[3] 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, and trumpeter Miles Davis.
The theatrical work is based on his biography written in 2009, and titled: “Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong.”[5][6] 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.
Controversial subjects are covered, or subjects that tend to shock the public, as Henrik Ibsen did in the 20th century,[7] “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.”.
[8] 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 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 and during which Louis Armstrong voiced his criticism on September 17, 1957[9] is noted in the play.