| Chitty Chitty Bang Bang | |
|---|---|
Poster for Original Broadway Production |
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| Music | Richard M. Sherman Robert B. Sherman |
| Lyrics | Robert B. Sherman Richard M. Sherman |
| Book | Jeremy Sams |
| Basis | Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 1968 film |
| Productions | 2002 West End 2005 Broadway 2005 National UK Tour 2007 Singapore 2008-2009 National US Tour 2009 National UK Tour |
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, also known as Chitty the Musical, is a stage musical based on the 1968 film produced by Cubby Broccoli. The music and lyrics were written by Richard and Robert Sherman with book by Jeremy Sams.
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The musical premiered in the West End at the London Palladium on April 16, 2002 with six new songs by the Sherman Brothers who wrote the original Academy Award-nominated title and song score as well. The West End production, directed by Adrian Noble with musical staging and choreography by Gillian Lynne, closed in September 2005. It was the longest running show ever at the London Palladium, taking in over £70 million in its three and a half year run.[1]
The Broadway production opened on April 28, 2005 at the Foxwoods Theatre (then the Hilton Theatre) in New York City, garnering good reviews only for the lavish sets. Ben Brantley in the New York Times noted that the show "naggingly recalls the cold, futurist milieus of movies like 'Modern Times' and 'Metropolis,' in which machines rule the universe" and featured songs that sounded "not unlike what you might hear in sing-along hour in a pre-K class".[2] The production was again directed by Adrian Noble with choreography by Gillian Lynne and starred Raúl Esparza (Caractacus Potts), Erin Dilly (Truly Scrumptious), Philip Bosco (Grandpa Potts), Marc Kudisch (Baron Bomburst), Jan Maxwell (Baroness Bomburst) and Henry Hodges (Jeremy Potts). The Broadway production closed on December 31, 2005 after 34 previews and 285 regular performances, losing its entire financial investment.[3]
Since closing in London, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang toured around the UK, stopping in Sunderland (9 December 2005- 4 March 2006), Manchester (20 March 2006- 10 June 2006), Birmingham (23 June 2006- 2 September 2006), Liverpool (18 September 2006- 18 November 2006), Edinburgh (1 December 2006- 24 February 2007), Bristol (9 March 2007- 9 June 2007) and Southampton (25 June- 15 September 2007), Bradford (11 February 2008 - 5 April 2008), Sunderland (17 April 2008 - 7 June 2008), Cardiff (3 July 2008 - 30 August 2008). The UK Tour visited Asia for the first time when it opened on 2 November 2007 in Singapore's Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay. Encouraging ticket sales resulted in an extension of the show to 9 December,[4] adding 24 more shows to a run which was originally planned to end on 18 November 2007.[5]
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Notes: In the 2009 tour, the following songs are omitted: "Come to the Funfair", "Kiddy-Widdy-Winkies", "Us Two/Chitty Prayer". "Kiddy-Widdy-Winkies" was replaced with a version of "Lovely Lonely Man" from the original film, sung by Truly Scrumptious. The overall script is also changed to more closely match the film, notably, missing the childcatcher tricking the family by dressing as the Toymaker and Grandpa.
Many respected British actors have appeared in various roles during the London production run, including: Brian Conley, Gary Wilmot, Caroline Sheen, Scarlett Strallen, Sandra Dickinson, Louise Gold, Victor Spinetti, Christopher Biggins, Paul O'Grady, Peter Polycarpou, Lionel Blair, Stephen Gately and Derek Griffiths.
The original UK Tour cast (2005) starred Tim Flavin, Marissa Dunlop, Robin Askwith, Paul Greenwood, Sean Blowers and Jane Gurnett. The final UK Tour cast (2008) starred Aled Jones, Rachel Stanley, Ian Watkins and Tony Adams.
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Nichola McAuliffe | Nominated |
| Best Set Design | Anthony Ward | Nominated |
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | Erin Dilly | Nominated |
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Marc Kudisch | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Jan Maxwell | Nominated | ||
| Best Scenic Design | Anthony Ward | Nominated | ||
| Best Lighting Design | Mark Henderson | Nominated |
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