''Satchmo at the Waldorf'' is a one-act, one-person play written by

Terry Teachout Terrance Alan 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' ...

. It is Teachout's first

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

and it is about the famous jazz trumpeter and performer

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

. According to the printed playbill by Dramatists Play Services Inc.: “''this is a work of fiction, freely based on fact.''”. Though the play is written for, and performed by a sole artist, it requires for the actor to double and represent other characters, including Louis Armstrong's manager,

Joe Glaser Joseph G. Glaser (December 17, 1896 – June 6, 1969) was an artist manager known for his involvement in the careers of jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday. Biography Glaser was the son of a Chicago family of Russian Jew ...

, and trumpeter

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

. The play has been performed by

John Douglas Thompson John Douglas Thompson (born 1964) is an English-American actor. He is a Tony Award nominee and the recipient of two Drama Desk Awards, three Obie Awards, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and a Lucille Lortel Award. ''The New York Times'' critic B ...

and

Jerome Preston Bates Jerome Preston Bates is an American theater, film and television actor, director and playwright. Bates was born in Augusta, Georgia. The family moved to the New York/New Jersey area when he was six but returned to Georgia when Bates began hig ...

and the performance was originated by Dennis Neal.

Title

The title of the play, Satchmo was one of Louis Armstrong's nicknames, and that it derived from “satchel-mouth”. Waldorf refers to the luxurious hotel in Manhattan called the

Waldorf Astoria New York The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story, Art Deco landmark des ...

, where Louis Armstrong played and where he also stayed. The whole play takes place at what is supposed to be Louis Armstrong's room.

Off Broadway

The printed programme (2018) indicates that the original off-Broadway production's World Premiere was presented in Lenox, Massachusetts and in New Haven, Connecticut, in the year 2012; the play was previously premiered in Orlando, Florida in 2011. The theatrical work is based on his biography written in 2009, and titled: “''Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong''.” The play has been produced in other major cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, and in Houston, Texas, it was shown from February 24, 2018, through March 18, 2018, at the

Alley Theatre Alley Theatre is a Tony Award-winning theatre company in Houston, Texas. It is the oldest professional theatre company in Texas and the third oldest resident theatre in the United States. Alley Theatre productions have played on Broadway at Lin ...

Based in realist drama

Controversial subjects are covered, or subjects that tend to shock the public, as

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

did in the 20th century, “Satchmo” alludes to matters, and pronounces terms, less preferred by the percolations of higher society's sophistication, and at the same time dives in the ponderation of Louis Armstrong's important relationships; as underlined by Fierro's assessment of Ibsen's realist drama: “he explored universal themes of conflict between the individual and society; between love and duty, and between husband and wife.”. Showcasing the influence of realist drama, in “Satchmo at the Waldorf” the audience is introduced to the probable material anecdote of Louis Armstrong soiling himself in his later years, and his experience living under

Jim Crow laws The Jim Crow laws were U.S. state, state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, "Jim Crow (character), Ji ...

in his younger years; his response to criticism, the blurred relationship of a business-manager and friend, the difficulty of understanding Glaser's decisions at the time of death, and the artist's love for his fourth wife, Mrs. Lucille Wilson. Also, the civil rights crisis which occurred during Eisenhower's presidency known as

Little Rock Nine The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine African American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Their enrollment was followed by the Little Rock Crisis, in which the students were initially prevented from entering th ...

and during which Louis Armstrong voiced his criticism on September 17, 1957Margolick, 2007 is noted in the play. Teachout's “Satchmo at the Waldorf” depicts Armstrong's humanity at age seventy. According to Dramatist's Play Services’ website, the play is considered “''full-length comedy/drama''” and lists the stage as “''flexible''.”

References

Bibliography

*Teachout, Terry “''Satchmo at the Waldorf''” , Dramatist's Play Services Inc., New York. *Fierro, Gloria K. “Literary Realism – Realist Drama: Ibsen” ''Landmarks in Humanities'' (2013) p.p. 361-362 McGraw-Hill 3rd Ed. *Dramatists Play Services Inc., New York. “''Satchmo at the Waldorf''�

Accessed March 18, 2018. *Playbill, Inc. “''Satchmo at the Waldorf''” Programme – Alley Theatre (2018). *Teachout, Terry “''Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong''” (2009). , {{ISBN, 978-0547386379 Mariner Books. *Margolick, David; The New York Times. “The Day Louis Armstrong Made Noise.” September 23, 2007.

Accessed March 18, 2018. *Dramatists Play Services Inc., New York. “''Satchmo at the Waldorf Preview''�

Accessed September 22, 2020. Cultural depictions of Louis Armstrong Plays set in New York City 2011 plays Plays for one performer Plays set in the 1970s Biographical plays about musicians Waldorf Astoria New York