Walter Mitty Musical

Gothampc
#1Walter Mitty Musical
Posted: 7/21/14 at 12:27pm

Has there ever been a musical based on Walter Mitty? It seems like the perfect material to put to music. Walter Mitty was always living in a fantasy world, each fantasy could be a different style of music.


If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

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tazber
#2Walter Mitty Musical
Posted: 7/21/14 at 12:38pm

Yes, there was an off-Broadway version in 1964.

The cast album is available from Arkiv.


....but the world goes 'round

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tazber
#2Walter Mitty Musical
Posted: 7/21/14 at 12:39pm


....but the world goes 'round

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BroadwayNYC2
#3Walter Mitty Musical
Posted: 7/21/14 at 12:44pm

This is a property with tons of potential.

I also enjoyed the recent film, though I know others hated it.

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newintown
#4Walter Mitty Musical
Posted: 7/21/14 at 1:13pm

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, music by Leon Carr, lyrics by Earl Shuman, ran 96 performances at the Players Theatre down in the Village in the fall/winter of 1964. One Joe Manchester is credited with the book.

Carr is remembered for some famous jingles ("Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut, Sometimes You Don't" and "See the U.S.A. In Your Chevrolet.") Shuman wrote lyrics for some obscure pop songs and some stuff for tv. Manchester (who also served as producer on Mitty), appears to have written a few forgotten plays and vanished into obscurity.

I saw a semi-professional production in the late 70s, and remember thinking it had a few fun numbers and a lot of hokey sentiment. They added the character of a daughter (Peninnah?) for Walter and his shrewish wife, which changed the tone and subject matter radically from the Thurber story (unresolved comedy with pathos about a daydreaming milquetoast) to one of rather conventional mid-century television family fare (disintegrating marriage saved by a combination of sweet daughter and near-adultery with a femme fatale).

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mjohnson2
#5Walter Mitty Musical
Posted: 7/21/14 at 2:24pm

The music for that show is solid, but could seriously benefit from a book reworking. If done, the show could be a solid attempt, though I don't know if it could ever be great unless somebody else took a swing at the material.


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Gothampc
#6Walter Mitty Musical
Posted: 7/21/14 at 2:29pm

If anyone performs this musical in the future, you must put in your playbill:

"Special thanks to Gothampc for bringing the subject up."

And if you win any awards, I get an invite to the after party.


If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

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Mr. Nowack
#7Walter Mitty Musical
Posted: 7/21/14 at 2:57pm

I love the cast album, but it's a great deal different from the actual story and the two films. I don't think it would really play well on stage today but it has some wonderful songs.

If you want a samle of the score, Nina Simone's recording of "Marriage is For Old Folks" is wonderful:


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ErinDillyFan
#8Walter Mitty Musical
Posted: 7/21/14 at 4:53pm

When I saw "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater" the directors notes said that he had planned on doing "Walter Mitty" and ordered a perusal copy of "Walter Mitty", but they had sent "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater" by mistake. After reading "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater" he decided to do it instead. Since "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater" was the worst show I have seen apparently the director found it better that Walter Mitty.

I have the recording of Walter Mitty and didn't find it inspiring.