One of Broadway’s most distinct and original talents is Carol Channing. From her wide-eyed stare to her raspy voice, there has never quite been another performer like Ms. Channing. An expert at playing over-the-top comedy and delivering it with her own special brand of chutzpah, Channing left her indelible imprint two iconic characters of the Broadway musical theatre. Channing was born in 1921 and she is currently 97 years old, but her unforgettable persona continues to be one of the most impersonated and emulated on the Broadway musical divas. Today, we look back on the career of Carol Channing and celebrate her longevity and her talent.
Remembering A Little Night Music
By 1973, the combination of composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim and director Harold Prince had revolutionized Broadway with two compelling musicals, both featuring non-linear storytelling and taking a brutally honest look at life, its trials and tribulations, and everything in-between. Those musicals were (of course) Company and Follies. For their next Broadway outing, Sondheim and Prince would venture into less groundbreaking territory structurally, but with no less artistry and impact.
Remembering Allegro: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Great Experiment
Rodgers and Hammerstein changed the face of musical theatre with their groundbreaking Oklahoma! in 1943, and followed it up with their masterpiece Carousel in 1945. Both were big hits in their day, but more importantly, they secured the duo as the most influential composing team of the 1940s, with their structure and style carrying well into the 1960s and inspiring others to write musicals in a similar vein. With the security of ticket sales bolstering their future, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s next musical would be a bold step, an experiment that would stretch the form of Broadway musicals in a way that was decades ahead of its time. That was the 1947 musical Allegro.
A First Raitt Musical: The Broadway Career of John Raitt
One of the Golden Age of Musical Theatre’s signature leading men was John Raitt. Possessing a rich, powerful singing voice (a golden baritione), good looks, and a touch of bravado, Raitt starred in two Broadway musicals that would be enormous successes in their day. John Raitt wasn’t immune to the occasional flop, and he certainly wasn’t the star of a multitude of musicals. He was, however, a personality as much as he was a performer, and today I take a look back at the career of John Raitt and revisit the shows he starred in on Broadway.