Mondays on Memory Lane: PLEASE HELP GIVE CAROL CHANNING A 2013 KENNEDY CENTER AWARD
Mondays on Memory Lane: PLEASE HELP GIVE CAROL CHANNING A 2013 KENNEDY CENTER AWARD – If you are of a certain age, or you know your entertainment history, there are certain voices that on first note you recognize instantly. The Brooklyn of Jimmy Durante, the heart of Louis Armstrong, the belt of Ethel Merman, the breathiness Marilyn Monroe, the growl of Eartha Kitt, the shaky quality of Katherine Hepburn, the accent of Marlene Dietrich, the staccato speech pattern Bette Davis and above all the big hearted gravely “hello” of Carol Channing!
Carol is larger than life, she is a living caricature of herself, a favorite of the best caricature artist of all time Al Hirschfeld. She is also living Broadway history having created two of the most iconic characters in theater history, Lorelei Lee of ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ and Dolly Levi of ‘Hello Dolly’. No matter who you remember playing these characters on screen, Marilyn Monroe or Streisand – Carol originated them! But above all, there is no other creation like Carol herself. You fall in love with her the moment you set eyes on her.
At age 92, nothing has changed, her saucer eyes, her broad grin, that bowl cut hair style, the platinum blonde hair, that child-like enthusiasm with a heart of gold and above all, above all – that voice! I have had the thrill of seeing her on stage many times in my lifetime: 3 times as Dolly in 1970, 1978 and 1995. Once as Lorelei Lee the ultimate diamond loving gold digger the 1974’s ‘Lorelei’, the musical stage version of ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’. In film she will be forever remembered as Muzzy Van Hossmere in Julie Andrews’ ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ as Carol sang in a vocal range from a high ‘C’ to the lowest note possible in ‘I’m Just A Jazz Baby’ and ‘Raspberries!’
On April 30, 2011, my good friend Jeffrey Shonert and I had the thrilling absolute surreal honor of sitting in front of Carol Channing and her late husband Harry Kullijian at the premier of her life story documentary “Larger Than Life” at the Tribeca Film Festival here in New York. This was thanks to the larger than life heart and love of my dear friend, entertainer and author Richard Skipper. As the film ran I could hear Carol commenting on the film to her husband – two Carol voices at once – surreal!! Richard, I am forever indebted to you!
Once a year The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C hands out lifetime achievement awards to the greats of entertainment. Since their inception in 1978, in all this time, Carol Channing has never been honored. How they have overlooked and bypassed this legend is a travesty and embarrassment. What to me makes it worse, last year seemingly having run out of names to give it to, they gave it to mad magazine poster child David Letterman. How throwing watermelons off a roof while stupidly grinning into the camera merits a lifetime achievement award over the life’s work of Carol Channing is beyond me! She has entertained us since the 1940’s, has worked tirelessly for Arts In Education. She IS theater!
My dear friend Richard Skipper, personal friend of Carol Channing, is championing the cause to finally having Carol be given her due. PLEASE, if you love Carol, are a friend of mine or just a show biz lover, please sign the enclosed petition to correct this unjust oversight and GIVE CAROL CHANNING THE 2013 KENNEDY CENTER HONOR ! Please sign the petition here: http://www.change.org/petitions/the-kennedy-center-honors-give-carol-channing-a-2013-kennedy-center-honor
Thank you !
Hans Von Rittern
The trailer for ‘Larger Than Life’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ_aQMAP5xM
Two of the biggest hearts in show business, both Hello Dolly’s themselves – Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey = priceless! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcazoYIRIoo
Richard Skipper’s blog http://richardskipper.blogspot.com/2011/08/carol-channing-deserves-2011-kennedy.html
Past Kennedy Center honorees http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/specialevents/honors/history.cfm
Photo of the day: CONFUSED SMURF FOUND WANDERING IN TIME SQUARE
CONFUSED SMURF FOUND WANDERING IN TIMES SQUARE . . .
“Didn’t the parade used to come through Times Square? I’m confused, I’ve got to find the parade –
before the parade passes by
before it goes on, and I’m the only Smurf left
before the parade passes by.
I’ve gotta get in step while there’s still time left
I’m ready to move out in front
Life without life has no reason or rhyme left
With the rest of them
With the best of them
I wanna hold my head up high
I need to get a goal again I need to get a drive again
I wanna feel my heart coming alive again
Before the parade passes by…
Before the parade passes by
I’ve gotta go and taste Saturday’s high life ! “
AN ANTI BULLYING MESSAGE – SUPPORT FOR WHITNEY KROPP
SUPPORT FOR WHITNEY KROPP – AN ANTI BULLYING MESSAGE:
Whitney Kropp is a Detroit, Michigan high school girl who the bullies in school nominated and voted to be homecoming queen so they could harass her. It didn’t quite turn out the way the mean girls planned . . .
She received support from around the world, got world coverage and her whole prom was paid for. The ‘Support Whitney’ Facebook page exploded overnight and her prom had a happy ending. Here is my letter to her:
Greetings from New ♥ York City! The big apple sends it’s support. Gee…you look like most any other girl on the streets here, maybe because people here in NYC appreciate cool individuality = like yours! Remember . . . NO ONE remembers all the blonde Barbie dolls parading in music videos, proms and red carpets – it’s the INDIVIDUALS who stand out. Cher = crooked nose, too tall, jet black dark hair in an era of 1960’s blonde beach surfer girls. Tina Turner = abused now a super star, Streisand – said her nose was too big, now everyone copies her style. Bette Midler – no, no one looked like her, now she’s a billionaire. Actress’s Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn all had odd mannerisms. Twiggy was too skinny = became supermodel. Blondie/Debbie Harry and Patti Smith were considered freaks, now pioneers of music. So Whitney, you may say “these are all such old school examples., no one currently cool.” EXACTLY! They thrived and lasted because . . . THEY WERE DIFFERENT ! ! ! Whitney, don’t change a thing about yourself. The world loves individuality, small minded, backwoods people…are afraid of it = you got power girl! GO OUT AND TAKE THE WORLD…it’s your’s ♥
