really giving their all. This is truly a crowd pleaser that is as great on video as it was on stage. Great things can come in small packages!