Attend the tale of Satchmo’s wives. Four in all. For all to see. In this spotty, chaotic production of A WONDERFUL WORLD – the Louis Armstrong musical at STUDIO 54 where a road map of who and what and where would help tremendously.
I don’t dare write what I felt but I will. What a strange experience at the Saturday matinee performance November 16, 2024. Surreal in a way. PROLOGUE: 1970s. In CHAPTERS: NEW ORLEANS (1910s). CHICAGO 1920s. HOLLYWOOD 1930s. NEW YORK 1940s-1970s. Lots of territory to cover. Lots of love too. Four wives.
Daisy Parker. Lil Hardin. Alpha Smith. Lucille Wilson. All beauties. All fine singers and dancers and supposedly in love with Louis. A difficult man to pin down and to share a life with. But that’s a whole ‘nother can of beans.
All told in bits and pieces. Songs truncated. It comes across as a REVUE ala The Ed Sullivan TV show as if it had been conceived as such. How was it conceived? By lots of people seemingly not on the same page.
As is, the production never comes together as a cohesive story. Armstrong is a part time narrator and sometimes character. And herein lies the strange part. As we impatiently awaited the show to begin – it finally did about twenty minutes late. And when Louis first appeared it was not James Monroe Iglehart. Not until my exit – after the performance – was I handed a slip of paper that boldly announced that James T. Lane was Louis. Surprise! He is the alternative Louis on Wednesday and Thursday matinee performances. But this is SATURDAY. Where am I? What’s going on? To complicate matters UNDERSTUDY for LOUIS is Brandon Louis Armstrong. The entire episode was unsettling.
James T. Lane was a bit nervous to begin but finally settled into his performance and was more than sufficient. But I do not think that seeing James Monroe Iglehart would have made me enjoy this production even though I was looking forward to seeing him as I really think he is terrific. It’s really about the not so merry wives. And their unhappy relationship with Louis. Incident after incident without any insight to flesh them out.
They are fine also. Wailing their songs and holding out those last notes for dear life as is the style these days. Boo hoo! For the record they are Dionne Figgins, Jennie Harney-Fleming, Kim Exum and Darlesia Cearcy.
Co writers and Co directors do not make for a clear interpretation of the interesting material put forth. A case of too many cooks spoiling the broth business.
The same goes for the “NEW” arrangements of some very well-known songs by Branford Marsalis that at times become unrecognizable.
Best all around number was WHEN YOU’RE SMILING and I wish that could be the finale to this review. I wish I had been able to smile along, a lot more than I did.
2 hrs 35 minutes with intermission
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