In a fascinating interview with rolling out, Tony award-winning actor, James Monroe Iglehart delves into his transformative portrayal of Jazz icon Louis Armstrong within the mesmerizing play, A Great World.
Iglehart’s portrayal is a masterclass in creative immersion, mixing methodical precision with heartfelt ardour. He shares the intricacies of his preparation, from delving into Armstrong’s musical genius to embodying the essence of the legendary determine. This insightful dialog provides a uncommon glimpse into the dedication and artistry behind Iglehart’s outstanding efficiency, promising audiences an unforgettable expertise on this enchanting manufacturing.
What sort of preparation did you do to embody this function of Louis Armstrong?
I feel I did extra analysis on this than I’ve achieved in every other function I’ve ever performed. I learn each of his autobiographies. I listened to tapes. I listened to as many interviews as I may probably get my palms on. I did every little thing I probably may to get as a lot details about this man as I may to prepare for this, for this second.
What elements of his life did you discover essentially the most fascinating?
What I discovered essentially the most fascinating was the truth that he was actually probably the greatest musicians ever to choose up the horn. A number of trumpet gamers weren’t enjoying above the road on the treble clef till Louie began doing it. Louie’s chops had been simply that sharp.
The opposite factor was how concerned he was within the civil rights motion. Most individuals suppose that he wasn’t concerned in any respect simply because he didn’t march … the distinction was Louis put his cash the place his mouth was. He wasn’t on the market on the entrance traces, however he was the one serving to pay for the entrance traces to be the entrance traces.
How do you go about conserving these songs true to Louis Armstrong, but additionally having the ability to inject who you’re?
Very rigorously. It’s attention-grabbing to play a person who really broken his voice and use that as a means of nonetheless having the ability to produce among the finest music on the earth. He took a problematic state of affairs and turned it right into a optimistic. So how do I do this with out damaging my very own voice? With the assistance of a beautiful vocal teacher and my Simply Champion ENT in New York. They be sure that I keep wholesome. I do my finest to offer reverence to the best way he sang his songs and the best way he spoke.
I don’t draw back from how he sang issues. I don’t draw back from how he riffed or how he scatted issues. It’s important to go, you recognize, full throttle into it. I’ve had loads of enjoyable enjoying together with his voice.
How do you see A Great World contributing to the broader panorama of stage productions and storytelling?
There are such a lot of tales to inform and there’ll at all times be tales to inform and there’ll at all times be nice heroes to inform tales about. Now we’re including Louis Armstrong to that pantheon of heroes that musicals have talked about. This man modified American music. This man modified the notion of African American folks in our nation. This man was in a position to change how musicians used a sure instrument starting at a time when clarinet was the lead instrument in jazz. This man got here alongside and turned the trumpets into the main instrument of what we now name the American music jazz.
A Great World is operating now till Oct. 29, 2023 on the Cadillac Palace Theater in Chicago. Purchase tickets right here.
