Louis Armstrong Musical A Wonderful World Announces Full Casting

A Wonderful World, A New Musical About the Life and Loves of Louis Armstrong has set the complete cast for its New Orleans and Chicago mountings, intended to precede a hopeful Broadway run. The show will premiere at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans (October 1-8) before moving to the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago (October 11-29).

Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin) will lead the cast as Armstrong alongside Ta’Rea Campbell (The Lion King) as Lucille Wilson, Jennie Harney-Fleming (Hamilton) as Lil Hardin, Brennyn Lark (Six) as Alpha Smith, and Khalifa White (Caroline, or Change) as Daisy Parker. The company also includes DeWitt Fleming as Lincoln Perry, Gavin Gregory as King Joe Oliver, Matthew Greenwood as Johnny Collins, Lindsey Corey as Ensemble/Rachel the Reporter, and Matt Wolpe as Joe Glaser, with Ronnie Bowman, Eean Cochran, Jamal Christopher Douglas, Alexandra Frohlinger, Afra Hines, Alan Kelly, Ashley McManus, Aurelia Michael, Alysha Morgan, Jarran Muse, Aaron Michael Ray, Khadijah Rolle, Dave Schoonover, Brett Sturgis, Renell Taylor, and Dori Waymer.

A Wonderful World is the singular story of jazz legend, Grammy Award winner, and American icon Louis Armstrong, as told by the women in his life. Armstrong’s innovative musicianship and incredible charisma as a trumpet player and vocalist would lead him from the early days of jazz in his native New Orleans to five decades of international stardom.

The musical is conceived by Tony nominee Christopher Renshaw and novelist Andrew Delaplaine and directed by Renshaw. It has an original book by Aurin Squire (This Is Us, The Good Fight) and features songs recorded and made popular by Armstrong. Wife-and-husband team Annastasia Victory and Michael O. Mitchell provide music supervision and direction, arrangements, orchestrations, and music direction. Choreography is by Rickey Tripp with specialty tap choreography by DeWitt Fleming, Jr.

The creative team also includes scenic and projection design by Adam Koch and Steven Royal, costume design by four-time Tony Award nominee Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by Cory Pattak, and sound design by Tony Award winner Kai Harada.

As recently announced, Grammy, Emmy, and Tony nominee Vanessa Williams will lead A Wonderful World‘s producing team.