Satchmo At The Waldorf in The Murphys Creek Theatre

Murphys, CA…Experience this epic one-man, three-character play at the Murphys Creek Theatre. Show is from 7:00 to 9:00 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through April 9th. Dwight Mahabir portrays Louis Armstrong, the greatest of all jazz trumpeters; Joe Glaser, his white manager; and Miles Davis, who admired Armstrong’s playing but disliked his onstage manner. It’s March of 1971 in a dressing room backstage at the Empire Room of New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where Armstrong performed in public for the last time four months before his death. Reminiscing into a tape recorder about his life and work, Armstrong seeks to come to terms with his longstanding relationship with Glaser, whom he once loved like a father but now believes betrayed him. In alternating scenes, Glaser defends his controversial decision to promote Armstrong’s career (with the help of the Chicago mob) by encouraging him to simplify his musical style. At the same time, Davis attacks Armstrong for pandering to white audiences. Purchase tickets here.