THEATRE

The 30th Anniversary National Tour of the Tony Award-winning musical AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' starring Ruben Studdard comes to The Strand Theatre in Boston for a limited three day engagement, Friday, April 10 through Sunday, April 12, 2009! Presented by the Citi Performing Arts Center and the City of Boston and sponsored in part by Citibank, tickets are now on sale. AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' is a musical revue with a book by Murray Horowitz and Richard Maltby, Jr., music by Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller, orchestrations and additional music by Luther Henderson, and lyrics by various writers. Fats Waller, the outrageously prodigious comic and musical soul of 1930s Harlem, lives on in this rollicking, finger-snapping show that is still considered one of Broadway's most well crafted revues. Dubbed "The Velvet Teddy Bear" by legendary R&B soulstress Gladys Knight, Ruben Studdard shot to fame in 2003 after winning the TV talent competition smash hit AMERICAN IDOL.

The Grammy-nominated star will be joined on stage by two other AMERICAN IDOL alums: 2003 contestant and star of Broadway's RENT Frenchie Davis along with 2003 top five finalist Trenyce Cobbins. Together with a first-class cast and a live, on-stage band, they will bring classic popular hits like "Honeysuckle Rose," "This Joint is Jumpin", "Your Feet's Too Big," and the title song "Ain't Misbehavin' to life. AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' originally opened in the Manhattan Theatre Club's East 73rd Street Cabaret on February 8, 1978 with featured singer Irene Cara. The show was an instant hit among theatergoers, and was quickly developed into a full-scale Broadway production. After fourteen previews, the production opened on May 9, 1978 at the Longacre Theatre, later moving to the Plymouth Theatre and then to the Belasco Theatre before finally completing its 1604-performance run. The show launched the career of the late Nell Carter, and won the 1978 Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Performance by a Featured Actress for Ms. Carter. In 1988, AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' was revived on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre, with Carter as an above-the-title star. The original Broadway cast recording of AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' was released by RCA Victor, and is still available in stores nationwide. For more info visit www.AintMisbehavinOnTour.com.