A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical is a vibrant and captivating stage production that explores the life and legacy of the legendary jazz trumpeter, Louis Armstrong. Through dynamic music, powerful performances, and a compelling narrative, the musical delves into Armstrong's personal journey, his musical triumphs, and his unwavering commitment to social justice.
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This production, with inserts of audience participation, does depict the trials and tribulations of Louis Armstrong, but this musical also spotlights his four wives — the loving, creative, and resourceful heroines — who were significant in the trajectory of the trumpeter’s life journey and take center stage. As the musical unfolds, we find young Armstrong (brilliantly played by the understudy James T. Lane) in his hometown of Storyville (red light district), La., where he fell in love with and married Daisy Parker, his first wife (understudy Trista Dollison), a street walker and independent contractor, who would sooner cut a man, Black or white, with her switchblade than take any mess. During a touching scene, their marriage abruptly ends as Armstrong scurries off to Chicago to join the band of his mentor, the great Joe “King” Oliver (played by Gavin Gregory). There he meets and marries his second wife, pianist and businesswoman Lil Hardin (played by Jennie Harney-Fleming). She anointed him the “king of jazz,” influencing him to leave Oliver to find his own fame while pointing out he was being underpaid: “Ask for what you are worth, they will pay you anything if you let them.” (In 2025, her statement remains true). His third wife, Alpha Smith (played by Kim Exum), is with Armstrong in a bustling scene in California during his Hollywood film debut. He eventually left her for Lucille Wilson (played by Darlesia Cearcy), a dancer at Harlem’s then-famous Cotton Club. As a businesswoman, she kept a sharp eye on his contracts and informed him that “a king needs a castle to come home to,” making his residential “castle” in Queens. Armstrong’s amorous relationships demonstrated that while he was definitely in love with his music, he was deeply in love with love. His four wives display similarities to “Four Women,” Nina Simone’s 1966 song. Simone’s vivid description emphasizes the strong and resilient aspects of four Black women from four varied experiences. James Monroe Iglehart as Louis Armstrong in “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical.” Gavin Gregory (in back) as King Joe Oliver, and ensemble in “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical.” James Monroe Iglehart as Louis Armstrong, and company, in “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical.” The actors effortlessly portrayed their characters with emotional intensity and fierce singing. Their long-lasting notes were so invigorating that they would capture the attention of any high-flying songbird. The musical depicts Armstrong’s love life by revolving around a constantly changing stage, consumed by an explosive high-stepping ensemble of dancing, tapping (reminiscent of the great tapper Honi Coles and the Copasetics), and singing. So engaging, it was like having a front-row seat at the Apollo Theater or at the Cotton Club’s famous floor show when they were located on 125th Street (during those days, the original club was segregated). As the subject of race arises, the audience witnesses Armstrong’s actions and conversations, which don’t comply with the long-held myth of his being a so-called “Uncle Tom.” He outright refused the opportunity to represent the U.S. in a State Department tour of the Soviet Union, when it was presented to him by his mob-connected manager Joe Glaser (played by Jimmy Smagula). He said (a direct quote), “The way they’re treating my people in the South, the government can go to hell.” He also denounced President Eisenhower for his non-action on civil rights. In a romping Hollywood scene, Armstrong meets the well-dressed (the excellent period costumes remind us of what fastidious dressers Black entertainers were during that era) Lincoln Perry, known by his stage name Stephin Fetchit (played by DeWitt Fleming, Jr.). Perry explained to Armstrong, “You need armor to make the white man comfortable.
LOUIS ARMSTRONG MUSICAL THEATRE REVIEW JAZZ HISTORY RACE RELATIONS CIVIL RIGHTS
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