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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 16 January 2019
Broadway mourns death of 'Hello, Dolly!' icon Carol Channing

By MARK KENNEDY Channing. She was a 'Dol-
Associated Press ly' for the ages, and a true
NEW YORK (AP) — Carol icon of the American the-
Channing, the lanky, ebul- ater. Betty Buckley and the
lient musical comedy star cast will dedicate tonight's
who delighted American performance in San Diego
audiences over 5,000 per- to her memory."
formances as the scheming Channing had two early
Dolly Levi in "Hello, Dolly!" marriages that ended in
on Broadway and beyond, divorce — to novelist Theo-
has died. She was 97. dore Naidish and pro foot-
Publicist B. Harlan Boll said baller Alexander Carson,
Channing died of natural father of her only child,
causes at 12:31 a.m. Tues- Channing. Her son be-
day in Rancho Mirage, came a successful political
California. Boll says she had cartoonist.
twice suffered strokes in the In 1956 she married a tele-
last year. vision producer, Charles
Besides "Hello, Dolly!," Lowe, who seemed like the
Channing starred in other perfect mate for a major
Broadway shows, but none star. He adopted Chan-
with equal magnetism. She ning's son and supervised
often appeared on tele- every aspect of her business
vision and in nightclubs, affairs and appearances.
for a time partnering with He reportedly viewed ev-
George Burns in Las Vegas ery one of her performanc-
and a national tour. es from out front, leading
Her outsized personality This Feb. 24, 1982 file photo shows actress Carol Channing at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. the applause.
seemed too much for the Associated Press After 41 years of marriage,
screen, and she made only want that silly grin with all who do that are happier musical "Gentlemen Prefer she sued for divorce in
a few movies, notably "The those teeth that go back people." Blondes," her stardom was 1998, alleging that he mis-
First Traveling Saleslady" to your ears." Even though While majoring in drama assured. One reviewer re- appropriated her funds
with Ginger Rogers and director Gower Champion and dance at Bennington ported she "hurls across the and humiliated her in pub-
"Thoroughly Modern Millie" had worked on her first College in Vermont, she footlights in broad strokes lic. She remarked that they
with Julie Andrews. Broadway hit, "Lend an was sent off to get experi- of pantomime and bold, only had sex twice in four
Over the years, Channing Ear," he had doubts about ence in her chosen field. certain, exquisitely comi- decades.
continued as Dolly in na- Channing's casting. She found a job in a New cal gestures." The show's "The only thing about con-
tional tours, the last in 1996, She wowed them in an au- York revue. The show last- hit song, "Diamonds Are a trol freak victims is that they
when she was in her 70s. dition and was hired on the ed only two weeks, but a Girl's Best Friend," became don't know who they are,"
Tom Shales of The Wash- spot. At opening night on New Yorker magazine critic her signature number. she told The Washington
ington Post called her "the Jan. 16, 1964, when Chan- commented, "You will hear Over and over again she Post. "It's taken me 77 years
ninth wonder of the world." ning appeared at the top more about a satiric chan- returned to the surefire "Hel- to figure that out. I was mis-
Messages of love and ap- of the stairs in a red gown teuse named Carol Chan- lo, Dolly!," which earned erable. I was unhappy. And
preciation lit up Twitter with feathers in her hair and ning." She said later: "That her $5 million on one tour. I didn't realize it wasn't my
early Tuesday, with the walked down the red car- was it. I said goodbye to She considered Dolly Levi fault. But I'm going to sur-
League of Professional The- pet to the Harmonia Gar- trigonometry, zoology and "a role as deep as Lady vive. I'm going to live. I'm
atre Women saying Chan- dens restaurant, the New English literature." Macbeth," but added that free."
ning "was a gift of inspira- York audience went crazy. For several years she "the essence of her charac- Lowe died after a stroke in
tion to so many." Fans who The critics followed suit. worked as an understudy, ter was her unquenchable 1999. Channing moved to
saw her work also took to "Hello, Dolly!" collected 10 bit player and nightclub thirst for life." That descrip- Rancho Mirage near Palm
social media, calling her a Tony Awards, including one impressionist, taking jobs tion fit Carol Channing, Springs, California, in 2000
"firecracker" and saying she for Channing as best ac- as a model, reception- who attributed her sunny to write her memoirs. She
was "matchmaking for the tress in a musical. ist and sales clerk during optimism to her lifelong called the book "Just Lucky,
angels now." Channing was born Jan. lean times. Landing in Los faith in Christian Science. I Guess."
Channing was not the im- 31, 1921, in Seattle, where Angeles, she auditioned Others who have played Channing remarried in 2003
mediate choice to play her father, George Chan- for Marge Champion, the role include Pearl Bai- to Harry Kullijian, her child-
Dolly, a matchmaker ning, was a newspaper edi- wife and dance partner ley, Phyllis Diller, Betty Gra- hood sweetheart from 70
who receives her tough- tor. When his only child was of Gower Champion who ble, Ethel Merman, Mar- years before. He died in
est challenge yet when 3 months old, he moved to was putting together a re- tha Raye, Ginger Rogers 2011.
a rich grump seeks a suit- San Francisco and worked vue, "Lend an Ear." Marge and Barbra Streisand, who In her book, Channing re-
able wife. The show, which as a writer for The Christian Champion recalled: "She played Dolly in a 1969 film counted an early story from
features a rousing score by Science Monitor and as a certainly was awkward version directed by Gene her childhood that showed
Jerry Herman that's bursting lecturer. He later became and odd-looking, but her Kelly. Bette Midler won a a budding audience-
with joy and tunes like "Put editor-in-chief of Christian warmth and wholesome- Tony Award in the role in pleasing performer. She
On Your Sunday Clothes," Science publications. ness came through." 2017 and a current national wrote that she came home
''Before the Parade Passes At the age of 7, Channing Channing was the hit of tour stars Betty Buckley. from kindergarten and not-
By" and "It Only Takes a Mo- decided she wanted to be- "Lend an Ear" in a small The tour of "Hello, Dolly!" ed that all the little girls hit
ment," is a musical version come an entertainer. She Hollywood theater, and said Tuesday it would honor the little boys.
of Thornton Wilder's play credited her father with en- she captivated audiences Channing at its current stop Her parents asked: "Do
"The Matchmaker." couraging her: "He told me and critics when the show in California. "We are deep- you?"
Theater producer David you can dedicate your life moved to New York. As the ly saddened by the passing She responded: "Oh no, I
Merrick told her: "I don't at 7 or 97. And the people innocent gold digger in the of the one and only Carol pet them."q