Walter Willison (born June 24, 1947) is an American stage actor.

Career

He starred on Broadway in ''

Norman, Is That You? ''Norman, Is That You?'' is a 1970 play in two acts by American playwrights Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick about a Jewish couple coming to terms with their son's homosexuality. The work is notably the first play written by both writers. After 19 p ...

'', ''Two By Two'', '' Pippin ''(as Pippin), ''

Wild and Wonderful Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to: Common meanings * Wilderness, a wild natural environment * Wildlife, an undomesticated organism * Wildness Wildness, in its literal sense, is the quality of being Wildlife, wild or Domestication, u ...

'', ''

Grand Hotel A grand hotel is a large and luxurious hotel, especially one housed in a building with traditional architectural style. It began to flourish in the 1800s in Europe and North America. Grand Hotel may refer to: Hotels Africa * Grande Hotel Beir ...

'', ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'' at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

, and as The Celebrant in

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...

's ''

Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

'' at

The Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

. Willison has starred in regional productions of ''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (International English), or galloper (British English) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The seats are tradit ...

'' ''

Carnival! ''Carnival'' is a musical theatre, musical, originally produced by David Merrick on Broadway in 1961, with the book by Michael Stewart (playwright), Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical is based on the 1953 film ''Lil ...

'', '' Two By Two'', ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs's 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...

'', ''

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

'', ''

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and musical theatre#Book musicals, book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire, Imperial Russia in or around 19 ...

'', ''

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever ''On a Clear Day You Can See Forever'' is a musical with music by Burton Lane and a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner based loosely on ''Berkeley Square'', written in 1926 by John L. Balderston. It concerns a woman who has ESP and has been ...

'', ''

Your Own Thing ''Your Own Thing'' is a rock-styled musical comedy loosely based on '' Twelfth Night'' by William Shakespeare. It premiered off-Broadway in early 1968. The music and lyrics are by Hal Hester and Danny Apolinar Lambert, Bruc"Hal Hester, 63; Helped ...

'', and as El Gallo in the First International Tour of ''

The Fantasticks ''The Fantasticks'' is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and book and lyrics by Tom Jones. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the 1894 play ''The Romancers'' (''Les Romanesques'') by Edmond Rostand, concerning two ne ...

'' in Japan. Willison has also performed on television, on the NBC soap opera ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that aired on the network NBC from November 8, 1965, to September 9, 2022; the soap has streamed n ...

'' and he starred in the 1976 NBC Saturday morning family sitcom, ''

McDuff, the Talking Dog McDuff, The Talking Dog was a Saturday morning live action television program that aired on NBC in 1976. The show centered on the ghost of a 100-year-old sheepdog who used to live in the home now owned by a veterinarian, Dr. Calvin Campbell (pla ...

''. His films include '' Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women'', ''

Harry and Walter Go To New York ''Harry and Walter Go to New York'' is a 1976 American period comedy film written by John Byrum and Robert Kaufman, directed by Mark Rydell, and starring James Caan, Elliott Gould, Michael Caine, Diane Keaton, Charles Durning and Lesley Ann War ...

'', ''

Fantasies Fantasy is a genre of fiction. Fantasy, Fantasie, or Fantasies may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Fantasia (music), a free-form musical composition * ''Fantasie'' (Widmann), a 1993 composition for solo clarinet by Jörg Widmann * ...

'', and with an All Star cast of theatrical legends in

Rick McKay Rick McKay (August 30, 1955 - January 29, 2018) was an American filmmaker, best known for his 2003 documentary '' Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There'' followed by 2021 Broadway: Beyond The Golden Age', and their soon-to-be-rele ...

's film ''Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age'' (2020). He starred in The Rattlestick Theater's streaming musical Gen Speak: Love Songs, and he is a guest star on the streaming TV series ''Sami'' starring

Cindy Williams Cynthia Jane Williams (August 22, 1947 – January 25, 2023) was an American actress. She is best known for her role as Shirley Feeney on the television sitcoms ''Happy Days'' (1975–1979), and ''Laverne & Shirley'' (1976–1982). She a ...

on Amazon Prime. Willison has directed productions around the United States, from San Diego's Old Globe Theater to Off-Broadway, and in cabarets and nightclubs. He conceived and directed ''Grand Hotel: The 25th Anniversary Reunion Concert'' starring

Liliane Montevecchi Liliane Dina Montevecchi (October 13, 1932 – June 29, 2018) was a French actress, dancer, and singer. She won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in the original Broadway production of '' Nine'', and was nominate ...

and members of the original Broadwat cast, at

54 Below 54 Below is a nonprofit cabaret and restaurant in the basement of Studio 54 in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Run by Broadway producers Steve Baruch, Richard Frankel, Marc Routh and Tom Viertel, 54 Below has hosted shows by such performer ...

in 2015, conceived, wrote and directed

Martin Charnin Martin Charnin (November 24, 1934 – July 6, 2019) was an American lyricist, writer, and theatre director. Charnin's best-known work is as conceiver, director, and lyricist of the musical '' Annie.'' Life and career Charnin was born in New Yor ...

's ''The 1977 Annie Christmas TV Special: Live in Concert'' costarring with Shelly Burch and members of the original Broadway and TV cast at

The Cutting Room The Cutting Room is a music venue in New York City that was open at 19 West 24th Street from late 1999 through January 2009 for music of all varieties, and reopened at the beginning of 2013 in a new location at 44 East 32nd Street. It was co-ow ...

, and ''Grand Hotel: The 30th Anniversary Celebration in Concert'', benefitting the Actors Fund, directing and costarring with Broadway cast members John Schneider and

Karen Akers Karen Akers (born October 13, 1945) is an American actress and singer, who has appeared on Broadway, and in cabaret and film. Early years Born on October 13, 1945, in New York City, Akers is the daughter of Heinrick C. Orth-Pallavicini, an i ...

, and

Sachi Parker Sachi Parker is an American actress who has film and television credits. Early life Parker is the daughter of actress Shirley MacLaine and businessman Steve Parker (1922–2001). MacLaine and her husband had an open marriage. At age two, Parker ...

in 2019. He came full circle when he conceived, directed and starred as Noah opposite

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

winner

Karen Ziemba Karen Ziemba (born November 12, 1957) is an American actress, singer and dancer, best known for her work in musical theatre. In 2000, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in '' Contact''. Biography Zie ...

in "Two By Two: The 50th Anniversary Virtual Concert" benefitting the Actors Fund, a streaming production of the musical which premiered on New Year's Day of 2021.

Awards

He received a

nomination and

Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945–1946 theatre se ...

for his

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

musical debut in

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers wa ...

' and

Biblical The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...

musical '' Two by Two''.IMDb Resume for Walter Willison (I)
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Notes

External links

* * * American male musical theatre actors American male stage actors Living people 1947 births {{US-theat-actor-stub