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Original Author: Ian Fleming
Book: Jeremy Sams
Music / Lyrics: The Sherman Brothers
Genre: Family comedy
Cast Size: Large, flexible, ensemble
Dancing Requirement:There’s a fair amount of dancing, but it’s very traditional musical theatre/soft shoe style that doesn’t require trained dancers at all. If you do have trained dancers, however, you can easily showcase them.
Ideally Suited for: Community theatres, schools
Everyone’s fine four-fendered friend may soon swoop into a theatre near you! A family musical filled with adventure, kidnapping, and intrigue, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG is now available for Fast-Track Notification. By signing up for this service, you’ll be among the first to know when the title is available for licensing – we’ll send you an email as soon as this title is released!
Camille Mancuso, Steve Wilson, Kelly McCormick and Zachary Carter Sayle. Photo by Ian Ibbetson - CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG National Tour
Based on the beloved 1968 film, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG has an incredibly catchy, upbeat score that audiences will inevitably find themselves singing as they leave the theatre. The joyful melodies are easy enough to learn, speeding up the rehearsal process, and its many ensemble roles enable everyone to have their moment in the spotlight. Along those lines, the show’s large, flexible cast size makes it ideal for high schools and community theatres, particularly since there are roles for children.
Click here to see a video montage of the CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG national tour!
Show Inspiration
Surprisingly, this simple, heartfelt show has its roots in the world of suave super-spy, James Bond. Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming wanted to write a story that his young son Casper could enjoy. Taking inspiration from a series of racing cars that Count Louis Zborowski had built in the early 1920s, Fleming wrote a Bond-like novel that was centered around children – as well as on a flying car with a mind of its own.
Dirk Lumbard and Scott Cote. Photo by Ian Ibbetson - CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG National Tour
Fun Facts
• Chitty and James Bond have more in common than just sharing Ian Fleming as their author. The film of Chitty was produced by Albert R. (Cubby) Broccoli as were all of the first seventeen Bond films. Desmond Llewelyn who played Q in the Bond films until his death in 2000 played the scrap dealer Coggins and Gert Frobe was the villain Goldfinger as well as Baron Bomburst. Also every Bond film features a car with some extra special built in gadgetry to help 007 in his quest.
• There is a Trivial Pursuit game card which asks ‘Which British spy novelist wrote the children’s story Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?’
• The film screenplay was written by prolific children’s author Roald Dahl and the film’s director Ken Hughes.
• The song “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” was nominated for an Oscar in 1968.
• The Sherman Brothers also wrote the songs for Disney’s Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book as well as countless other films including The Slipper and the Rose.
• Dick Van Dyke, who stars in the film is also connected to the Sherman Brothers in another way, having introduced the Oscar-winning “Chim Chim Cheree”.
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was originally published as separate adventures in three separate volumes over 1964 and 1965. It was not published in a single volume in England until 1971.
• Some of Rowland Emett’s strange and wonderful inventions for the film are housed and on display at the Mid-America Science Museum.
• Locations used in the film include Ibstone Windmill, Buckinghamshire and Neuschwanstein Castle near Munich. This castle was built by King Ludwig Konig of Bavaria as a temple to Wagner based on designs by Christian Janck which were in turn inspired by Angelo Il Quaglio’s stage sets for the 1867 production of Lohengrin.
• The films cast included many British comedy favourites in supporting roles including Benny Hill as the toymaker, Barbara Windsor, Arthur Mullard, Bernard Spear, Stanley Unwin, Davy Kaye, Max Bacon, Kenneth Waller and Max Wall.
• Empire magazine recently rated the film’s child catcher scenes among the 100 most frightening ever filmed.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I would also like to know what ever happened to the show “Flat Stanley”
We were really excited when we saw its debut in California at UCI and they told me it would be made into a Broadway Junior Show. We would really like to do that show. Please let me know if you are planning to publish this show!
How essential is it for the car to fly? What are some staging options?
FLAT STANLEY should be available this fall–glad you’re looking forward to it!
Will this be a junior show or can community groups like ours apply for this show?
Nope, it’s the full length version of the show, so community groups can definitely apply!
Sounds exciting!
Please get the lisensing out ASAP!!!! My Comunity Group Would love to do this show! (We even have a hydrolic lift ready for the car!) Please! We would love to do this this fall or spring, if possible! Thanks!
I’m glad you’re so excited about it
It’s too early to tell when it’ll be fully released, but if you sign up for Fast-Track (http://www.mtishows.com/app_fasttrack.asp?id=000366), we’ll email you as soon as it’s available.
Does anyone know, is there a license for Mary Poppins on its way out soon? We really would love to do that show!
Not at this time – there are no anticipated release dates. Typically a title is not released for licensing until the Brodaway run and major national tour has completed, and MP is still selling out on Broadway.
So What Happened to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? IT was release and I received the perusal. then two weeks later it was restricted again. What Happened and when might it be released again?
It appears that Chitty is restricted and will continue to be restricted for some time. MTI will most likely honor those organizations who have existing licenses for performance. I hope that helps.
Please put me on the fast track for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
I am the choreographer for an award winning HS program in upstate NY. Next year I have an amazingly talented group of dancers and singers and we really want to do a fun family show. Will Chitty Chitty Bang Bang be available for next year or should we start looking at other shows more seriously? Thanks so much for any guidance you can provide. We normally announce our next season at our end of year banquet. We are willing to wait however, if this show will become available this summer or fall.
Unfortunately, Chitty won’t be available for licensing next year. I encourage you to look at some other titles more seriously so you can better plan your season. Other good family shows that emphasize singing and dancing are Seussical, Just So, Dr. Dolittle, Music Man, Thoroughly Modern Millie to name a few. I’m sure if you posed the question to the community on MTI ShowSpace, you’ll get some great suggestions:
http://www.mtishowspace.com/pg/forum
Jason..do you work for MTi and therefore are sure if Chitty being unavailable? Our first choice was Peter Pan and it is unavailable due to an upcoming US tour. Now Chitty is not going to be available. We already did Beauty and the Beast. We cant do Seussical cause our Middle School is doing it next year. Our lead male actor was Music Man 3 years ago in Middle school so that is out. I dont like MIlle and we want to do something well known so we can sell tickets. We have done 2 adult themed shows the past 2 seasons, and we need to do something light and fun. Picking a show for next year is difficult!!!!!!!!!
I can’t seem to find any current runnings of Chitty, except a production that payed in Torrington, CT at the Warner Theatre this past weekend. Otherwise, the UK tour finished last September. What is the hold up? Jason indicated that it wouldn’t be available this year, but I don’t understand why. Who makes the decision to release it?
Both MP and Chitty have not been performed anywhere in the UK for at least four years now, so why are they not available over here???
Why isn’t Willy Wonka available out side of North America???