Arizona’s Phoenix Theatre Company will host the world premiere of “Let the Good Times Roll: A New Orleans Gumbo,” a new Broadway-aimed musical conceived and written by Tony Award-winning producer Jack Viertel. The production, which will feature direction and choreography by Sara Edwards, will begin previews on Aug. 6 and open on Aug. 8, and is scheduled for a limited run through Aug. 31. “Let the Good Times Roll” is being produced in association with Michael P. Kruke and Ram Narasimhan, and will feature arrangements, orchestrations and musical supervision by Sonny Paladino.
Also newly announced is a concept album for the musical, whose release will coincide with the start of previews at Phoenix. Produced by Paladino, the album from Joy Machine Records will include songs made famous by Bessie Smith, Harry Connick Jr., Rebirth Brass Band, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, the Meters and Randy Newman. The album will feature performances by Tony winners J. Harrison Ghee and Lauren Patten, as well as John Edwards, Jonny Rosch, Rashidra Scott and Alysha Umphress. The aforementioned Rebirth Brass Band will also appear on the record.
The cast of “Let the Good Times Roll” will feature a different set of performers from the album. The company of the six-person show will include William Bailey as Onyx, Scott Davidson as Captain, Gina Guarino as Wanda, Miciah Lathan as Maretha, Carmiña Monserrat as Liza Jane and Tre Moore as L.D. Completing the cast are swings Ernest Allen and Savannah Inez and understudy Robert Watson.
“Let the Good Times Roll” follows a young woman’s journey in rediscovering life set against the backdrop of New Orleans, a city known for resilience, culture and an inimitable joie de vivre.
Viertel is no stranger to creating new musicals from the ground up, having conceived 1995’s “Smokey Joe’s Café” (a revue crafted around the music of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller) and 2013’s “After Midnight” (a celebration of Duke Ellington and other jazz greats). “The Prom,” which bowed on the Main Stem in 2018, was created from his original concept. Like the former two musicals, “Let the Good Times Roll” found its genesis in Viertel’s longstanding proclivity for the music.
“To begin with, this is all music I love and have loved for many years before trying to make a show with it,” Viertel told Broadway News.
