Comediennes: Carol Channing

Carol Channing (1921-2019) was a Broadway leading lady known for her eccentric public persona, sharp comedic timing, and unique gravelly singing voice. Her starring roles in the musicals “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “Hello, Dolly!” cemented her as a stage legend. 

For Further Reading:

• Carol Channing Dies at 97; a Larger-Than-Life Broadway Star - The New York Times 
• Carol Channing - Turner Classic Movies 
• Carol Channing: Larger than Life

This month, we’re talking about comediennes — women throughout history who have made us laugh. They transgressed societal norms through comedy and often spoke out against injustice using their sharp wit.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more.  Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures. 

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, and Abbey Delk. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. 

Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.

Follow Wonder Media Network:

• Website
• Instagram
• Twitter

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello from Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
is Womanica this month for talking about comedian ends women
throughout history who've made us laugh. They transgressed societal norms
through comedy and often spoke out against injustice using their
sharp wit. Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend. Audiences have

(00:23):
long associated the phrase and the cheeky song that goes
with it with Hollywood's Marilyn Monroe. The diamonds ologers be string,
But before there was Marilyn, there was Carol Channing. Bud
square cutter, pear shape. These rocks don't do their show.
Diamonds are girls bes friend. The Broadway performer became a

(00:45):
legend in the making when she starred in the musical
Gentlemen Prefer Blondese in nineteen forty nine. That role launched
a lifelong career on stage, dazzling theatergoers with her comedic timing,
deep raspy voice, and infectious energy. Please Welcome Carol Channing.
Carol was born on January thirty first, nineteen twenty one,

(01:07):
in Seattle, Washington. She grew up in San Francisco as
an only child. Carol's mother later revealed to her that
her father, a newspaperman and Christian science lecturer, was actually
part black. Carol kept her racial background a secret for
most of her life, worrying that it could hurt her
chances for stardom. Carol knew she wanted to perform from

(01:29):
a young age. As a seven year old, she ran
for class secretary at her elementary school. When she couldn't
come up with a good speech to convince her peers
to vote for her, she started doing impressions of her teachers.
She received riotous applause and laughter and won the election.
After graduating high school, Carol studied dance and drama at

(01:50):
Bennington College in Vermont. From there, she set her sights
on the Marquee lights of Broadway in New York City.
She arrived in the early nineteen forties and started off
performing impressions of stars like Sophie Tucker and Tulula Bankhead
at the Greenwich Village Club. She also earned small chorus
and understudy parts in various musicals. Her first big break

(02:13):
came in nineteen forty eight when she was cast in
the Broadway review Lendon Ear. She played multiple characters during
the show, including a French film star and a nineteen
twenties flapper. Her performance was well received and caught the
attention of two producers who were working on a new project,
a musical called Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. They offered Carol the

(02:35):
lead the scheming blonde from Little Rock Lorelei Lee. The
show opened in nineteen forty nine to rave reviews. Don't
you understand yet? Aving to you, but I'm in the
mind because gentlemen prefer blonde like me? What am I
to do if they keep on preferring? Carol had a

(02:58):
larger than life persona on stage and an uncanny ability
to work the crowd and get a laugh. Time magazine
wrote of her performance, perhaps once in a decade, a
nova explodes above the Great White Way, with enough brilliance
to re illumine the whole gaudy legend of show business.
Gentlemen Prefer Blonde ran for almost two years on Broadway

(03:19):
before it toured the country, with Carol still playing the lead.
She later starred in a spin off musical called Lorelei
in nineteen seventy four. That performance earned her a Tony nomination.
But Carol is even better remembered for originating the role
of Dolly Gallagher Levi and Hello Dolly. The musical opened
in January of nineteen sixty four and was an instant hit.

(03:45):
No Carol's shown as the matchmaker Dolly, who spends the
show scheming to marry a wealthy client. The performance cemented
her as a living legend. The show went on to
win ten Tony Awards, including Carol's win for Best Actress

(04:05):
in a Musicalry Well, Hell, It's so nice to be
back home. Well. Throughout her career, she went on as
Dolly in more than forty five hundred performances. Carol's Dolly

(04:29):
was so iconic that when Lyndon B. Johnson was running
for president, the campaign tapped her to sing a parody
version of the show's titular song called Hello Lyndon. Carol
appeared in various films beginning in the nineteen fifties. She
earned a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination for
her role in the nineteen sixty seven film Thoroughly Modern Millie,
starring alongside Julie Andrews. Carol also released musical albums, including

(04:55):
twenty records made for children. She also did voiceover work
for children's films and cartoons, she never seemed to slow down.
When she was in her seventies, Carol told a reporter
Shirley Temple peaked at seven, I haven't gotten myself together yet.
She continued to perform well into her nineties. By the

(05:16):
time she reached old age, Carol was beloved not only
for her Broadway roles, but also for her charismatic and
zany persona. As a public figure, she appeared on various
celebrity game show panels, variety specials, and award shows. Always recognizable,
the deva liked to sport huge eyelashes and big tousled wigs.

(05:37):
This over the top image and deep, gravelly voice made
her a favorite among impersonators, caricaturists, and drag queens. Carol
died on January fifteenth, twenty nineteen, at the age of
ninety seven. By then she had earned three Tonies, including
a Lifetime Achievement Award. On the day after her death,

(05:57):
the lights on Broadway were dimmed, an honor reserved for
the brightest and most beloved Broadway stars. All month, We're
talking about Comedians. For more information, find us on Facebook
and Instagram at Wamanica podcast special Thanks to Liz Kaplan,
my favorite sister and co creator. Talk to you tomorrow.