WALTER WILLISON is a Tony Award nominee and winner of a Theatre World Award and a Special William Inge Award. A true Renaissance man, he is an actor, singer, writer, director and producer. He starred on Broadway in GRAND HOTEL, TWO BY TWO, PIPPIN, NORMAN, IS THAT YOU?, WILD ANDWONDERFUL, A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Madison Square Garden, ANYONE CAN WHISTLE: Live atCarnegie Hall, Leonard Bernstein's MASS, the Inaugural presentation of The Kennedy Center. Off-Broadway he starred the title role in the first ever revival of Wright and Forrest's KEAN at The York Theater, and he directed and starred as Noah opposite Pat Suzuki in The Jewish Repertory Theatre's TWO BY TWO: The Richard Rodgers Centennial Concert. Other notable stage appearances includestarring as El Gallo in the historic First International Tour of THE FANTASTICKS in Japan, directed by and costarring bookwriter/lyricist Tom Jones with composer Harvey Schmidt at the piano; with Anthony Newley, Leslie Bricusse, Tony Bennett, Florence Henderson, Gene Kelly and others in IT’S A MUSICAL WORLD: A Tribute to Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley at The Hollywood Palladium; at the St. Louis Municipal Opera as Prince Charming in Walt Disney's SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS opposite Leslie Easterbrook, and Lancelot in CAMELOT with Tricia O'Neil and David Birney, and toured toured as Perchik in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF with both Herschel Bernardi and Jan Peerce. He has starred in numerous regional productions as Billy Bigelow in CAROUSEL and Paul Bertholet in CARNIVAL, and the national tours of ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER and YOUR OWN THING.
Mr. Willison made his professional debut in the West Coast Premiere of Meredith Willson's HERE’S LOVE [aka "Miracle On 34th Street"] for The San Bernardino Civic Light Opera in 1964, followed by juvenile roles in The West Coast Premiere of HIGH SPIRITS with Carolyn Jones, Edward Woodward,Mary Wickes and Adrienne Angel, BYE BYE BIRDIE with Dick Van Dyke and Rose Marie, THE BOYFRIEND with Juliet Prowse and Lee Roy Reams, HIGH BUTTON SHOES with Kenneth Nelson,SHOW BOAT with Mickey Rooney, and the West Coast Premiere of ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER starring Tammy Grimes and John Cullum in LA and San Francisco.
Films include Mike Frankovich's Emmy Award-winning "Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women", for which he was personally selected by Irving Berlin to play Ziegfeld star Frank Carter and croon Berlin's classic "A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody"; "Harry and Walter Go To New York", "The Initiation", "Somebody Help Me","Edward II", and he wrote the lyrics [with music by Jeffrey Silverman] for the songs he sings in the cult classic "Fantasies" [released as Once Upon a Love in Europe, “Femme” in France] starring Bo Derek, directed by John Derek. Mr. Willison appears with a cast of Broadway Legends in the late Rick McKay's documentary "Broadway: Beyond The Golden Age".
On Television, he starred as Dr. Calvin Campbell in NBC's hit 1976-1977 series "McDuff, The TalkingDog", as Clyde Griffiths in Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy" on "The Great Novelists" series on PBS, and as Dr. George "Buck" Wheaton on "Days of Our Lives". He has guest starred on shows including "The Today Show", "The David Frost Show", "Celebrity Revue", "The Great NBC Smilin' Saturday Morning Parade” TV special, hosted by Freddy Prinz; "The Dating Game Parade", and numerous other variety and talk shows.
Mr. Willison made his professional directing debute in 1974 with YOUR OWN THING, based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, at San Diego's legendary Old Globe Theatre, and directed the West Coast Premiere of Kenward Elmslie & Claibe Richardson & Truman Capote's THE GRASS HARP starring Susan Watson [introducing a then-six-year-old Christina Applegate]. He has since written and directed plays, musicals and nightclub acts across the US.
He collaborated with Douglas Holmes on the book for the critically acclaimed revisal of Frank Loesser's GREENWILLOW: The Musical Folktale [which Variety heralded was "redeemed by its new book"], also directing the World Premiere in Sarasota, Florida, subsequently produced at theaters including the Utah State Opera and in Branson, Mo. He wrote lyrics, with music by John Kroner, and collaborated with Mr. Holmes on the book for WONDERFUL LIFE: The Musical [based on Frank Capra's film], which has been performed at regional theaters around the US; adapted and directed Hal Hackady & Larry Grossman's MINNIE’S BOYS: The Marx Brothers Musical In Concert for The Jewish Repertory Theatre, Off-Broadway, wrote book & lyrics, directed and costarred in the hit musicals FRONT STREET GAIETIES: Dodge City's Hottest Revue starring Susan Watson and Charles Ward at the historic Mayfair Music Hall in Santa Monica [where he also costarred with Marcia Lewis in a series of music hall revues directed by Milt Larson], and BROADWAY SCANDALS OF 1928: The New Speakeasy Musical Off-Broadway, starring Diane J. Findlay and Shelley Bruce, both with music by Jeffrey Silverman.
Mr. Willison was honored to collaborate with John Willis as Associate Editor for "Theatre World" volumes #42, 43 and 44 and "Screen World" volumes #27, 38, 39 and 40. He served as Vice-President of Theater World Awards Board of Directors from 2004 to 2006 and directed The 61st Annual Theatre World Awards at Studio 54, starring such luminaries as Lucie Arnaz, John Cullum, Judy Kaye, Pat Suzuki, and The 62nd Annual Theatre World Awards at Studio 54, starring Lucie Arnaz, Harry Connick, Jr., Tammy Grimes, Andrea MacArdle, Ken Page, John Rubinstein, also contributing special material for Liza Minnelli.
He has 29 recordings released on CD, as performer, producer, or both, including his Broadway and Off-Broadway cast recordings, studio recordings of “Collette Collage", "Unsung Sondheim", "Lost in Boston I", "Lost in Boston II", "Unsung Irving Berlin"; he produced and performed on Robert Wright & George Forrest's "Anastasia: The Musical and Premiere Recordings of Songs from 'Grand Hotel', 'At TheGrand', 'Betting on Bertie' &' Kean' ", "A Bag of Popcorn and a Dream: an intimate big screen revue", "Beauty and the Beast: A Gothic Musical"; produced: "Marcia Lewis: Nowadays", Maltby & Shire's restored "Cyrano" & "The Grand Tour", and "Neva Small: My Place in the World". He contributed booklet notes for Martin Charnin's "Mata Hari", Bob Merrill's "Breakfast at Tiffany's", and Wright & Forrest's "ANYA".
One of Mr. Willison proudest accomplishments is joining forces with Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Jerome Lawrence and Margaret Goheen to create The William Inge Festival which annually honors our greatest living American playwrights, composers & lyricists in Inge's hometown of Independence, Kansas, now in its 39th year. There he wrote, directed and appeared in tributes to Jerome Lawrence, Robert Anderson, William Gibson and Garson Kanin, appeared in Mike Wood’s PENN AVENUE TO BROADWAY: A 25 Year Retrospective, with Hal Linden in "TO LIFE! A Tribute to Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. At Inge Fest 28, he starred with Barbara Dana in his play WILLIAM INGE—THE INTERVIEW: A Play on Reality [based on interviews with William Inge], and with Ms. Dana, Susan Watson, Rita Gardner, Martin Vidnovic, Elizabeth Wilson in REMEMBER & CELEBRATE: Honoring Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, recipients of the William Inge Distinguished Achievement in The American Theatre Award. In 2016 he starred with Marcy DeGonge Manfredi, John Schuck and Daisy Eagan in THE WILLIAM INGE FESTIVAL 35th ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE and wrote and directed SPLENDOR: A Tribute to the Oscars.
From 2016-2017 Mr. Willison served as Artistic Director of The Ziegfeld Society of New York City. In 2017 Mr. Willison conceived, wrote and directed ZIEGFELD FOLLIES OF THE AIR: The New 1934 Live from Broadway Broadcast Revue at Birdland, starring with Liliane Montevecchi, Loni Ackerman, Shelly Burch, Carole Demas and others; SOME ENCHANTED EVENINGS: The Glittering Life & Times of Mary Martin,based on David Kaufman’s best selling biography, starring Karen Akers and Karen Ziemba; THE UNSINKABLE TAMMY GRIMES: A Musical Life in Revue starring with Patricia Bosworth, Chris Orbach, Lee Roy Reams, Steve Ross, Jane Summerhays and others; WE’LL TAKE A GLASS TOGETHER!: The Songs of Robert Wright & George Forrest celebrating his 70th Birthday, starring with Karen Akers, Heather Mac Rae, Lynnette Perry and Liliane Montevecchi, and he conceived, wrote, directed and costarred with Robert Cuccioli and Jim Dale in HERE’S LOVE TO THE MUSIC MAN: A Celebration of Songwriter Meredith Willson.
He wrote and directed the acclaimed GRAND HOTEL: The 25th Anniversary Reunion Concert, costarring with Liliane Montevecchi, Karen Akers, Brent Barrett and other fellow original cast members at 54 Below, and directed Steve Ross & Karen Oberlin in CHEEK TO CHEEK: The Songs of Astaire & Rogers, also at 54 Below. In September, 2017, he appeared in WALTER WILLISON: MUSIC IN MY HEART at The Metropolitan Room, his first solo nightclub act since 1978, for which noted cabaret critic Sandi Durell praised "the expressive, sophisticated and natural Walter Willison, so capable when it comes to channeling emotions in every lyric. An extraordinary Broadway performer - an entertainer's entertainer."
In 2018, he wrote and directed BLUES, BALLADS & SIN SONGS: The Legend of Libby Holman starring Lee Horwin with Joel A. Martin at the piano, which received a 2019 Bistro Award, and directed the first workshop of Elliot Finkel and Philip Namanworth’s Broadway bound musical IMPOSSIBLY GEORGE: A Soiree with Madame George Sand starring Loni Ackerman. Currently he is directing Jill Senter’s acclaimed nightclub act CELEBRATE THE MOMENT, written and arranged by Mr. Finkel. Mr. Willison is writing, directing and will costar with Tony nominees Karen Akers, Timothy Jerome and fellow Broadway cast members in GRAND HOTEL: A 30th Anniversary Celebration In Concert, benefiting the Actors Fund, which will be presented by The Green Room 42 on November 11, 2019. He costars with Kristin Alderson, Maya Days and Joanna Rush in Joseph Craig’s “The Glorious Ressurection of Claire Owens” to be released in 2020.
REV. 10.30.19