TMTP mourns the loss of Broadway legend, Carol Channing. The star of Hello, Dolly!, who also had memorable roles in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and the 1967 film Thoroughly Modern Millie, was 97 years old. Upon hearing the news, TMTP Founding Director Bill Rudman shared some personal words about the leading lady.
“Seeing her on stage was amazing, but when you could be in her presence, you really understood what she was about. I interviewed her 20 years ago, and everything about her was larger than life — which was of course why Gower Champion hesitated to cast her as Dolly. She could pull back when she had to, but her total eccentricity was what we craved — and what inspired the young Tommy Tune. In a world bogged down in conventional behavior, Channing celebrated being totally Out There — (where, we didn’t always know!). She is irreplaceable.”