How many 90-year-old divas do you know that can still get on stage and sing and dance? (Besides that drag queen still getting up on the piano at the bar down the street.)
We only hope we’re as agile and sharp as Broadway icon Carol Channing when we reach her age.
Famous for her starring, Tony Award-winning role in Hello, Dolly!, Channing has been an entertainment staple for decades. And along with that omnipresence and over-the-top personality, she gained a huge gay following.
In the new documentary out today in select markets, Carol Channing: Larger than Life, we’re treated to an in-depth look at how her career began and why she’s managed to endure all these years.
Filled with plenty of vintage clips from television variety shows and various stage performances, it’s a peak into old-school Broadway and the birth of TV as a way to reach mass audiences.
There are interviews with tons of gay faves like Bruch Vilanch, Lily Tomlin, Chita Rivera, Barbara Walters, Tyne Daly, Debbie Reynolds, Phyllis Diller, Loni Anderson and JoAnne Worley to give a different perspective on her long career.
The film’s a love letter to a legend and a fascinating glimpse into the making of a Broadway hit, which makes it perfect as a primer leading up to NBC’s new making-of-a-hit drama, Smash. With any luck, they’ll get Channing to guest star.
And after watching this film, this is one lady to whom we never want to say goodbye.
In select theaters today
www.carolchanningthemovie.com
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Carol Channing: Larger Than Life from Davenport Theatrical on Vimeo.
