BROADWAY THEATRES TO DIM LIGHTS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2019
AT 7:45 PM
IN MEMORY OF
Theatrical Legend
CAROL CHANNING
New York, NY -- January 15, 2019 -- The Broadway community mourns the loss of Carol Channing, a Tony Award® winner and theatrical legend, who passed away on Tuesday, January 15 at age 97. To commemorate her life and work, the Committee of Theatre Owners will dim the lights of Broadway theatres in New York for one minute on Wednesday, January 16 at exactly 7:45pm.
On Broadway Ms. Channing appeared in: Hello, Dolly! (1995 Revival), Hello, Dolly! (1978 Revival), Lorelei (1974), Four on a Garden (1971), Hello, Dolly! (1964), Show Girl (1961), The Vamp (1955), Wonderful Town (1953), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949), Lend an Ear (1948), Proof Thro' the Night (1942), and Let's Face It! (1941). She was in the original tour of Hello, Dolly! (1965) and played the role of Dolly Gallagher Levi over 4,500 times in her career. She also appeared in major touring productions including: Hello, Dolly! (1994 Revival), Legends! (1986), Jerry's Girls (1984), Hello, Dolly! (1983 Revival), Sugar Babies (1980), Hello, Dolly! (1977 Revival), Wonderful Town (1954), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1951).
“Carol Channing personified everything we love about American musical comedy: big, funny and joyous. To see her hold an audience in her thrall was a master class in star power,” said Thomas Schumacher, Chairman of The Broadway League. “Hello, Dolly! opened 55 years ago tomorrow. She always was famous for her timing.”
Winner of the 1964 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Hello, Dolly!, she received a special Tony Award in 1968 and a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1995. She received Tony Award nominations for her performances in 1974 for Lorelei, 1961 for Show Girl, and 1956 for The Vamp. In 1968 she was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Thoroughly Modern Millie and won Golden Globe Award for Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for that performance. Other awards include the Broadway League Distinguished Lifetime Service Award for Touring Broadway (1998), a special Outer Critics Award (1996), Theatre World Award (1949), and she was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (2002).
Some of Ms. Channing’s extensive film and television credits include: “The Addams Family,” “Where's Waldo?,” “The Love Boat,” “The Muppet Show,” “Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,” Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Skidoo, and Thoroughly Modern Millie among many others. She was a frequent guest on programs such as “The Hollywood Squares,” “Super Password,” “The Bob Braun Show,” “The Mike Douglas Show,” “The Merv Griffin Show,” “The Ed Sullivan Show,” “The Joey Bishop Show,” “What's My Line?,” “I've Got a Secret,” “Password All-Stars,” and “The Jack Paar Tonight Show,” plus many, many more guest appearances, concerts, and performances.
Her full Broadway biography can be found on the Internet Broadway Database.
# # #
THE BROADWAY LEAGUE (Charlotte St. Martin, President), founded in 1930, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League’s 700-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers who present in nearly 200 markets in North America. Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U.S. and Canada. The Broadway League has recently added a new category for International membership to collaborate with professionals from around the world who produce and present Broadway quality theatre. The Broadway League annually co-presents the Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards®, one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry.
Key League programs and resources include: Kids’ Night on Broadway®, The Jimmy Awards®, Stars in the Alley®, Internet Broadway Database® (ibdb.com), Broadway.org, SpotlightonBroadway.com, Commercial Theater Institute (with TDF), as well as numerous conferences and forums for our members. Broadway Bridges®, with the support of the New York City Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers, is aimed at giving every New York City public high school student the opportunity to see a Broadway show before graduation. TheatreAccessNYC (co-produced with TDF) is the one-stop website of accessible Broadway performances for theatregoers with disabilities. Families.Broadway is the League’s site for family friendly offers and pricing. Broadway.org is the League’s official on-line headquarters for Broadway in NYC, on tour, and internationally.
For more information visit BroadwayLeague.com or follow @BroadwayLeague on Twitter and visit us at Facebook.com/BroadwayLeague. Follow @Broadway on Instagram for more Broadway content.
Broadway theatres are filled with an exciting array of new and classic musicals and plays, providing the perfect experience for every audience. Great seats are available at every price point and are easy to buy online, by phone, or in person at theatre box offices. It’s always the perfect time to see a show. Broadway performs every day of the week at multiple curtain times to accommodate every schedule.
Photo credit: Carol with Diamonds taken by Michael Davis, courtesy of the Carol Channing Archives