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| Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Last Edit: DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| Here's Carol & Co from Dallas during her last Hello, Dolly! tour. I assume this is from some type of reel created for local media. The real treat is Carol's not-too-brief speech at the curtain. I missed my chance to see Carol in Dolly. The night my family had tickets for this tour's stop in San Diego happened to be the night Carol decided to fly to NY to receive a lifetime Tony Award. As I recall it was a last minute decision as hundreds of audience members got refunds and left. I'm glad my family decided to stay. We got the entire mezzanine to ourselves and got to see the wonderful Florence Lacey play Dolly. Of course, I'm sad I never got to see Carol, though. I have a feeling she gave a very similar speech to this Dallas one at every stop? | |
| Link | Carol in Dallas |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: Circlevet 12:33 am EST 02/10/21 | |
| In reply to: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| She pretty much always did curtain speeches in whatever show she was doing. Her connection with the audience was incredible. I first saw Dolly in 1964 at the St James and was sitting about as far from the stage as you could possibly get---the last seat at the far right of the top row of the balcony. As the curtain came down after the curtain call she waved at the audience bending down as the curtain descended and I truly felt she was waving directly at me. | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: pecansforall 06:10 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| Looks like she was doing curtain speeches when she was in SHOW GIRL too. | |
| Link | SHOW GIRL curtain speech |
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| How fascinating | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 06:41 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - pecansforall 06:10 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
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| I had no idea pay per view TV had a history dating back to the 50s and 60s and that Carol Channing was at the forefront of it all! | |
| Link | More about the Telemeter |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: Pjayactor 05:26 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| I saw it five times and we just stood there and smiled the whole time. I found it magical to watch her weave a web around the audience. Someone in another post mentioned her husband, Charles. They may have not had a good marriage, but he helped make her career. Because of him, she was the best at knowing things about every town the played...and doing local tv and radio if at all possible. Her husband, Harry, was a sweet man and the love of her life. He was her husband, not her manager. I think the world of Carol. There will never be another like her. |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: young-walsingham 03:47 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| I only saw Carol Channing on stage once, Hello Dolly on Broadway in 1995. I really enjoyed seeing her in her signature role, BUT. A man at the front of the stalls kept jumping up and screaming every time she came on. In the interval the gent in the seat next to me (who had seen this production several times) told me it was her husband and he often behaved like that. It didn't help the show. | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: larry13 04:16 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - young-walsingham 03:47 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
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| In 1995, Channing was still married to her third husband, Charles Lowe, who was also her manager and publicist. Which might explain--but not excuse--the deplorable behavior you describe. She didn't decide to leave him--for reasons for far beyond these actions--until her career was basically over. | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: NewsGuy 02:37 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| Yes. Saw it on tour in Indianapolis and then again in Champaign, IL. It was peculiar how well she did with really talking about her familiarities with Champaign-Urbana (as I'm sure they were fed to her) and the Champaign stop was only for two shows in the bus-and-truck mode rather than a week long sit down somewhere. She talked as if she had spent a lot of time there, as I can remember. |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: larry13 03:44 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - NewsGuy 02:37 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
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| She WAS--and I mean this as a compliment--a superb actress. | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: NewsGuy 09:15 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - larry13 03:44 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
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| Absolutely agree. One of my regrets in life was not buying tickets for the second show in Champaign. I scored 5th row center for the one I did see. It was amazing. |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: andPeggy 12:13 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| Saw this tour in Boston twice. She gave the same speech both times I saw it. Got lost in the same spots. And we all loved it and her. Very scripted but not at all canned. | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: EmeraldAisle 10:48 am EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| When I saw her as a high school age kid in Boston on the 78 Dolly tour she gave a wonderful curtain speech. I felt so lucky. She helped delay that moment when you have loved a show so much that you can’t bear to leave the theater. I remember excitedly telling an old theater pro years later about it and he said she did that after every show. | |
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| I remember seeing the tour in 78 for $5 in Boston - | |
| Posted by: crewbway 12:59 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - EmeraldAisle 10:48 am EST 02/09/21 | |
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| We got a special discounted college rate of $5 for the balcony. When no none was looking, I made it down to the 5th row of the orchestra! And yes, she did a curtain speech and talked about the Houston Opera Company, who I think sponsored the tour. She asked if anyone saw their production of Porgy and Bess....I applauded and she asked me if I liked it. Nice memory.... |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 09:48 am EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| I saw her last revival of HELLO, DOLLY! during its Broadway run at the Lunt-Fontanne. In those days PLAYBILL published a free Broadway Theatre Guide that was given out in box offices and hotels and was basically an ABC listing of all the shows playing on Broadway and gave information like theatre, address, performance schedule...and the running time. I always took note of the running time because I didn't live in the city then and usually was trying to squeeze in more than one show in a day and still make it to a bus or train to return home. Anyway, when we saw HELLO, DOLLY!, I'd taken note of the running time, as usual, and noted, as the lights came up after Channing's lengthy curtain speech, that the speech had been included in the running time and the lights were coming up the moment that the Broadway Theatre Guide said they would. My guess is that the curtain speech was as frozen in amber as the rest of the performance that day. |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: richmurphy 09:19 am EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| I was part of the audience during her final tour of HELLO DOLLY at the Kennedy Center in DC. There, she also memorably commented on our familiar aroma. | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: raydan 12:14 am EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| I never saw Carol but I did see Pearlie Mae and her ‘after show speech’ was an almost ‘second show’. Hilarious and fabulous. | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: icecadet 02:26 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - raydan 12:14 am EST 02/09/21 | |
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| Pearlie Mae and her ‘after show speech’ was an almost ‘second show’. But, as time went on, Equity ruled (after numerous complaints) that the cast no longer had to dress the set while she did her one-woman show. A show which was, indeed, "hilarious and fabulous." I recall her referring to the date she joined the show as the time "David started giving me a little change." |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: FleetStreetBarber 11:53 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
| In reply to: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| Carol gave a similar curtain speech the night I saw the show on Broadway in 1994, but all I really remember is her phrasing of Manny Kladitis's name. Nearly 30 years earlier, when I saw the show for the first time, Ginger Rogers told us we were the best audience she'd ever had. Then I found out she said that to every audience. | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: sirpupnyc 11:48 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
| In reply to: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| I don't remember a speech in Bloomington, IN, but I guess that doesn't mean it didn't happen. I can't actually recall anything other than I did see the show, but something like that might have stuck with me. | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: dlittle 10:41 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
| In reply to: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - DistantDrumming 10:10 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| I saw her do a similar speech in Pittsburgh (before this revival went to Broadway) and in Birmingham (after this revival left Broadway), so I would imagine the answer to your question is “yes.” I was disappointed to hear it the second time, even though I knew it was scripted. I wanted to think that she especially wanted to visit my beloved hometown of Pittsburgh. It’s still kind of charming though. | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: JohnDunlop 10:52 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - dlittle 10:41 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| Carol did talk to select audience in Boston after performances of "Legends." | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: huskyital (huskyital@yahoo.com) 10:56 am EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - JohnDunlop 10:52 pm EST 02/08/21 | |
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| I saw the original production in 1964....no curtain speech but it was a matinee in April and there were 14 curtain calls.....I have never seen anything like it......Carol Channing will never be forgotten by those who had the privilege of seeing her. | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: chrismpls 11:28 am EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - huskyital 10:56 am EST 02/09/21 | |
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| She gave a similar one in '83 in Chicago. Delightful. | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Last Edit: altonido 03:26 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
| Posted by: altonido 03:25 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - chrismpls 11:28 am EST 02/09/21 | |
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| Here's Carol giving a similar speech in this news footage from her 1983 "Dolly!" tour, in her home town of San Francisco. And there's a special guest in the audience. Go to 6:10 in the link below: | |
| Link | Carol Channing "Dolly!" curtain speech '83 |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: JohnDunlop 12:16 am EST 02/10/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - altonido 03:25 pm EST 02/09/21 | |
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| I wonder what the special guest thought about her curtain speech? | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: dbdbdb 11:50 am EST 02/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - chrismpls 11:28 am EST 02/09/21 | |
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| I saw her three times, between 1973 (Lorelei) and 1995 (Dolly), and she always gave a speech. In 1980, she was in Boston with Robert Morse doing the tour of Sugar Babies. She came downstage to talk about how "Bobby and I" were thrilled to be seeing America with the show. Actually, Bobby, who was standing way upstage with the rest of the company, didn't look a bit thrilled. | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 01:10 am EST 02/10/21 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 01:09 am EST 02/10/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - dbdbdb 11:50 am EST 02/09/21 | |
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| He was probably still upset that he was billed below the title. As a Tony winner with as much stage time in that show as the female lead, I don't know if his agent was bad or if Carol's was better. | |
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| re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? | |
| Posted by: dbdbdb 11:19 am EST 02/10/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Did Carol Channing Always Give Curtain Speeches Like This? - PlayWiz 01:09 am EST 02/10/21 | |
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| At the time, I felt that the production had been turned into The Carol Channing Show, with Morse very much in the role of second banana. It didn't make much sense; burlesque comedy was all about the men. In any case, Morse didn't seem too happy about being there. I do treasure the memory of Channing singing "I'm in the Mood for Love," with birds flying in and landing over her. | |
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