BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Louis Armstrong Broadway musical is still ‘Wonderful’

For astir 30 years, world-renowned jazz instrumentalist Louis Armstrong and his wife, Lucille, lived softly successful a small, two-story location successful Corona, Queens. His nonrecreational beingness featured performances for audiences crossed the state and internationally, but helium was blessed to instrumentality to his quaint Queens location and walk quiescent clip distant from the demands of the euphony business.

For Armstrong, his downtime included walking with his small Boston Terrier, General, and spending clip with vicinity children — introducing them to euphony and his infectious personality. However, astir of the kids were unaware of the immense fame of the instrumentalist portrayed connected Broadway successful “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Story” astatine Studio 54. 

Tony award-winning histrion James Monroe Iglehart, known for his roles successful “Aladdin” and “Hamilton” connected Broadway, firmly captures the exuberance and warmth of Armstrong and takes the assemblage done the famed musician’s life. He’s aided by almighty co-stars and the talented formed and ensemble of the jukebox biography musical.

The amusement is acceptable to close connected Feb. 23 aft 151 performances.

In his Broadway debut, publication writer Aurin Squire maps the beingness communicative of Armstrong — from a puerility of poorness successful New Orleans to his lasting passionateness for the trumpet and his astonishing emergence to fame — done the musician’s 4 wives.

Armstrong’s wives — the connecting threads of “A Wonderful Life” — are played by Darlesia Cearcy (“How to Dance successful Ohio,” “The Book of Mormon”) arsenic Lucille Wilson, Kim Exum (“The Book of Mormon”) arsenic Alpha Smith, Dionne Figgins (“Memphis, Motown: The Musical”) arsenic Daisy Parker, and Jennie Harney-Fleming (“The Color Purple,” “Hamilton”) arsenic Lil Hardin.

Directed by Christopher Renshaw, the amusement features lively philharmonic staging and choreography by Rickey Tripp. The cardinal constituent of euphony successful “A Wonderful World” is supported by Grammy award-winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis, who composed the arrangements for the production.

There are plentifulness of acquainted songs, including Armstrong’s iconic “(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue,” the Grammy award-winning “Hello, Dolly!,” and “What A Wonderful World.”

Behind the scenes, enactment for “A Wonderful World” started retired strong, and has gotten stronger. Among the musical’s producers is vocalist and histrion Vanessa Willliams, who is nary alien to Broadway. Her acting credits see the play “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive” successful 2022, the “After Midnight” philharmonic revue from 2013 to 2014, “The Trip to Bountiful” successful 2013, and “Sondheim connected Sondheim” successful 2010.

James Monroe Iglehart arsenic Louis Armstrong successful “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical.” (Jeremy Daniel)

Late past year, Williams and the musical’s producing squad were bolstered by the summation of movie and tv shaper Tonya Lewis Lee, businessman Mathew Knowles, and fiscal services enforcement Les Coney.

Meanwhile, not acold from Manhattan’s bustling theatre territory stands the Louis Armstrong House Museum, astatine 34-56 107th St. successful — the Corona, the location that Armstrong called home. Armstrong and his woman Lucille lived successful the location from 1943 until Armstrong’s decease successful 1971. Before Lucille died successful 1983, she willed the location and its contents to the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation and the location to the City of New York.

The foundation’s activities see providing enactment for the Louis Armstrong House Museum. The location was designated a New York City Landmark successful 1988 and declared a National Historic Landmark successful 1976. Visitors tin circuit the couple’s home.

Across the thoroughfare from the depository location is the Louis Armstrong Center astatine 34-49 107th St. It houses a 60,000-piece archive of Armstrong memorabilia and a 75-seat theatre abstraction for acquisition events, lectures, performances, and films. Archived items see the Louis Armstrong Collection of 1,600 recordings and 650 location recorded reel-to-reel tapes, letters and manuscripts, positive 5 trumpets and dozens of awards and plaques.

The center’s Satchmo Collection is made up of donated materials, the Institutional History Collection follows the past of the Armstrong House, and the Armstrong archives features videos of philharmonic performances, photographs and paper and mag coverage.

For much accusation astir the Louis Armstrong House Museum and the Louis Armstrong Center, sojourn louisarmstronghouse.org.