In 1954 Atkinson returned to Broadway to star as Clyde Hallam in the original cast of Sigmund Romberg's "The Girl in Pink Tights". In 1955 he starred opposite Carol Channing in the original Broadway production of John La Touche's "The Vamp". In 1956 he portrayed two roles in musical revivals mounted by the NYCO at Lincoln Center: Frederick C. Graham to Kitty Carlisle's Lilli Vanessi in Cole Porter's "Kiss Me, Kate" and Gaylord Ravenal in Jerome Kern's "Show Boat". He returned to Lincoln Center in 1957 to perform the role of Tommy Albright in the NYCO's revival of Lerner and Loewe's "Brigadoon" which then moved to the Adelphi Theatre on Broadway. That same year he portrayed Jack Worthing in "Who's Earnest?", a musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" which was broadcast on the television program "The United States Steel Hour". In 1958 he created the role of Doctor Gregg in the world premiere of Douglas Moore's opera "Gallantry" at the now-destroyed Brander Matthews Theater on 117th Street. He was also seen at Lincoln Center in 1958 as Frank Butler in the NYCO's revival of "Annie Get Your Gun" and as Lieutenant Henry Lukash in the world premiere of Robert Kurka's opera "The Good Soldier Schweik". He also portrayed the role of Billy to Jan Clayton's Julie and Ruth Kobart's Nettie in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel" in a production at the Brussels World’s Fair. In 1959 he starred at the NYCO in a revival of "Say, Darling" and as Pantaloon in the world premiere of Robert Ward's "He Who Gets Slapped" with Norman Kelley as Count Mancini and Regina Sarfaty as Zinida. Also in 1959, he appeared in the San Francisco Light Opera Company's production of "At the Grand", as the Judge in a revival of "Can-Can" in Central Park, and appeared as Count Danilo Danilovitsch in a made for television production of Franz Lehár's "The Merry Widow" for CBC Television.