Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Poster for Original Broadway Production
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 2012 Sydney/Melbourne 2013 National UK Tour

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, also known as Chitty the Musical, is a stage musical based on the 1968 film produced by Albert R. Broccoli. The music and lyrics were written by Richard and Robert Sherman with book by Jeremy Sams.

Productions [edit]

Original London production

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]

Original Broadway production

The Broadway production opened on April 28, 2005 at the Foxwoods Theatre (then the Hilton Theatre), 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. According to producer Nicholas Paleologos, "A substantial portion of the $15 million (initial investment) will not be recouped on Broadway." ^[3][4] A US National tour began in November 2008 at the Broward Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with a revised script by Ray Roderick, who is the tour director.^[5]

Subsequent UK touring productions

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,^[6] adding 24 more shows to a run which was originally planned to end on 18 November 2007.^[7]

Australian production

The Australian national production of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" opened on November 17, 2012 at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia.

Songs [edit]

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. In the 2012 Australian production,"Kiddie-Widdy-Winkies" was put back in the line-up of songs.

Casts of London and Tour productions [edit]

Original London cast

• Michael Ball - Caractacus Potts
• Emma Williams - Truly Scrumptious
• Anton Rodgers - Grandpa Potts
• Brian Blessed - Baron Bomburst
• Nichola McAuliffe - Baroness Bomburst
• Richard O'Brien - The Child Catcher
• Edward Petherbridge - Toymaker
• George Gillies / Harry Smith - Jeremy Potts
• Carrie Hope Fletcher - Jemima Potts
• Emil Wolk - Goran

Final London cast

• Jason Donovan - Caractacus Potts
• Jo Gibb - Truly Scrumptious
• Tony Adams - Grandpa Potts
• Christopher Biggins - Baron Bomburst
• Louise Gold - Baroness Bomburst
• Alvin Stardust - The Child Catcher
• Richard Smith- Jeremy Potts
• Georgia Russell- Jemima Potts
• Freddie Lees - The Toymaker

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, Wayne Sleep, Russ Abbot 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.

Original Australian Cast

• David Hobson - Caractcus Potts
• Rachael Beck - Truly Scrumptious
• Peter Carroll - Grandpa Potts
• Alan Brough - Baron Bomburst
• Jennifer Vuletic - Baroness Bomburst
• Tyler Coppin - The Child Catcher
• George Kapiniaris - Goran
• Todd Goddard - Boris
• Phillip Gould - The Toymaker
• Michael Kilbane, Anthony Garcia, Max Walburn - Jeremy Potts (Sydney)
• Jasmin Younger, Rose Shannon-Duhigg, Ashleigh Ross - Jemima Potts (Sydney)
• Beau Woodbridge, Kade Hughes, Kurtis Papadinas, Jack Lyal - Jeremy Potts (Melbourne)
• Lucille Le Meledo, Caitlin Vippond, Quinn Cameron - Jemima Potts (Melbourne)

Awards and nominations [edit]

Original London production [edit]

Original Broadway production [edit]

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Internet Broadway Database