Carol Channing to cruise into Hawai'i

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Carol Channing, the husky-voiced singer-actress with the huge eyes, equally large mouth and a head of poofy blond hair (a wig), will bring her one-woman show of memories and music to the Hawai'i Theatre next month.

Carol Channing, perhaps best known for her role as Dolly Gallagher Levi in Broadway's "Hello, Dolly!," will perform songs and stories from her career at the Hawai'i Theatre Jan. 28 and 29. Advertiser library photo

Channing turns 84 on Jan. 31. This will be her second Hawai'i appearance. She previously starred in "Hello, Dolly!," the role she is most associated with, at Blaisdell Concert Hall in August 1983. Her Dolly Gallagher Levi role earned her a 1964 Tony Award; the show earned 10 Tonys.

Channing is also known for her Lorelei Lee creation in her first Broadway show in 1949, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," which became a vehicle for stardom for Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 film version.

Her charismatic 90-minute production adheres to an unplugged format, wherein she couples her conversational stories with songs that have been attached to her career, ranging from "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" to "Hello, Dolly!" She last performed on Broadway in a 1995 revival of the Jerry Herman musical. That year, she also earned a Lifetime Achievement Tony.

Tickets for her performance are $50 and $35 and go on sale tomorrow at the box office. Reservations may be made at 528-0506 or online at www.hawaiitheatre.com; senior discounts available.

Channing's Hawai'i engagement corresponds with a trans-Pacific cruise she is making in January, from California to the Islands. She will be performing on the ship.

Her nautical credit has led to a tie-in with the Hawaii Opera Theatre, which is staging "The Flying Dutchman," beginning Jan. 28, at Blaisdell Concert Hall.

Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, or fax 525-8055.