Darius de Haas in Star Ledger in Aint Misbehven

Darius de Haas admits he's worried.

He begins a six-week run of "Ain't Misbehavin'" at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn on Wednesday.
In the revue that celebrates the songs of Harlem composer-pianist Fats Waller, the wiry de Haas will sing standards ("I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter") lesser-known tunes ("How Ya Baby"), and will join with the rest of the company to sing the rousing "The Joint Is Jumpin'" and the plaintive "Black and Blue." In between, he portrays a ladies' man who chases all three of the women in the show, who will be played by E. Faye Butler, Angela Robinson and Natasha Yvette Williams.

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	THEATER INTERVIEW
	September 29, 2003

	Paper Mill Star Tries On
	Mentor's Shoes
BY PETER FILICHIA

Darius de Haas admits he's worried. He begins a six-week run of "Ain't Misbehavin'" at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn on Wednesday. In the revue that celebrates the songs of Harlem composer-pianist Fats Waller, the wiry de Haas will sing standards ("I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter") lesser-known tunes ("How Ya Baby"), and will join with the rest of the company to sing the rousing "The Joint Is Jumpin'" and the plaintive "Black and Blue." In between, he portrays a ladies' man who chases all three of the women in the show, who will be played by E. Faye Butler, Angela Robinson and Natasha Yvette Williams.

While de Haas has never done the show before, that's not what's worrying him. "I'm playing the part that Andre originated," he says, trepidation in his voice. That's Andre De Shields, who was a household name in the de Haas' home. In 1969, de Haas' mother, Newark native Geraldine Bey de Haas, performed with De Shields in a Chicago production of "Hair." From there, De Shields would go on to a Broadway career that has run the gamut from the sci-fi musical disaster "Warp" in 1973 to "The Full Monty" in 2000, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award. "I literally met Darius when he was a babe in arms," De Shields says. "I don't have any biological children, but there is a community of young men and women whom I consider my industry children, and Darius de Haas is one of them." De Haas, 35, is nevertheless apprehensive. "(The) first times I ever went to the theater in Chicago I saw Andre on stage in 'Ain't Misbehavin" and 'The Wiz,'" in which De Shields played the title role. "In those days, we didn't have CDs, but records that could wear out -- and we really wore out those shows' albums. "And now he tells me he's going to come see me in this," de Haas says. "And I bet he does, because he's come to see me in so many other shows." That includes the 1997 Paper Mill production of "Children of Eden," the biblical musical in which de Haas portrayed Cain. The performer still savors the minute-long ovation he received on opening night after he concluded his big solo, "Lost in the Wilderness." "I love that young people tell me, 'I use "Lost in the Wilderness" as my audition song,' or "'Lost in the Wilderness" helped me get a job.'" De Haas even expresses some joy at going to an audition and overhearing that the person who is up for the same job is singing "Lost in the Wilderness." De Haas cites playing Cain as his career highlight, just a notch better than when he understudied six performers in the original cast of "Rent" -- and had to go on for five of them in one week. "I can't think of any young man who is in a better position to receive my mantle -- not that I'm retiring," De Shields says.

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