Why Broadway’s New Louis Armstrong Musical Demands Three Directors

Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart, Christopher Renshaw and Christina Sajous talk about their rich collaboration on A Wonderful World

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“When the show was originally conceived, what excited me was the women,” Renshaw says, referring to Armstrong’s four wives, who anchor the four sections of the musical. “I personally feel that women, especially Black women, have not been given their due in relationships.” As a white British man, Renshaw wanted the input of “representatives of the culture. Because the show is so much about women and the way Armstrong learned from and reacted to them.”

Sajous agrees. “I think that’s what’s so wonderful about working on this show together, for all of us being able to fill in each other’s gaps.”

Beginning with Armstrong’s first marriage to Daisy Parker (Dionne Figgins), A Wonderful World shows how the women he loved helped guide his trajectory. It was his second wife, accomplished jazz pianist Lil Hardin (Jennie Harney-Fleming), who encouraged him to strike out on his own, while his third spouse, Alpha Smith (Kim Exum), supported him as he navigated white supremacy in Hollywood. He met his final bride, Lucille Wilson (Darlesia Cearcy), at Harlem’s iconic Cotton Club, and she remained by his side until his death in 1971.

In addition to his multiple marriages, A Wonderful World also explores racism in the entertainment industry and beyond, Armstrong’s run-ins with white gangsters, and his political stances and ensuing backlash. Such a wide-ranging story calls upon the co-directors’ different strengths.

“We find ways to use all of our talents in order to bring the show to life—not only broad strokes, but in meticulous detail,” Sajous says. “I think that’s where the three of us kind of thrive together, understanding what it is on a broad scale and seeing the concept as a whole, from the beginning, middle to end.”

Women’s roles in society, especially in the entertainment industry, evolved significantly throughout Armstrong’s life, and Sanjous sought to reflect those changes, from 1917 to the early 1970s. “I wanted us to highlight the importance of the women,” Sajous explains. “How do we keep them authentic and rich in his life, but also what was it like to be a Black woman in America at the time?”

“Every night he does it, it completely shocks me,” Renshaw says. “It shocks me that I’m involved in a show that dares to do that. Initially, when I read the script, I thought, well, I don’t think I can do that. Yet there he is every night. And it’s big stuff, it’s relevant, it’s dangerous, it’s fearless.”

Iglehart concurs. “Every time we do the scene, I say a line that means so much more to me in the last month: ‘It is not a crime for Negroes to be upset about America!’ Our country has changed so much, yet in certain things, we’re still infants.”

Armstrong’s underlying anger stands in stark contrast to his upbeat persona, and the directing team strove to portray that contradiction. Racism, cultural appropriation and social unrest are depicted between—and sometimes during—cheerful lyrics and exuberant tap numbers. Iglehart acknowledges that facing these moments as a cast was challenging.

“Our cast had to wrestle with it in order for us to be able to execute it,” Iglehart says. “We had uncomfortable conversations—’I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I like being in that section’—but we explained, ‘Look, in order to tell our story, we have to tell our story.’ What I love about our show is that we weave really dark moments into the happiest songs in the world. We give you the truth, because that’s what we want, but at the same time, we want you to be left entertained.”

Those raw moments force audiences to reckon with the racism Armstrong experienced while smiling and delivering joyful tunes such as “Hello, Dolly!” and “What a Wonderful World.”

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TDF MEMBERS: At press time, discount tickets were available for A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical. Go here to browse our latest discounts for dance, theatre and concerts.

A Wonderful World is also frequently available at our TKTS Discount Booths.