REVIEW: Ain't Misbehavin' at Trustus Theatre

by Cindi Boiter

When the world is angry and disappointing, our nerves are frayed and our hearts are bruised, we turn to the arts to soothe and remind us of the things that matter most. High among those things we hold dear is the ability to lose oneself in joy. Luckily for Columbia theatre audiences, we have the opportunity to come together to laugh, pat our feet to the rhythm of the band, and experience the shared heart-flight of song when a vocalist takes us with them up and down the scales of music and emotion. We can do this by attending one of the performances of Ain’t Misbehavin’: The Fats Waller Musical Show which takes the stage at Trustus Theatre through March 22nd.

Directed by Terrance Henderson, this production of Ain’t Misbehavin’ features musical theatre veterans Katrina Garvin and Samuel McWhite, arguably two of the most talented and entertaining vocalists in the SC Midlands. Audiences have come to expect mighty performances and a heightened level of professionalism from both of these performing artists and, on the opening night of this run, we got what we came for.  John Ballard and Ara-Viktoria McKinney-Bookman both brought their A-games to opening night with vocals that ranged from soothing to soaring.

But the stand-out for this reviewer, and several other folks I spoke with in the audience, was Mel Driggers in the role originated by Charlaine Woodard. Having seen Driggers in several previous productions, Dandelion, Sweeny Todd, The Rocky Horror Show, and more, we knew that they brought their own uniquely cultivated style to a project, but opening night was the first time this reviewer has witnessed the level of comic acumen Driggers is capable of. As the Gilligan/Scooby Doo of the quintet, Driggers exhibited the kind of comfort with a comedic role that a lot of actors at the local level can’t quite pull off. That’s why, having clowned her way through an early song in the performance with missed notes and big-fun silliness, Driggers drew big-fun applause when they effortlessly hit the right notes, and hit them well, later in the performance.

Rather than being your typical musical theatre performance that adheres to a narrative punctuated by song, Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a musical revue written by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr, with arrangements by Luther Henderson. It opened at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 1978 with a stellar cast that included Nell Carter, Irene Cara, Andre DeShields, Armelia McQueen, and Ken Page. Playing these parts in the Trustus production are Garvin, Driggers, McWhite, McKinney-Bookman, and Ballard, respectively. Charlayne Woodard took over Cara’s part (Driggers) when the show moved to Broadway in 1982. While the playbill for the Trustus performance unfortunately does not provide a list of musical numbers and their performers, expect to hear all your Fats Waller favorites including, “I’m Going to Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter,” “Your Feet’ Too Big,” and “The Joint is Jumping,” among others. But don’t take your eyes off the actors who seem to be chilling at the set’s bar or comfy couch pit on the sides of the stage. Many times that is where the funny lives and, while one song is being sung, the cast is setting up the next song on the docket with clever direction and pantomime.

For this production director Henderson opted to make the six-member band a part of the show with the musicians positioned center back of the stage. Music director and pianist is Ayush Joshi, James Wolfe plays trombone, Nigel Ouzts is on trumpet, Ben Eidson on Woodwinds, Kris Phelps on drums, and Andres McNeil plays upright bass. Their presence on the stage exponentially adds to the performance and the little bit of interaction between band members and vocalists that we saw on opening night makes me hope that, with successive performances, the musicians will relax and become even more involved with the cast–because it really works when they are! Choral expert and recent Frank-N-Furter star in the Rocky Horror Show, also at Trustus, Walter Graham served as off-stage music director.

Other behind-the-scenes teammates include Trinessa Dubas as stage manager, scenic designer Corey Langley, whose life-sized characters from previous shows placed in the background of the set provided for some interesting detail, Garreth Hayward on lights with Matt Pound and Walter Kervin on sound, G. Scott Wild on props, and the multi-talented Mel Driggers on costumes. From the audience’s perspective, all these parts of the puzzle came together without a hitch.

There is little to critique about this show. One small detail that I’m sure will improve throughout the run is that, when McKinney-Bookman laughs or smiles, her face lights up and she pulls the audience helplessly into her part of the performance. It would be great to see even more consistent engagement with the audience and fellow cast members from this truly excellent vocalist.

There were too many stand-out songs to name them all, but I’ll mention that Ballard’s rendition of “The Viper’s Drag,” with Ballard fully engaging with the double entendre of the song, was a favorite of this reviewer and many other audience members—especially on a cold Friday night in 2025 when lighting “that tea” and letting “it be” sounds like a pretty good idea.

Certainly, the most moving song of the night had all cast members seated center stage to sing the Waller classic, “Black and Blue,” reminding us for a moment that the world is wrong in so many ways, but sometimes, for a few moments at least, the best thing to do is to sing about it. This performance of the well-known song gave this reviewer chills it was so expertly performed.

How will it end? ain't got a friend
My only sin is my skin
What did I do to be so black and blue?

Jasper recommends that you turn off the news, silence your phones, and grab someone you love to take them out for a night of fun and a fine performance from the cast and crew of Ain’t Misbehavin.’ We need this kind of joy now. It reminds us of what we’re here for, what we have to preserve, and that if artists like Fats Waller could see the sun shine through the cloudy culture that he had to deal with to have his music heard, we should celebrate the example he set by laughing, patting our toes to the rhythm of the band, and rejoicing in the songs he left us.

REVIEW: Barbecue at Trustus Theatre - Frank Thompson

“There’s a face that we wear in the cold light of day.
  It’s society’s mask, it’s society’s way,

  But the truth is that it’s all a façade…”

-Jekyll And Hyde: The Musical

   When Frank Wildhorn penned the above lyrics for his adaptation of the classic tale of The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde over two decades ago, he probably didn’t anticipate them being used in the introduction of a review for a yet-to-be-written play about a family staging an intervention, but the song has been stuck in my head since seeing Friday night’s performance of Robert O’Hara’s Barbecue. As usual, Trustus Theatre has selected a multi-layered, thoughtful, and well-crafted piece of work to open the 2017-2018 season. It also happens to be hilariously funny at times, especially early on, as we are introduced to a series of social misfits gathering for a cookout/confrontation in hopes of persuading the meth-addicted Barbara (Christine Hellman and Devin Anderson) to get the help she desperately needs. Known also as “Zippity-Doo”, Barbara is the loosest cannon on a full deck; her would-be rescuers each have substance and/or personal issues, and the family is a nigh-stereotypical dysfunctional, lower-middle-class bunch.

   It would be impossible to adequately review the performance without revealing a few spoilers, so if you want to go in completely blind, stop reading now and take my word that Barbecue is well worth your time and money.

   If you’re still reading, I promise not to give away all of the surprises, but to avoid confusion, I’ll go ahead and say that each role is double-cast, with one family entirely African-American, the other entirely white. The two families are identically named and costumed, with only minor (or so it seems) differences between them. Both Barbaras are addicts, and the set-up for the intervention, etc., utilizes almost identical dialogue, with a few cultural colloquialisms and stylistic choices unique to each group. The first act alternates scenes between the groups, with a fairly close-to-real-time overlap until a big reveal at the end of the first act, at which point we realize that we’re watching a reality show onstage. (The TV series Intervention is actually mentioned several times). But which “reality” is real? Over drinks at intermission, several friends and I guessed what would happen as well as what was going on. We were all incorrect, which illustrates the artistry of the playwright in avoiding the obvious in a play populated by what seem at first to be two-dimensional characters.

   The show opens with a laugh-riot, profanity-laden, monologue by Christopher Cockrell as Barbara’s n’ere-do-well brother, James T., who wants nothing to do with any of it, yet is forced to set up for the party alone. Having seen Cockrell mostly in dramatic, serious roles, I was most impressed with his flawless comedic timing, as well as his ability to convincingly play a lowbrow redneck. It’s always enjoyable to see familiar faces in roles outside their personal norm, and Cockrell’s James T. is just that. Matching Cockrell’s stage presence and skill, Kendrick J. Lyles appears as the black James T., who, while slightly more laid-back, is the same scruffy, beer-swilling schlub as his white counterpart. One has a mullet, the other dreadlocks, but they’re both reluctant, unimpressed with the plan, and would rather be anywhere else.

   Krista Forster and LaTrell Brennan share the role of Barbara’s sister, Marie, who has plenty of her own secrets. As with Cockrell and Lyles, both performers manage to create the same character with just enough differences to keep things interesting. While each Marie is self-serving and hypocritical, Forster’s is a bit more aggressive somehow, with Brennan’s interpretation bringing out a slightly softer side. Rather than being a distraction, this adds another layer to the almost-but-not-quite-identical nature of the two families. One gets the idea that Marie is following fairly closely in Barbara’s footsteps, which is supported by slight differences in the two Barbaras that mirror the personality of each Marie. Kudos to director Ilene Fins for weaving such subtleties into the parallel universes.

   Trustus mainstay Elena Martinez-Vidal plays the white incarnation of Aldean, a chain-smoking opioid addict who is battling breast cancer. With her edgy, crass, and selfish nature, Aldean could easily be the most-disliked of this crew of undesirables, but Martinez-Vidal brings a raffish lovability to the role. She’s the cranky old aunt or neighbor lady whose nastiness is somehow endearing. Her counterpart, Mahogany Collins, is just flat-out hateful, with hilarious results. In the hands of a less skilled actress, this approach could have fallen flat, but Collins brings such sincerity to Aldean, you can’t help cracking up at her most venomous lines. This was my first time seeing her onstage, and I certainly hope it won’t be the last.

   Two more familiar faces on the Trustus stage, Dewey Scott-Wiley and Marilyn Matheus, provide what semblance of stability the family has in Lillie Anne, the harried organizer and driving force behind the intervention. It goes without saying that each of these seasoned pros turns in a solid, well-developed performance, but as an added layer to an already complex set of circumstances, the two Lillie Annes also helped define each family. Each has seen tragedy and loss, but seemingly from different directions. With Scott-Wiley’s Lillie Anne, there’s a slightly frantic quality which suggests a family in decline, while Matheus’ solid, no-nonsense Lillie Anne has the aura of someone who has pulled herself up beyond her beginnings. The script does not address the issue, but the performances suggest one person who is desperately trying to fix something broken, while the other is calmly determined not to let things get any worse.

   And of Barbara, herself? Well, that’s where things get complicated, and (SPOILER ALERT!!!!) once we discover that Hellman’s is the actual Barbara, the story splits open, and we see Anderson in her true identity: a successful singer who plans to conquer Hollywood by bringing Barbara’s story to life onscreen. (While in rehab, Barbara wrote a best-selling book about her experiences). In one of the show’s strongest scenes, the two play a game of cat-and-mouse over identity and reality, with Barbara claiming to have made up the entire story, which doesn’t seem to matter at all to the singer, who has her eyes on the Oscars and nothing else. Without giving away too much, I’ll just say that everything from race to sexual identity is addressed in the scene, with the overwhelming message being that reality is subjective and what you see isn’t always what you get. By the end of the scene, the two have merged in a way, and the audience is left wondering how many layers of deception and fakery just occurred, and if a “real” Barbara has faded into a pastiche of lies and re-writes. Hellman and Anderson manage to create just enough doubt about…well, almost everything. Watching their interaction and the game of one-upsmanship literally had me on the edge of my seat and figuratively doubting my sanity as each “revealed” something that may or may not have been true.

      By the end, all is made clear, but the path takes several more twists along the way, dropping in one or two more revelations that tie the two worlds together. The final moment of the show (which I won’t reveal) brought laughter from some, gasps from others, and a whispered-but-distinct “daaaaaaaamn” from someone in the row behind me. For a script which addresses and bases itself on relativism and skewed perspective, I can think of no better reaction. Barbecue is a fresh, thought-provoking, mind-twisting, funny, vulgar, and intelligent piece of theatre, with a strong cast and ambiguous storyline that leaves you scratching your head a little. It’s a perfect show for Trustus, and Artistic Director Chad Henderson is clearly committed to continuing the theatre’s goal of bringing new works of high quality to the stage. His opening night welcome to the audience included a tribute to his mentor, the late Jim Thigpen, whom I have no doubt would have taken great pride in Barbecue.

Frank Thompson is a graduate of The University of Alabama and Cumberland School of Law, who has made his home in Columbia since 2010. He has performed, taught classes, and/or directed with several local theatres, and co-writes a column for "The Good Life" blog for Goodwill Industries, along with his wife, Laurel Posey. His essay, 'Que, was featured in the 2014 edition of Fall Lines by Muddy Ford Press.

Darling Dilettante—Discussing the Art of Fear By Haley Sprankle

“Do you ever get nervous up there?”

The age-old question for performers—the question of fear.

In just about every production I’ve been fortunate to be a part of, whether I’m the lead or the third white girl from the left, I’m asked this question by a person outside of the performance realm. They ensure me that they don’t understand how actors memorize each element of the show from lines to choreography to even just remembering to smile every now and then. I normally reply with “I used to when I first started, but now it just seems like second nature.”

Most recently, that question of fear prompted me to question myself and the things others around me do, though, and how we do them.

Every day, a banker goes to work. Every day a stay-at-home parent wakes up and takes care of their family. Every day a waiter or a writer or a bus driver or even the President of the United States gets up and fulfills their necessary requirements for the day. These could be things they’ve always done. These could be things they’ve just started doing. These could be things they love, or they could be things they don’t like.

But they get up and they do them, and like most people feel about performing, I couldn’t even imagine doing these things.

With most things people do for the first time, there was probably an initial fear or nervousness.

What if they don’t like my work? What if I mess up? What if?

We can sit back and ask ourselves “What if?” all day long, but we will never know what WILL happen if we don’t try. Sometimes, it will be a little messy. Sometimes, it will be hard. Sometimes, you will do all right. Sometimes, you will do it all wrong.

One thing, however, is common among all these instances—you learn something new about yourself.

I recently came across a Japanese term: Wabi-Sabi. It translates to “A way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting, peacefully, the natural cycle of growth and decay.”

In every new or old thing you do, there are endless possibilities, but in the end, the best opportunity you have is to take each outcome and turn it into something beautiful.

So why let fear hold you back from trying something new?

Last Friday, Dreamgirls opened at Trustus Theatre and will run through August 1^st. The cast includes veterans to the stage and newcomers alike, all representing a long process of hard work, fun, and love that we have put into this show. For some of us, each night may just be another performance, but for others, one or more performances may be among the most nerve-wracking things they’ve ever done. At the end of each night, though, all we can do is do what we do best—put on a show. Things may not go exactly as planned, but that’s live theatre.

In live theatre, we support each other. In live theatre, we help each other. In live theatre, we build each other up.

In live theatre, we find the beauty within our fear and imperfections, and we turn it into art.

I won’t be afraid or nervous. I will be excited and proud.

Wabi-Sabi.

(Dreamgirls runs June 26-August 1. Go to trustus.org for tickets!)

Photos by Richard Kiraly

We Welcome You to Munchkinland—Elisabeth Gray Engle on Directing This Summer’s Children’s Musical The Wizard of Oz

 

Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh My!

Sixty-five children of all different ages from the Columbia area came together this summer to bring you the youth edition of a beloved classic, The Wizard of Oz through Workshop Theatre.

“We are very excited to be doing The Wizard of Oz this summer! There are so many magical elements to this show already, so that is really fun to explore. But the real magical feeling comes from the cast members. We have a very large cast of kids of varying ages and schools who come together to create this show. They form bonds and friendships, and the excitement and energy that they bring to rehearsal is the real magic of the show,” director Elisabeth Gray Engle says.

The range of experience and ages might often lead to complications in the directing process, but Engle uses each child’s unique talents and personalities to create their own interpretation of such a well-known show.

“…Many of our roles are double cast, so there are two actors who alternate the role. This is really fun because you get to watch these two young actors create two very different characters from the same material,” Engle explains. “So much of the humor of our production has come from the actors, and I think that is what makes our production unique. We have a very talented group of kids who each bring something different to their characters.”

While the 4 to 18-year-olds bring a lot to the theatrical table, the production team has also put their own spin on things. With people like Alexis Doktor doing costumes and Baxter Engle doing set, the wonderful land of Oz is sure to excited audiences aesthetically.

“I cannot say enough good things about our Oz Team. Katie Hilliger (Choreographer), Jordan Harper (Musical Director), Jeni McCaughan (Producer), Braxton Crewell (Stage Manager), just to name a few, make this experience so positive and meaningful for our kids. We have high expectations for our cast, but we have a lot of fun along the way,” Engle affirms.

Engle, herself, is no stranger to the stage or directing. She is a company member at Trustus Theatre where she has taught, performed, and will be seen next in the world premiere of Big City. On top of all that, this is Engle’s 5^th summer production through Workshop, her 11^th year directing youth theatre, and she continues to teach theatre at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School.

“I love working with kids in the summer because it is such a joyous time of year in their lives. The summer musical is different than a school musical or a show during the year because the kids (and adults!) have that special energy that can only exist during the summer,” Engle elaborates. “…They come together during the summer to create this show, so that [in] itself sets the experience apart from school year productions. It’s really exciting to see so many kids from so many different schools who love musical theatre come together. They get along so well, and they love being with ‘their people.’”

The show runs June 25 through June 28, with both evening and matinee performances at the Heathwood Hall Episcopal School auditorium. Go to workshop.palmettoticketing.com for times and tickets!

“Theatre always has a unique way of bringing people together, and we have certainly seen that this summer with our cast,” Engle endearingly states. “Our cast is made up of kids from varying backgrounds, schools, locations, and experiences, and we have loved seeing them come together to create art.”

By Haley Sprankle