Hood to His Soul: James Monroe Iglehart Offers A Raw Look At Louis Armstrong In A Wonderful World

LOADINGERROR LOADINGJames Monroe Iglehart, who stars as Louis Armstrong in Broadway’s “A Wonderful World,” believes the revered jazz legend would have no problem fitting in with present-day rap and hip-hop musicians, despite their generational divide.“This man was hood to his soul, but in the most positive way,” the New York actor said of Armstrong, who died in 1971 at age 69.

“He made no qualms about drinking.He made no qualms about smoking weed.

He made no qualms about the ladies he loved ― I mean, how many rappers are like that? At the same time, he looked at life in this amazing, positive way at a time when life was not positive for people of color.This is that dude, and that’s what makes him interesting.” Advertisement “A Wonderful World,” which opened at New York’s Studio 54 in November, charts Armstrong’s era-defining rise from trumpet prodigy and nightclub headliner to world-renowned vocalist and big-screen icon.

James Monroe Iglehart stars as Louis Armstrong in "A Wonderful World," now playing in New York.Jeremy DanielAudiences expecting to hear classic songs like “A Kiss to Build a Dream On,” “Hello, Dolly!” and, of course, “What a Wonderful World,” won’t be disappointed, as Iglehart and his castmates deliver goosebump-inducing renditions of about 30 Satchmo hits.

Advertisement But “A Wonderful World” also probes some of the less palatable aspects of Armstrong’s private life, namely his four marriages to wives Daisy Parker (Dionne Figgins), Lil Hardin (Jennie Harney-Fleming), Alpha Smith (Kim Exum) and, lastly, Lucille Wilson (Darlesia Cearcy).While the musical is told chronologically, it is staged in four distinct chapters, each centered on the woman to whom Armstrong was married to and the city in which he lived at the time.

For Iglehart, it’s the contrast between the rosy vibe of Armstrong’s music and the turbulence of his romantic relationships that makes him such a compelling figure.Arm...