4@
4@ >>>
4@ >>> A
4@ >>> A SLAB RAETIVE EFFORT OF A PRODUCTION4@ OF AIN'T
MISBEHAVIN'.
WITH US HERE ON 207 ARE TWO OF
THE PEOPLE 4@INVOLVED, E. FAY
BUTLER AND EDDIE COOPER.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> THIS IS A STORY 4@INSPIRED B
THE LIFE OF THE GREAT AFRICAN-
AMERICAN JAZZ PEEPIST FATS WALL
ARE 4@WHO LIVED IN THE 4@FIRST
YEARS OF 4@THE TOth CENTURY.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT THIS STORY
THAT BRINGS IN 4@AUDIENCES?
THIS IS NOT 4@A NEW SHOW.
THIS HAS BEEN AROUND BUT THIS
GETS PEOPLE 4@EXCITED AND THAT
REALLY GIVES THEM SOME 4@
SPARKLING LIVELY ENTERTAINMENT.
>> IT IS NOT A 4@STORY.
ATE REVIEW OF THE MUSIC HE MADE
POPULAR THAT WERE HIS GREATEST @
HITS AND THINGS THAT HE WROTE.
SO THIS TALKS ABOUT HIS LIFE
AND HIS TIME AS AN ENTERTAINER.
SO THIS IS A SERIES OF
VIGNETTES IN TWO AND A 4@HALF
HOURS.
SO IT IS TOTAL ENTERTAINMENT.
IT IS TOTAL ENTERTAINMENT.
EVEN VIGNETTE 4@OR EACH SONG IS
DIFFERENT STORY IN ITSELF.
>> YOU PLAY THE FATS WALLER
CHARACTER IN AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'.
IS IT 4@DAUNTING FOR AN ACTOR I
PLAY SOMEONE 4@WHO REALLY IS A
GIANT IN THE FIELD LIKE THAT?
>> I MEAN THE WAY THE SHOW IS
SET UP, IT IS 4@SET UP IN SUCH
WAY THAT YOU'RE NOT REALLY
TELLING HIS 4@LIFE STORY.
IT IS MORE A CELEBRATION OF HIS
CONTRIBUTIONS TO US.
SO IT IS 4@DAUNTING IN THAT WAY
BUT I'M NOT REALLY LIKE
STEPPING INTO BEING FATS WALLER
AT ALL IN THE SHOW.
IT IS MORE A CELEBRATION OF HIS
WORK.
>> BUT DO YOU HAVE TO BRING THE
IT IS MORE A CELEBRATION OF HIS WORK. >> BUT DO YOU HAVE TO BRING THE@
MUSIC TO LIFE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> IT DID THAT COME PRETTY
EASILY?
THE MUSIC IS THERE 4@AND IT IS @
GREAT.
>> AND THERE IS A LOT OF T WALL-
TO-WALL MUSIC AND EVERY SONG
THE BETTER THAN THE LAST ONE.
>> WHAT IS THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGE FOR YOU AS A DIRECTOR
IN THIS PRODUCTION?
>> EVERY SONG 4@IS ITS OWN BIG
NUMBER.
ATE PRODUCTION NUMBER.
THERE ARE NO THROWAWAY SONGS
HERE BECAUSE 4@EACH OF THEM WAS
SPECIAL TO HIM OR HIS CAREER.
SO THE DAUNTI4@NG TASK FOR ME I
TO MAKE SURE THAT EACH NUMBER,
WHICH MIGHT BE A FAVORITE OF
SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE, HAS
THE SAME ENERGY HAS THE ONE
THAT CAME BEFORE IT OR THE ONE
THAT IS 4@AFTER IT.
>> WHEN ONE LOOKS UP YOUR
RESUME, YOU SEE A TON OF 4@ACTI
CREDITS.
DON'T SEE A LEFT 4@DIRECTING.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DIRECT
SOMETHING.
>> I'VE BEEN DIRECTING OVER 15,
20 YEARS BUT I 4@DON'T DO IT AS
DO ACTING.
A LOT OF TIMES I DO IT IN
SPURTS.
NOW THAT I'M GETTING INTO THE
SECOND ACT OF MY LIFE, I SAY,
I'M BEGINNING TO WANT TO DIRECT
MORE.
AND SO MANY DIRECTORS 4@THAT I
HAVE HAD SAY YOU NEED 4@TO BE
DIRECTING, FAY, BECAUSE YOU
HAVE GREAT INSTINCTS.
YOU TAKE THOSE BLESSING AN YOU
PASS THEM FORWARD.
>> WHAT HAS FAY SAID TO YOU AS
YOU GUYS BRING 4@THIS SHOW
TOGETHER, WHAT HAS SHE SAID
THAT HAS HELPED YOU GET A
BETTER FEEL FOR HOW IT ALL
OUGHT TO WORK?
>> WELL, WE JUST TALK4@ED 4@ABO
BETTER FEEL FOR HOW IT ALL OUGHT TO WORK? >> WELL, WE JUST TALK4@ED 4@ABO@
THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT THIS
MUSIC DID FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN @
CULTURE.
IT CAME OUT OF A TIME WHERE
THERE WAS A 4@HUGE BOOM IN ALL
SORTS OF ARTS COMING 4@FROM 4@T
AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY4@.
4@ IT IS VERY IMPORTANT MUSIC.
THE MUSIC 4@THAT WE LISTEN TO
TODAY WOULD NOT BE AROUND
WITHOUT THIS MUSIC.
AND WE REALLY SPOKE ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF THAT AND BRINGING
THAT TO THE PEOPLE.
>> WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP, 4@
DID YOU LISTEN TO 4@MUCH JAZZ
YOURSELF?
>> I DID.
I COME FROM A PRETTY MUSICAL
FAMILY.
>> DID YOU HAVE TO DO A LOT OF
REHEARSING AND PRACTICING OF
THE MUSIC FOR THIS ROLE OR WAS
THIS MATERIAL THAT YOU ALREADY
KNEW SOMEWHAT AND WERE ABLE IT
PICK 4@UP FAIRLY QUICKLY?
>> 4@I KNEW A COUPLE OF THE SON
PRETTY INTIMATELY BECAUSE I HAD
SUNG THEM JUST 4@DOING CONCERTS
AND STUFF.
BUT LOTS OF THE MUSIC IS FAIRLY
NEW TO ME AND EXCITING TO WORK
O YES, IT DOES 4@TAKE A LOT OF
REHEARSAL.
>> WHEN PEOPLE WALK OUT THE
DOOR AFTER THE SHOW IS4@ OVER,
WHAT 4@DO YOU WANT 4@THEM TO BE
FEELING?
>> I WANT THEM TO 4@FEEL PRIDE.
I WANT PEOPLE IN PORTLAND AND
MAINERS TO FEEL PRIDE.
ONE OF THE THIN WE ARE DOING
FOR PORTLAND AND MAINE, WE ARE
CELEBRATING A STREET.
JUST 4@LIKE THIS CELEBRATES
HARLEM 4@IN MANY WAYS.
THERE 4@WAS A REP SAUPBS PERIOD
FOR PORTLAND.
WE WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW
WE ARE SELL 4@WRITING PORTLAND.
THIS MOVIE BELONGS TO OUR 4@
COUNTRY.
THERE IS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN
POCKET IN EVERY CITY.
WHEREVER THAT POCKET THAT
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE
DEVELOPED AND GROWS AND THAT
WE'RE PROUD OF, THAT IS THE
CELEBRATION WE ARE DOING.
WE ARE SEEN VAGUE GREAT 4@OPENI
NIGHT WHICH IS A GREAT THING.
WE PUT PEOPLE ON STAGE.
>> OUT OF OF THE 4@AUDIENCE.
>> YOU TOO CAN 4@SIT RIGHT 4@ON
STAGE WITH US.
WE ARE HAVING HADDOCK, FRIED
CHICKEN, MACARONI AND CHEESE
AND COLESLAW.
>> 4@THAT IS THE WAY TO
CELEBRATE.
IF YOU GET ME UP THERE, YOU
JUST MIGHT CLOSE.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> A COLLABORATION OF 4@MAINE
STATE MUSIC THEATRE