James Monroe Iglehart as Louis Armstrong in A Wonderful World, photo © Jeremy Daniel
(NEW YORK, NY) -- After winning rave reviews in New Orleans and Chicago, Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart (Disney's Aladdin, Hamilton, Spamalot) will star as jazz legend and American icon Louis Armstrong in A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical on Broadway in Fall 2024.
Produced by Thomas E. Rodgers, Jr., Renee Rodgers, Martian Entertainment (Carl D. White and Gregory Rae) and Vanessa Williams and Elizabeth Curtis, A Wonderful World will open on Monday, November 11, 2024 at Studio 54 (254 West 54th Street). Previews will begin on October 16, 2024. Tickets will be available at CriterionTicketing.com, with the on-sale date to be announced in coming weeks.
With a book by Aurin Squire (“This Is Us,” “The Good Fight”) and featuring songs made famous by Louis Armstrong, A Wonderful World is co-conceived by Drama Desk Award winner and Tony Award nominee Christopher Renshaw (The King and I, Taboo) and Andrew Delaplaine, and directed by Renshaw.
Cast and full creative team for A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical will be announced soon.
James Monroe Iglehart as Louis Armstrong in A Wonderful World, photo © Jeremy Daniel
Last fall, Iglehart starred in the pre-Broadway production of A Wonderful World in New Orleans and Chicago, where he won raves for his performance. The Chicago Tribune called him “just fabulous! - a knockout Louis Armstrong.” The Chicago Sun-Times, cheered, “James Monroe Iglehart gives a phenomenal, dynamic and vivacious lead performance as the wondrous Louis Armstrong.”
“I am so excited to bring this wonderful brand-new musical to Broadway,” James Monroe Iglehart commented. “American music wouldn’t be what it is today without Louis Armstrong and what is Broadway if not American music? ‘Pops’ doesn’t get enough credit for his contribution to our entertainment industry or our country. I know I have never studied, researched, or prepared for anything as much in my career as I have for this role. I feel such a strong connection and an obligation to bring his voice, his music, and his story to the one place where it can be presented in all its glory – Broadway! I can’t wait for you all to become a part of A Wonderful World.”
Louis Armstrong’s innovative musicianship and incredible charisma as trumpeter and vocalist would lead him from the early days of jazz in his native New Orleans to five decades of international stardom. A Wonderful World tells the story of Armstrong’s blazing musical career from the perspective of his four wives, who each had a unique impact on his life.
A Wonderful World is being presented in association with Roundabout Theatre Company and will be included in Roundabout’s subscription packages.
Miami New Drama (Artistic Director Michel Hausmann; Managing Director Nicholas Richberg) produced the World Premiere production of A Wonderful World on December 11, 2021 at the Colony Theatre in Miami Beach, FL.
