A WONDERFUL WORLD: THE LOUIS ARMSTRONG MUSICAL Reviews

It doesn't look like this has been started yet. Hopefully that doesn't say something about the amount of interest (though the last post in the Previews thread is a week old).

"Join Tony Award® winner James Monroe Iglehart and a talented ensemble cast as they bring Louis Armstrong’s incredible journey to life, from New Orleans to worldwide fame. This full-scale musical features a rich tapestry of characters, including the extraordinary women who helped shape his remarkable life and career.

Be captivated by Armstrong’s timeless hits like “What a Wonderful World” and “When You’re Smiling,” performed by a large, dynamic cast. Don’t miss this spectacular celebration of music, filled with vibrant dance numbers, stunning sets, and unforgettable performances. Get your tickets now for an unforgettable night that honors the iconic man who defined an era."

Opening Monday, November 11, 2024

Around 2:35.

We've seen both Inglehart and Lane. inglehart first. Our group preferred Lane. His movement, acting and performance was stronger as a whole. Check him out.

ACL2006 said: "CoffeeBreak said: "We've seen both Inglehart and Lane. inglehart first. Our group preferred Lane. His movement, acting and performance was stronger as a whole. Check him out."

I'll be checking out James on December 5."



From reading this board to friends that have seen the show, everyone favors James T. Lane but unfortunately he won't be reviewed as the star!

Updated On: 11/11/24 at 08:06 PM

The Wrap

‘A Wonderful World’ Broadway Review: Or, the Singing Wives of Louis Armstrong

A new bio musical gets lost in the many marriages of the jazz great

https://www.thewrap.com/a-wonderful-world-broadway-musical-review-louis-armstrong/

"As presented here, Armstrong is a talented and very amiable man whose only real direction in life is collecting a lot of wives, each of whom gets about 30 minutes on stage. That doesn’t give much time for character development, because there are also a lot of standard songs to be sung, from “Kiss of Fire” and “Avalon” to “When You Are Smiling” and, of course, “Hello, Dolly!”"

Theatermania

Review: A Wonderful World Asks, "What If Six Was About Louis Armstrong's Wives?"

Meet the four women behind Satchmo in this new musical at Studio 54.

https://www.theatermania.com/news/review-a-wonderful-world-asks-what-if-six-was-about-louis-armstrongs-wives_1755256/

Chicago Tribune is mixed

Review: ‘A Wonderful World’ on Broadway tries to sum up the whole of Louis Armstrong

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/11/review-a-wonderful-world-on-broadway-tries-its-best-to-sum-up-the-whole-of-louis-armstrong/

"To showcase and to dissect always are tricky, twin ambitions for any jukebox show, and I think the main problem with “Wonderful World” is that it worries too much about the latter, which gets in the way of fully delivering the former. The show, which organizes itself around Armstrong’s career-defining travels from New Orleans to Chicago to Hollywood to New York, has a whole lot of biographical information to deliver and it’s a very heavy load, especially in Act 2, which becomes a bit of a slog when audiences at such shows long have been conditioned mostly to expect a concert-style finale. In the Wikipedia age, information is not what audiences want so much as a point of view and, well, lots of songs and music. We still could do with less history and more time with Louis and his band."

Two stars from NY Post

‘A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical’ review: A lifeless Satchmo show on Broadway

https://nypost.com/2024/11/11/entertainment/a-wonderful-world-the-louis-armstrong-musical-review/

"The trouble is that Satchmo is not only second trumpet, but he’s reduced to being second fiddle. In his own show!

We’re left with the impression that the creators did not find Armstrong, emptily impersonated by James Monroe Iglehart, to be a particularly interesting guy. So, they made his significant others more significant."

Deadline is positive

‘A Wonderful World’ Broadway Review: James Monroe Iglehart Brings Louis Armstrong Back To Swingin’ Live

https://deadline.com/2024/11/wonderful-world-louis-armstrong-musical-broadway-review-1236171156/

"A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical, starring a terrific James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin, Hamilton) as the legendary Satchmo, opens on Broadway tonight at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s Studio 54, and if it doesn’t escape every pitfall of the jukebox musical, it certainly comes closer than most. Wonderful World is too expansive in chronological scope to delve too deeply into the crucial question of what made Armstrong such an incomparable figure in the history of American music, but with Iglehart and a fine supporting cast of excellent singer-actresses portraying Armstrong’s four wives – Dionne Figgins as Daisy Parker, Jennie Harney-Fleming as Lil Hardin, Kim Exum as Alpha Smith and Darlesia Cearcy as Lucille Wilson – the musical rarely gives us enough time to ponder what’s being left out. What we’re seeing on stage is too entertaining."

Daily Beast

Broadway Review: ‘A Wonderful World: the Louis Armstrong Musical’ Goes Too Easy

Louis Armstrong’s famous songs sound great in a new Broadway show, even if the story of his life and illustration of his personality feel scrambled.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/broadway-review-a-wonderful-world-the-louis-armstrong-musical-goes-too-easy/

"Iglehart is an assured Louis in song and speech—his distinctive voice is perfectly modulated—but an inner world, a sense of journey, are both missing. The musical, which he co-directs alongside Christopher Renshaw and Christina Sajous, piles incident upon incident to jam in songs, and progresses jerkily forward—why did he choose to relax in jail so much, as the musical presents? Too often big songs abruptly end, or bump bizarrely into the next setup."

DTLI Consensus: And we think to ourselves, what a mystifying (if thrillingly performed) tribute to Satchmo’s life.

6 positive, 5 negative (including the NYT), 2 mixed.

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/a-wonderful-world/

Updated On: 11/11/24 at 10:34 PM

Great show for Louis fans!!! The showstopper never came.

I saw the matinee today. I'm a big fan of James T. Lane and he was outstanding in the role. Overall, the show gets off to a slow start, but by middle of Act 1 it settles in. Act 2 is very solid with a solid opener, the big tap numbers, "Smiling", and the finale featuring the title number. This might slowly find an audience if A Beautiful Noise could as well. I'd assume it's also cheaper to run than A Beautiful Noise as it has a smaller cast and orchestra.

They also had all swings on with the female swing splitting two tracks. This show might try and stick it out through the Winter. The matinee today appeared nearly soldout.