Full Cast Revealed For A WONDERFUL WORLD Musical; Vanessa Williams Joins Producing Team

Full casting has been announced for A Wonderful World, A New Musical about the Life and Loves of Louis Armstrong, which was previously announced to star James Monroe Iglehart. 

The production also welcomes multiple Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award nominee Vanessa Williams to the lead producing team. 
 
Williams is one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in the entertainment industry today, selling millions of records worldwide. Her work in music, film, television, and the Broadway stage has been recognized with 11 Grammy Award nominations (including for her #1 single and signature song, “Save the Best for Last”), four Emmy Award nominations, 11 Grammy Award nominations, a Tony Award nomination, three SAG Award nominations and seven NAACP Image Awards. She has starred on Broadway in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Into the Woods, Sondheim on Sondheim, The Trip to Bountiful, After Midnight and POTUS. Major television credits include her Emmy-nominated performance as Wilhelmina Slater in “Ugly Betty,” and Renee Perry in “Desperate Housewives.” A Wonderful World marks her theatrical producing debut. 

“I became interested in joining the producing team after I worked with Carl White and Greg Rae on a play I am starring in and co-producing called One Reach Away. They told me about this Louis Armstrong piece, and I had to read it. What captured me was the life of Louis was told through the perspectives of his four wives, and that’s when my producing partner Liz Curtis and I dove in,” Williams commented. “We felt it was important to have a deeper dive into how this iconic man loved and transformed throughout his career while embracing these four dynamic forces. Louis Armstrong had an incredible career that truly crossed over musical genres, worldwide cultures and show business mediums that few have ever achieved. I’m honored to help bring this story to the stage and contribute to the magic of the Wonderful World that it helps to create.”

Mirroring Armstrong’s own musical path from New Orleans to Chicago, A Wonderful World will premiere first at the Saenger Theatre (1111 Canal Street) in New Orleans, LA from October 1-8, 2023 before moving to the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago, IL (151 W Randolph St) where it will play from October 11-29, 2023, prior to Broadway. 

A Wonderful World tells the story of Armstrong’s rise to stardom and blazing musical career from the perspective of his four wives, who each had a unique impact on his life. 

Joining previously announced Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart (Broadway: Aladdin, Hamilton) who stars as Armstrong, will be Ta’Rea Campbell (Philip tour of Hamilton, Broadway: The Lion King, The Book of Mormon) as Lucille Wilson, Jennie Harney-Fleming (Broadway: The Color Purple, Hamilton) as Lil Hardin, Brennyn Lark (Broadway: Six, Les Misérables) as Alpha Smith and Khalifa White (Broadway: Caroline, or Change, Little Shop of Horrors) as Daisy Parker. 

The cast also features DeWitt Fleming, Jr. (TV: “Boardwalk Empire,” NY City Center Encores!: The Tap Dance Kid) as Lincoln Perry, Gavin Gregory (Broadway: The Color Purple, The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess) as King Joe Oliver, Matthew Greenwood (TV: “1923”) as Johnny Collins, Lindsey Corey (Miami New Drama: A Wonderful World) as Ensemble/Rachel the Reporter, and Matt Wolpe (Broadway: Finding Neverland) as Joe Glaser, with Ronnie Bowman (Broadway: The Music Man), Eean Cochran (Public Theater: The Harder They Come), Jamal Christopher Douglas (Broadway: Paradise Square), Alexandra Frohlinger (Broadway: Soul Doctor), Afra Hines (Broadway: Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, Funny Girl), Alan Kelly (National Tour: Pippin, West End: We Will Rock You), Ashley McManus (National Tour: A Bronx Tale), Aurelia Michael (Broadway: Summer: The Donna Summer Musical), Alysha Morgan (Public Theater: The Harder They Come), Jarran Muse (Broadway: Motown the Musical), Aaron Michael Ray (Broadway: Come From Away), Khadijah Rolle (Regional: Sister Act the Musical), Dave Schoonover (Broadway: Bad Cinderella, National Tour: Love Never Dies), Brett Sturgis (Broadway: On Your Feet!, Aida), Renell Taylor (Regional: Newsies, Chicago, Dames at Sea), and Dori Waymer (Regional: The Color Purple). 
 
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.
  
Conceived by Drama Desk Award winner and Tony Award nominee, Christopher Renshaw (Broadway’s The King and I, Taboo), and novelist Andrew Delaplaine and directed by Renshaw, A Wonderful World has an original book by Aurin Squire (“This is Us,” “The Good Fight,” “Evil”) and features songs recorded and made popular by Armstrong. Wife and husband team Annastasia Victory (Caroline, or Change, Once on This Island) and Michael O. Mitchell (MJ the Musical, Motown the Musical) provide music supervision and direction, arrangements, orchestrations, and music direction. Choreography is by Rickey Tripp (Associate Choreographer for Broadway’s Once on This Island and Choir Boy). DeWitt Fleming, Jr. provides Specialty Tap Choreography.  Christina Sajous serves as Associate Director and Aurelia Michael as Associate Choreographer. RL Campbell serves as Production Stage Manager.
 
Scenic and Projection design is by Adam Koch and Steven Royal. Costume design is by four-time Tony Award nominee Toni-Leslie James. Lighting design is by Cory Pattak. Sound design is by Tony Award winner Kai Harada.
 
Casting is by Duncan Stewart CSA, ARC Casting. Consulting Producer is Irene Gandy. General Management is by Martian Entertainment. 
 
The World Premiere of A Wonderful World was presented by Miami New Drama in 2021-2022, Michel Hausmann – Artistic Director; Nicholas Richberg – Managing Director. 
 
For tickets and more information for the New Orleans and Chicago engagements, please visit www.louisarmstrongmusical.com.

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