Happy Friday! This week we are highlighting the late Carol Channing. She was a dancer, actor, singer and comedian famous for her contributions to entertainment. She was born January 31, 1921, and passed January 15, 2019. She was born in Seattle, Washington to a mother of German and Jewish ancestry and a father of African and German ancestry.
Channing made her Broadway debut in 1942 in the musical Proof Through The Night. She would later go on to perform in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949) debuting the character Lorelei Lee. A few years later, Channing also debuted the famous Dolly Gallagher Levi, in the musical Hello, Dolly! (1964). In this musical, she received the Tony Award for best actress in a musical.
Aside from Broadway, Carol Channing made her way to television and filmed in Hollywood, among other projects. Her debut in film was her role in Paid in Full (1950). She even made an appearance in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), starring Julie Andrews. Channing also did voice-over work for several cartoons and films for children. She starred in multiple television specials as well. Carol was even the first celebrity to perform at a Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Carol Channing received a special Tony Award in 1968, as well as a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1995. In 1981, she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. The documentary detailing her life and journey of entertainment, Carol Channing: Larger than Life, was released in 2012.
Madelyn Rempel
Project RACE Teens, President
Photo Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Channing