Louis Armstrong’s smile lit up stages around the world as he thrilled
audiences with his soulful jazz and his rich gravelly voice but that
smile masked an emotional life not known by many. Miami New Drama
brings to the stage a world-premiere musical “A Wonderful World”
celebrating the jazz legend who has been called “the single most
important figure in the history of jazz.” Told through the eyes of
Armstrong’s wives, “A Wonderful World” may be Miami New Drama’s most
ambitious production to date and the company has brought in Broadway
veteran and Tony Award Nominee Christopher Renshaw as director to lead
the cast.
“A Wonderful World” chronicles Armstrong’s meteoric rise from his
native New Orleans to international stardom, and takes an unflinching
look at the man who transformed jazz into a quintessentially American
art form during five decades of complex race history and the Civil
Rights era.
It also brings to light many issues pertinent today, but fans of
Armstrong’s music won’t be disappointed. “There are 29 numbers, and
many are his hits like “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” “St James Infirmary,” “We
Have All the Time in the World,” and of course “What a Wonderful
World.”
