San Jose Stage Company Announces Cast and Creative Team for SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF

San Jose Stage Company (Randall King, Artistic Director and Cathleen King, Executive Director) has announced the full cast and creative team for The Stage's upcoming production of SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF by Terry Teachout. Directed by Ted Lange, SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF will run from February 1 - 26, 2023 at San Jose Stage Company (490 South 1st Street, San Jose, CA, 95113). Tickets range from $34 - $74 and can be purchased through the Box Office at (408) 283-7142 or online at www.thestage.org. For more information, visit www.thestage.org.

"What you hear coming out a man's horn, that's what he is."

SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF is a one-man, three-character play in which the same actor portrays Louis Armstrong, the greatest of all jazz trumpeters; Joe Glaser, his white manager; and Miles Davis, who admired Armstrong's playing but disliked his onstage manner. It takes place in 1971 in a dressing room backstage at the Empire Room of New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where Armstrong performed in public for the last time four months before his death. Reminiscing into a tape recorder about his life and work, Armstrong seeks to come to terms with his longstanding relationship with Glaser, whom he once loved like a father but now believes to have betrayed him. In alternating scenes, Glaser defends his controversial decision to promote Armstrong's career (with the help of the Chicago mob) by encouraging him to simplify his musical style, while Davis attacks Armstrong for pandering to white audiences.

"The Stage is ecstatic to be presenting Terry Teachout's SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF featuring L. Peter Callender* - the Bay Area's own force of nature on both sides of the fourth wall - portraying Jazz legends Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and manager Joe Glaser, telling their story in their own words," say Randall King, Artistic Director. "Our excitement elevates as this production is guided by a legend in his own right, the acclaimed director/actor of stage and screen, Ted Lange. We are honored to have these extremely talented artists in the house!"

"The life of a music innovator is revealed in this telling one-man story," says Director Ted Lange. "Terry Teachout has adapted his biography so that it fits neatly in the format of theatre. There are stories and musical history that are often unknown, forgotten, or overlooked. This script reminds us of what a genius Satchmo was and the rough road he traveled. L.Peter Callender is the perfect actor to bring Satchmo to life. He is spot on in his interpretation of Louis Armstrong and the demons he had to fight to do what he loved... make music."

The cast of SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF will feature L. Peter Callender*.

In addition to Ted Lange, the creative team includes Giulio Cesare Perrone (Scenic Designer), Ashley Garlick (Costume Designer), Maurice Vercoutere (Lighting Designer), Steve Schoenbeck (Sound Designer), and Justin Travis Buchs* (Stage Manager).

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.

ABOUT MILESTONE: THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

San Jose Stage Company's MILESTONE 40th Anniversary Season will continue with the Regional Premiere of GRAND HORIZONS (April 5 - 30, 2023; Press Opening: April 8, 2023), and the Award-Winning Comedy THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG (June 7 - July 2, 2023; Press Opening: June 10, 2023).

All programming and scheduling is subject to change. Complete casting and creative teams for the remainder of season will be announced at a later date. Tickets and subscriptions may be purchased online at www.thestage.org.

ABOUT Terry Teachout

Terry Teachout (February 6, 1956 - January 13, 2022) was an American author, critic, biographer, playwright, stage director, and librettist. He was the drama critic of The Wall Street Journal, the critic-at-large of Commentary, and the author of "Sightings," a column about the arts in the U.S. that is published biweekly in The Wall Street Journal. He weblogged at About Last Night and wrote about the arts for many other magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times and National Review. He was a co-host on Three on the Aisle, a monthly podcast about theater in the United States, hosted by American Theatre magazine, which ran from September 2017 to December 2021.

ABOUT SAN JOSE STAGE COMPANY

Through powerful, provocative and profound theatre, San Jose Stage Company (The Stage) seeks to expand community, forge creative partnerships and challenge individuals in order to illuminate the human condition. San Jose Stage Company is recognized as the South Bay's leading professional theatre company, having earned a reputation for artistic excellence through imaginative and edgy theatrical experiences that spark ideas and dialogue with the audience. The Stage is dedicated to the presentation and development of new works, with a concentration on American literature scripted by modern playwrights that speak to the conditions, hopes and fears of humanity. With the farthest seat in the house no more than 15 feet from the three-quarter thrust stage, the connection between actor and audience is profoundly visceral. The Stage is a multi-award-winning theatre company, including the 2018 Paine Knickerbocker Award for continued contributions to Bay Area theatre from the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. The Stage has produced over 200 productions, including 20 world premieres and 50 new works and is ranked as the 2nd largest professional theatre and 8th largest performance arts organization in Silicon Valley (Silicon Valley Business Journal). Attracting over 30,000 patrons to downtown and employing more than 150 local artists annually, San Jose Stage Company continues to be a vital force in the region's economic and creative landscape. TICKET INFORMATION Subscriptions and single tickets to San Jose Stage Company's 2022-2023 40th Anniversary Season may be purchased online at www.thestage.org.