Search - James Van Heusen, Sammy Cahn, Norman Wisdon :: Walking Happy (1966 Original Broadway Cast)

Charming old school musical

D. Morse | 07/20/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I am so surprised there are no reviews of this musical.....this is a bright and bouncy musical, although, perhaps somewhat dated for the time it appeared on Broadway...it was up against Cabaret, The Apple Tree, I do I do, and Hallelujah Baby, which were groundbreakers in Broadway Theater of that day, the mid-1960's, but this is just another forgotten gem of that earlier era...it is based on the British play "Hobson's Choice" ....which was a play that debuted early in the century and then made into a film....this being a musicalized version of that early play..the locale stays in England and it is a simple story of a shoe shop owner and his cobbler and the marrying off of his three daughters..Norman Wisdom who plays the main character of the play and virtually dominates the musical, was a British Music Hall entertainer and vaudevillian of his era and is still living as far as I know at the ripe old age of 90 years...the music is by the indomitable Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen, whose names were synomonous with Movie Music of the 50's and 60's with hits such as The Tender Trap, The Second Time Around, All the Way (Sinatra), and High Hopes, among many others, winning Oscars for several of their songs/and or scores for motion pictures..they also penned "Love and Marriage" for a TV version of Our Town starring Frank Sinatra...the music is above average with (I think) the highlights being the tunes "Walking Happy" "What Makes it Happen" (A beautiful love ballad that makes you think of "All the Way"), How D'Ya talk to a girl'," I don't think I'm in Love," etc. A side tidbit about this musical is that Mary Martin was originally to play the girl that Norman Wisdom eventually marries in the play, but she had to bow out because of contractual obligations to play in the International Tour of Hello Dolly at the time; however she later that season ended up in I do I do with Robert Preston, which ended up being a greater success than Walking Happy...Louise Troy ends up playing the part.....my guess of why this play didn't work has to do with the timing of it in the mid sixties, since we were beginning to get into the more avant garde type musicals, culminating in Hair, Jesus Christ Super Star, Godspell, etc....then the more social issue type plays started emerging even in the Musical Theater....try this one out, as it plays like alot of the early 60 late 50's musicals, such a Take Me Along, etc...I think it is a joy!!!!!!"

Pleasant Broadway score.

Frank Guerrasio | Brooklyn, NY | 04/08/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I was surprised how well this score plays on CD nowadays. The songs reveal character and tell the story. The show wasn't a big hit, but was enjoyable; especially for a young soldier on leave ! The magnificent Louise Troy shines here, especially in "I'll Make a Man of the Man.""

Walking Happy obc 1965

Dancer-man | NYC | 01/28/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When is this title going to be reissued?



Maybe DRG RECORDS will reissue this GREAT score soon. We can only HOPE"