WBTT Presents ‘BIG SEXY: THE FATS WALLER REVUE’
Back by popular demand, original musical revue will pay tribute to legendary jazz performer and his music
Sarasota, FL – Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will continue to heat up the arts scene this summer with a return performance of original musical revue, “Big Sexy: The Fats Waller Revue.” Back by popular demand, the show runs from August 22 through September 7, 2025 in The Donelly Theatre at WBTT (1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota).
The show enjoyed a hit run during its world premiere in the spring of 2023. In an amazing turn of fortune, all of the artists who performed in the show two years ago will return for this two-week run.
Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller was an American jazz pianist, composer, singer and comedic entertainer. He began playing piano when he was 6 and realized his dream of becoming a professional musician at 15, earning $32 a week at the Lincoln Theater in Harlem. The stride style he developed influenced the sound of modern jazz piano.
“Big Sexy: The Fats Waller Revue,” WBTT’s tribute to this irrepressible artist, features Waller’s signature songs, including “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Your Feet’s Too Big,” “The Joint is Jumpin’” and many more—as well as some lesser-known musical gems.
“Ain’t Misbehavin’,” a show devoted to the music Waller made popular, debuted on Broadway in 1978. The show won numerous honors, including Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, and Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Nell Carter) as well as multiple Drama Desk and Theatre World awards.
WBTT staged the show in its 2010-2011 season – the first season at the troupe’s current location on Orange Avenue – and audiences loved it. WBTT’s Founder/Artistic Director Nate Jacobs has featured songs from “Ain’t Misbehavin’” in two productions of “Broadway in Black,” in 2017 and 2021, and even in “Broadway in Black Jr.,” starring Stage of Discovery students, in the summer of 2018.
But Jacobs long wanted to further delve into Waller’s story, which was not explored in “Ain’t Misbehavin’”; he was also inspired to celebrate the talent and uniqueness of WBTT star and popular performer Leon S. Pitts II. In the 2022-2023 season, he brought those visions to life with “Big Sexy.”
“I’ve always been drawn to Waller – who was an iconic musician and comedian – because he truly carved his own niche. Because of his persona, many people may have underestimated his musical prowess but – make no mistake – he was a serious, prolific musician,”
says Jacobs, who is directing the production. “The show was a huge hit for its premiere run and we’re thrilled to give our year-round residents a world-class theatre experience during the summer, when opportunities become less available.”
The cast of “Big Sexy” includes featured Troupe members and soloists Leon S. Pitts II and Ariel Blue, with Jazzmin Carson, Andrea Coleman and Ulric Alfred Taylor filling out the ensemble.
WBTT’s live band will be featured onstage, led by WBTT’s Resident Music Director Matthew McKinnon, who will also play the keys, with Richard Philbin on reeds, Jordan Henry on bass, and John Walker on drums.
Showtimes are Tuesdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays-Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $52/adults, and $22/ students (ages 25 and under) and active duty military. Call the Box Office (941-366-1505) or visit westcoastblacktheatre.org.
