A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical

James Monroe Iglehart is a multi award winning actor of stage and screen. James is set to star as Louis Armstrong in a new Broadway-bound musical based on the life and loves of Louis Armstrong called A Wonderful World, premiering in New Orleans and Chicago this fall. Most recently, James played King Arthur in Spamalot at the Kennedy Center. You may have seen James on Broadway in such shows as Hamilton in the dual roles of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, Chicago as Billy Flynn, and the Broadway hit Freestyle Love Supreme. James is perhaps best known for his Tony Award winning performance as Genie in Aladdin on Broadway. He has also been seen on tv/film in shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (recurring), Maniac (recurring), Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (recurring), Gotham, Law & Order: SVU, Sesame Street, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Girls5Eva, & the feature film DisEnchanted. James made his sold-out solo concert debut at 54 Below, and was brought back for a sold-out return engagement shortly thereafter. James has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, & numerous concert venues across the country. He has had the pleasure to lend his voice to many animated characters including Lance Strongbow in Disney’s Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventures and Taurus Bulba in Disney‘s DuckTales, Vampirina, Elena Of Avalor, Helluva Boss, Blue's Clues, Sesame Street and Disney Jr. and Disney Channels Super Kitties & Kiff. He is a self proclaimed animation, comic book & pro wrestling nerd. James has also written three comic book stories for Marvel Comics and is one of the co-hosts of the Marvel Comic podcast “This Week In Marvel” on SirusXM and wherever you listen to podcasts. When he’s not on stage he’s usually watching Pro Wrestling or Disney + while just chilling out with his wife of over 20 years Dawn.

Dar. Lee. See. Ah. Broadway veteran whose shows include Ragtime (Sarah, Helen Hayes Award nominee), Shuffle Along (Lottie Gee), The Color Purple (Nettie), Once on This Island (Erzulie), The Book of Mormon, The Goodbye Girl. Viva Award nom for her single, Everlasting… on MTV. TV: FBI, The Watcher, Madame Secretary, House of Cards, Elementary.

Kim Exum was last seen on Broadway in The Book of Mormon as the longest tenured Nabulungi. Recent credits include national commercials for Crest, a 1Password commercial no one saw where I play Deadpool’s assistant, The Book of Mormon(Jumamosi Tour), Betty Boop’s Day Off (Betty Boop), some V.O work, and Jolie, a beautiful short shot in BK. Many thanks to God, mom, dad, my village, my group chats, and my beautiful family: Eric & Ezzie.

Dionne Figgins has danced professionally with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Most notably, she has appeared in the original Broadway companies of Memphis and Motown the Musical. Of her many regional and Off-Broadway appearances, her work in Smokey Joe’s Cafe garnered her an Ovation Award nomination and Chita Rivera Award nomination. In 2012, she co-founded the non-profit organization Broadway Serves and in 2021, she was appointed the Artistic Director of Ballet Tech.

Broadway: The Color Purple (Nettie). Off-Broadway: Pearl (Pearl Bailey; AUDELCO nominee, Best Actress). National: Hamilton (Universal Schuyler Sister), Motown the Musical. Film: Silent Night in the City, The Oz Project. VO: Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, Opal Watson Private Eye. Grateful to God, Mom, Dad, my wonderful husband, and my two beautiful girls, Ella & Olivia.

Off-Broadway: NY City Center’s The Tap Dance Kid (Daddy Bates), MCC’s The Lonely Few (u/s Paul),Pearl (Bill Bailey), Ductman (Clay), Orphan Train (Conductor). Regional: The Last of the Red Hot Mamas (Bojangles), After Midnight, The Scottsboro Boys (Ozie/Ruby), Jelly’s Last Jam (Jelly), Jesus Christ Superstar (Simon). National Tours: Riverdance (Lead Tapper, Baritone Soloist). TV/Film: Boardwalk Empire, Limitless, How to be Single. DeWitt is a Capezio athlete and owner of DeW It Right Tap mics.

Broadway: Into the Woods, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables. National Tour/Special Engagement: The Secret Garden, Phanom!, Les Miserables, Into the Woods. Off-Broadway:The Music Teacher. Regional: Shakespeare Theater Company, Pennsylvania Shakespeare, Paper Mill Playhouse, 5th Avenue, to name a few. TV: "FBI" Most Wanted," "Law & Order: SVU"

Gavin Gregory is excited and honored to bring this role to life, displaying one of the forefathers of Jazz! To my eldest brother Ricky, thanks for putting a trumpet in my hands. Family, friends, FSE, Nellie & Willie, I am your wildest dream! Broadway: The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess; The Color Purple. Tours: The Color Purple (revival); Kinky Boots; The Lion King. Regional: A Wonderful World; The Color Purple; The Whipping Man; Ragtime; Violet. TV: DMZ, Games People Play, Law & Order: SVU, Madam Secretary.

Jimmy Smagula will next be seen in Warner Brothers’ highly anticipated sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux directed by Todd Phillips, and the independent features Nonnas directed by Stephen Chbosky and Almost Popular directed by Nayip Ramos. He just finished production on the animated feature Animal Friends, directed by Peter Atencio and recurred on both Showtime’s Black Monday and MAX’s Doom Patrol. Aside from Spamalot, other Kennedy Center productions include The Music Man (Jacey Squires) with Norm Lewis, Jessie Mueller, and Rosie O'Donnell and Guys and Dolls (Harry the Horse) opposite Rachel Dratch. He is remembered for his role of ‘Sal Iacuzzo’ on The Sopranos and depicted publisher John Woodburn in Danny Strong’s Rebel in the Rye opposite Nicholas Hoult. He also held supporting roles in Michael Bay’s The Island, John Chu’s Step Up 3 and The Producers movie musical. Other television credits include: FX’s Cake; FX’s Oh Jerome No, opposite Emmy Award nominee Mamoudou Athie, directed and written by Alex Karpovsky; Brooklyn Nine-Nine, opposite Andy Sandberg; Better Things alongside Pamela Adlon; Comedy Central's Corporate; Grey’s Anatomy, Bones, Parks and Rec, Community and many more. Jimmy made his Broadway debut at age 24 in the original Broadway cast of The Full Monty, and went on to star on Broadway in Man of La Mancha, The Phantom of the Opera, To Be Or Not To Be (Manhattan Theatre Club), Damn Yankees (with Sean Hayes and Jane Krakowski), The Little Mermaid and Billy Elliott. He is repped by Lasher Group and Nicolosi & Co.

From Philadelphia. West End: The Scottsboro Boys, A Chorus Line; Broadway: Kiss Me, Kate(Paul), King Kong the Musical ,The Scottsboro Boys (Ozie Powell/Ruby Bates), Chicago, A Chorus Line (Richie Walters). National Tours: Ain’t Too Proud (Paul), Jersey Boys; Regional Theatre:Chicago (Billy Flynn), Guys and Dolls ( Nicely Nicely), Mary Poppins (Bert), The Wiz (Tin Man),The Little Mermaid (Sebastian) & more. Creator/Performer of Triple Threat, a Play that Moves and Sings.

Broadway credits include Oklahoma!, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (Violet), A Bronx Tale (Frieda), and Disney's The Lion King. NY/Regional: Avenue Q, My Very Own British Invasion (World Premiere), Sister Act (Deloris), Faust (City Center), Dreamgirls (Lorrell). Special thanks to my family, friends & DGRW!! Always for Clarence & Aria. Grateful.

Brandon L. Armstrong is thrilled to be joining the cast of A Wonderful World. He was most recently seen playing Hercules Mulligan/James Madison in the National Tour of Hamilton. He is also one-half of the recording duo Public Youth (with their new singles streaming on all platforms now).

Broadway Debut! LA native-CUI Alum. Tours: Mean Girls (1st National), Jesus Christ Superstar (50th Anniversary). Select Regional: The Preacher's Wife, Kinky Boots, In the Heights, Choir Boy, Sophisticated Ladies, The Tap Dance Kid, Newsies, Godspell, The Scottsboro Boys, Hairspray. God is Faithful! Thanking you! <3 Jer 29:11

Broadway: Original revival cast of The Music Man and The Who's Tommy! Tours: Anastasia (1st National), A Chorus Line. Select Credits: Summer Stock understudying Corbin Bleu (Goodspeed), A Wonderful World (Saenger Theater/Cadillac Theater). Television/Film: I (Hallmark), Rustin (Netflix), "The Tony Awards," "GMA," "The Tonight Show." Love you forever, Dad. Proverbs 3:5-6.

Broadway debut! Performing/Recording Artist, Songwriter and DMV native! Credits: Pal Joey (NY City Center), The Tap Dance Kid (NY City Center), After Midnight (Signature Theatre), Dreamgirls (Baltimore Center Stage), and "SNL." Special thanks, love and gratitude to my dearest family and friends, CTG team, and the entire AWW family!

Recent: Henry 6 (Old Globe). Broadway: Company, Anastasia, War Paint, Falsettos, Paramour, School of Rock, Big Fish, The House of Blue Leaves. Off-Broadway: The Gardens of Anuncia (LCT), Giant (Public Theater), Queen of the Mist (Transport Group), Anyone Can Whistle (Encores!), Yank! (York Theatre), TV: "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "Failling Water," "Elementary."

Bronx Native! Film/TV: In the Heights, "Nissan," "Herskey's," "Godfather Of Harlem," "American Horror Story," "The Equalizer." Theater/Vocal: On Your Feet! (Broadway), Aida (Holland), Sweet Charity (National Tour), Fuerza Bruta, Jay Cole, Andrea Martin, Kanye. Dance/Choreography: Madonna, Chris Brown, Gloria Estefan, Kylie Minogue, "Tony Awards," "Macy's Parade."

Broadway debut! Regional: Goodspeed (42nd Street), Walnut Street Theatre (Beautiful), Bucks County Playhouse (Last of the Red Hot Mamas), MSMT (Joseph...). Other: Holland America Line (Cantare). B.M. from Manhattan School of Music. Love to my family, friends, and teachers who have supported me on this journey.

Grateful to be back with the AWW family to share this beautiful story! Recent: Hamilton (Broadway), A Wonderful World (Pre-Broadway), The Harder They Come (Public Theater). Tours: Hamilton (Peggy & Philip Co.) Mamma Mia!, Bring It On, Dreamgirls. Love an Gratitude to my Family, CESD, and Creatives <3

Kate Louissaint is a native New Yorker, and excited to make her Broadway debut in A Wonderful World! University of Michigan Class of MT24. Regional: Beautiful (Broadway Sacramento). She is here thanks to overwhelming support from her Mom and Dad, community, mentors, and God.

Broadway debut! Off-Broadway: Hound Dog (Ars Nova) Regional: Jersey Boys, Mr. Holland's Opus, Grease, Floyd Collins, Spring Awakening, American Idiot. TV: "Law & Order: SVU," "FBI," "The Rookie: Feds." Film: Hall Pass Nightmare (Lifetime), Secret Lives of College Escorts (Lifetime), Nightingale (Amazon Prime), Dirty Sexy Saint (Passionflix). Band: @BigSurBoundOfficial

Zetus Lapetus! Broadway Debut! Virginia Commonwealth University graduate. Off-Broadway: The Harder They Come (Public Theater). Regional: A Wonderful World (Dance Captain), Chess (Muny). Tours After Midnight (Dance Captain), Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, A Wonderful World (Dance Captain). Commercials: "ShoeDazzle" & "JustFab" Mama, we did it! Lucille, thank you! LaRece, this is for you. Provers 3:6.

Miami native and University of the Arts graduate credits her gifts to Jesus Christ! Notable roles: Deloris (Sister Act), Felicia (Memphis), Dorothy (The Wiz), Nettie (The Color Purple). Awards: BroadwayWorld Best Actress. Founder of VMTA Studio, coaching South Florida's young artists. Thank you to my amazing family!

Renell Taylor, a New Orleans native, is making his Broadway debut. Off-Broadway: Jelly's Last Jam (Ensemble/Young Jelly u/s). Regional: Bye Bye Birdie (Kennedy Center), Anything Goes (PCLO), White Christmas (Bucks County). Renell thanks his family, friends, mentors, the team at HCKR, and the man upstairs. Elon MT 2023!

Broadway Debut! National Tours: Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Regional: The Muny (Disney's Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid), The Lex (Chicago), New Bedford Festival Theatre (White Christmas). Marymount Manhattan College MT '21. To Mom, Dad, Ariane, and her heavenly grandparents for their endless love and support!

Broadway debut! She received her BFA from Florida State University, and was recently in Bye Bye Birdie (Kennedy Center) and A Wonderful World (Cadillac Palace Theatre). Favorite regional credits: The Color Purple, Beautiful, Hello Dolly!, All Shook Up. Love to my family and village. Special thanks to mommy and daddy!