and a meager jazz combo in the background.nThis is why Ain ‘t Misbehavin ‘isnsomething more than a routine musical,nthough—as with everything that is simplenand modest but nonetheless impressive—itnis difficult to explain why it isnso. Why does a spectacle devoid of plot,ndialogue, structured scenes, or dramaticntension, make us wait for what followsnwith that inner anticipation which signifiesncontinuous enmeshment? Curiositynof both mind and emotion is constantlynpresent, and what reaches usnfrom the stage makes us thirsty for more.nGood, even breathtaking singing andndancing is not a satisfactory explanation:nBroadway is, and always has been,nreplete with breathtaking singing andndancing. So what’s so extraordinary?nWe do not know exactly, but we knownthat extraordinariness is in the air.nEven more seems to be in the air, namely—thenmaking of history.nIt’s the history of the breakthroughnof cultural patterns. Those patterns, ornstyles, have intricately blended and texturednmany diverse ingredients of ourncultural past. Perhaps what mesmerizesnthe audience in the Longacre Theatrenis the transmutation of those patternsninto a specific reality, so distinctivelynflavored that it inhabits the border territorynbetween actual existence and existencenas it is told by art, in this case—nby popular art. Ain’t Misbehavin’ is anshow structured on the music ofnThomas “Fats” Waller, and on songsnwritten by others through which henconveys his message of the urban nightnmusic of the ’20s and ’30s. He was onenof the greatest exponents of then”stride” piano playing—a jazz stylendeveloped in the northeast, mostly innNew York, based on ragtime: its highnpriest was James P. Johnson, whosenmost talented disciple proved to benWaller. But Ain’t Misbehaving as itnnow presents Waller’s achievement,ngenre, special brand of musical burlesquenand showmanship, transcendsnany stylistic archetype, even the classicnjazz personality, even Waller as an entertainmentnlegend. It’s easy to call itnpure delight, but it is much more. Waller’snbuzzing bonhomie becomes suddenlyna facade behind which lurksnsomething much more substantial. Onenasks oneself: How could one fat andnjolly man so encapsulate his epoch bynmeans of deceptive, quasi-folksy clownishness.-^nHis choice of lyrics for hisnsongs, and his use of other people’s creativity,nis another reason for marveling.nImmersing ourselves in Ain’t Misbehavin’ngives us an instant grasp of thenessence of Harlem Renaissance, the explosionnof Black cultural motifs in then’20s. Waller shows us how sophisticationnwas the name of the game; howngreat cultural models of our time werenextracted from triviality; how overweightnperformers who, at first sight,nseemed hardly fit for tender ironies,nultimately became their invaluablentransmitters; how grief and sadness, joynEthics & Public PolicynThe American ScenenThis is a subject which emerges oftennin conversations in somehow less formalnwording, and as a matter of fact,nis on everybody’s mind. Therefore, itnis a propitious circumstance that anninstitution exists in Washington, D.C.nwhich accepts this conjunction of wordsnand notions in its name, and elaboratesnon them in a straightforward and opennmanner. It is the Ethics and PublicnPolicy Center, and it is headed by annarticulate and energetic political scientist.nDr. Ernest W. Lefever. AmongnDr. Lefever’s many other assignmentsnwas his twelve-year senior fellowshipnat the Brookings Institution. Thus,nwhat many in Washington know, butnconsider unbecoming for public disclosure—fornexample, the relevance ofnmoral ideas to politics—Professor Lefevernand his staff analyze, describe andnpublish. We hope his work willnprosper.nnnand passion, moods and impulses werentransformed into inflections, gesturesnand facial expressions which found anplace among America’s visual and soundnsymbols. All these were almost inventednthere in Harlem, by the countlessnWallers of that era, and from therenmarched on to determine the pedestrianndelights of a progressing century. Tonanyone in the Longacre Theatre who listensnto:n”What did I donto feel so black and blue …”nit becomes clear that a few lines likenthese mean more than the entire BlacknPanther Party rhetoric. And that giftnof influencing preferences, art trends,nand sentimental attitudes can, morenthan anything else, give AmericannBlacks confidence in the future. (ES) DnThe China Love StorynPerhaps it was the Upanishads whichnsaid: If you have two mortal enemiesnwho become the mortal enemies ofneach other—your heart should rejoicenand you should thank Providence, forneach of them can become your invaluablenfriend—at least for a certain time.nIt may not be the Upanishads, rathernthe Vedas, I Ching, the Koran, thenBible, or even just the Chronicles ofnCulture; what counts is that, even unanointednby an undisputed authority, itnis a simple and obvious wisdom. Thisnis why we have glimpsed with astonishmentnall those liberal pundits and sterlingnprofessors from the Ivy Leaguenwho, in richly endowed quarterlies,nwhined that the avowed conflict betweennRussia and China would be to thenutter detriment of America. Nixon andnKissinger correctly stuck to thenBhagavad-Gita; they wanted to givenChina all the support necessary ton^^mmm^^^^Z^nChronicles of Culturen