Legendary Broadway actress, Carol Channing, has died at 97

[BetteDavisEyes]

Carol Channing, legendary Broadway actress, dies at 97

The raspy-voice, wide-eyed actress made a name for herself starring in the Broadway musicals "Hello, Dolly!" and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."

Although much of Channing's career was spent on Broadway, she won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Muzzy Van Hossmere in 1967's "Thoroughly Modern Millie."

Born in Seattle, Washington, in on Jan. 31, 1921, Channing got her start in New York's theater scene in 1941's "No For an Answer," according to Playbill. The following year she debuted on Broadway as a member of the cast of "Proof Through the Night," Playbill reported...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Broadway legend Carol Channing has died at age 97

Rancho Mirage, Calif. – Carol Channing, the lanky, ebullient musical comedy star who delighted American audiences over almost 5,000 performances as the scheming Dolly Levi in “Hello, Dolly” on Broadway and beyond, has died. She was 97.

Publicist B. Harlan Boll said Channing died of natural causes at 12:31 a.m. Tuesday in Rancho Mirage, California. Boll says she had twice suffered strokes in the last year.

Besides “Hello, Dolly,” Channing starred in other Broadway shows, but none with equal magnetism. She often appeared on television and in nightclubs, for a time partnering with George Burns in Las Vegas and a national tour...

 

[JerseyGirl]

Carol Channing visited my elementary school in the early 70s. I don't know what her connection was to the school (will have to look it up) but I remember prior to her arrival everyone had to learn the words to "Hello Dolly" and sang it in the auditorium when she arrived.


RIP Carol

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

https://www.biography.com/news/carol-channing-obituary

Broadway said “Goodbye, Dolly” to a favorite performer and lost one of its most distinctive personalities when Carol Channing, the original Lorelei Lee and Dolly Levi, passed away from natural causes on January 15, 2019, at her home in Rancho Mirage, California. Channing was the last in a long line of stage clowns who found the perfect role and stuck with it. With her saucer eyes, yard-wide smile, tornado of cotton-candy hair, and flexible voice which could go from a gravelly bass to a child-like squeak, she always played a variation on the dumb-like-a-fox blonde, manipulating every situation to her advantage. She first gained fame as the avaricious but charming Lorelei in the musical version of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1949, but she assumed theater royalty status as the titular matchmaker in Hello, Dolly! in 1964, returning to the role many times including Broadway revivals in 1978 and 1995. Like Rex Harrison with Henry Higgins, Zero Mostel with Tevye, and Yul Brynner with the King of Siam, she became forever identified with the role...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Carol Channing, star of Broadway's 'Hello Dolly!' dies at 97

'Hello Dolly!' won her a Tony Award in 1964

 

[Herat]

Carol Channing was a Thoroughly Modern Woman

I LOVED her performance in that movie and any time she was ever on TV. She truly sparkled like diamonds

She was so - fantastic and yet relateable.

What a most unique person! RIP Carol and condolences to all her fans, friend, family all over the world that she made so good with her darling sparkling personality.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

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