The lights go down in Broadway’s Studio 54. And the theater is filled with the electrifying first notes of “West End Blues.” We’re hearing the trumpet cadenza that Louis Armstrong created back in 1928. And it is thrilling. Armstrong’s original recording established that he was, beyond question, the jazz world’s king. He played with an authority and rhythmic freedom that commanded attention. In 1928, he was a revolutionary artist, showing countless musicians the direction to take; countless musicians followed him. And as Armstrong’s creation is being played “live” in Studio 54 tonight, nearly a century after he first recorded it, we can’t help but become followers, too.
I’m attending a critics’ performance, just prior to the official Broadway opening night (November 11th 2024) of A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical. I’m excited to see this highly anticipated new musical about Armstrong (conceived by Andrew Delaplaine and Christopher Renshaw), which has been in development for several years.
The lights come up on stage and we see James Monroe Iglehart portraying an older Louis Armstrong, preparing to give a concert that will be a summing up of his 70 years of life. And as he begins talking, he engages us. Iglehart is not doing an imitation or impression of Armstrong, but he is capturing enough of his essence to bring Armstrong vividly to life for u
