Channing & Bailey Together on WLIW, Ch. 21 in Manhattan

Posted: 3/11/04 at 7:53pm

If anyone is interested...

WLIW, Channel 21 (Time Warner Cable in Manhattan) is airing a 1969 special starrring Carol Channing & Pearl Baley. It airs tonight, Thursday, 3/11, 8pm to 9:30pm. That's about 3 minutes from now.

This was a 1-Night only event, March 16, 1969.

Jose' Updated On: 3/12/04 at 07:53 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/11/04 at 10:16pm

"Channel" and Bailey?

How dare you, Bulldog!

(It airs again at 10 PM on Sunday)

Updated On: 3/11/04 at 10:16 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 3/11/04 at 10:22pm

I have this special on DVD. If you notice at the end, Pearl Bailey defers to Carol Channing. Quite uncharacteristic for Pearlie Mae.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/11/04 at 10:28pm

Please remember that Carol IS a goddess!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/12/04 at 7:08pm

All hail to TGC!

Posted: 3/12/04 at 7:39pm

What can I say...my administrative assistant left town.

At least you knew to whom I was referring.

All hope is not lost. LOL

Jose' aka Broadway Bulldog
Updated On: 3/12/04 at 07:39 PM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 3/12/04 at 8:00pm

I recently saw this DVD. WOW is all I can say. Pearl is sensational, but I didn't realize JUST how freaking AMAZING (yes, I will use that word) Carol is! Truly stunning.

Watching both of these ladies is a masterclass in how to perform a song. And, the whole thing made me realize why some of the more mature members on this board get piffed when people overly gush over new Broadway "divas". At no offense to the new stars of Broadway, they really havn't proven themselves quite as worthy just yet.

If you have never seen this DVD, I suggest you do. It will raise your bar on what a diva truly is.

Posted: 3/12/04 at 8:40pm

Good observations JRB. These two ladies, Channing and Bailey, each now how to command a stage and both have unique qualities that identify them as theatre stars.

Anyone interested in American musicals who only associates Carol with Dolly Levi would be well served to see this show. And Pearl shows just how infectious her stage personality could be.

It was fun to see them perform several signature songs for male musical characters.

Two classy ladies with style and innate understanding of how to hold an audience captive with nothing except the pyrotechnics of their talent.

I guess I'll correct the subject line.

Jose' aka Broadway Bulldog

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/12/04 at 9:46pm

I saw this program when it initially aired in '69 and I'm extremely eager to see it again. I've bought a new videotape for Sunday night's airing and even my 26 year old son is anxious to see what all the brouhaha is about: tow of the greates Dolly Levi's sharing the stage and bowling over the audience with their brilliance.

[MusicMan]

Posted: 3/13/04 at 8:41pm

Watching this show proves once and for all that Channing was, truly and effortlessly, a STAR.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/13/04 at 10:24pm

Awww.....saying nice things about TGC is music to my ears. Then again, the compliment came from MusicMan. Go figure!

[alterego]

Posted: 3/13/04 at 11:00pm

While both Pearl and Carol are (were) great performers the special is a bit of a mess. I recently saw the DVD of it and was very disappointed. The whole thing seems to be underehearsed and sadly lacking in direction. I still love them both but...would of liked to have seen them in a better light after all these years.

[MusicMan]

Posted: 3/14/04 at 3:18am

Nothing to figure, Dollypop. I just appreciate a certain standard of quality in all things, that's all.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/14/04 at 1:06pm

When I interviewed TGC for this website, she had effusive praise for Pearl Bailey and recalled doing the TV special with great fondness.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/15/04 at 10:21am

I have to agree that the production was a bit messy by today's standards. It didn't seem that was when I first saw the show on network television in '68. Still, it was worth it to watch TGC's impersonations of Deitrich and Carmen Miranda. Still, the comic highlight of the show was TGC's "Cecilia Sisson" routine. I've seen her do this before and it just gets funnier with age!

BTW: I wasn't aware that TCG was on Long Island to help in the WLIW fund drive! Had I been aware of this, I would have been at the studio to strew her path with flowers! Imagine the lucky Long Islander who called in a pledge, only to find out that he or shw was talking to Carol Channing herself!

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 3/15/04 at 10:30am

May I ask - what is the name of the DVD and where can I find one?
Thanks in advance!

[etoile]

Posted: 3/15/04 at 12:26pm

Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey on Broadway. I bought it last year throught BC/EFA web site but your PBS station probably has it also.

[CurtainUp]

Posted: 8/17/05 at 11:23pm

wow, they're wonderful. Carol is magic up there. It's not her voice or her acting, she just has insane presence and has IT - that special X factor. She is an inspiration to those of us who love performing but don't sing taht well.

And her and Pearl are so complimentary with each each other. Bailey's so dry and Channing's so zany - I love it. Carol's way of transforming characters in one hour is incredible - it wasn't Carol playing Tevye, she was - as strange as it sounds - BEING Tevye. THESE LADIES ARE FABULOUS!!!

Updated On: 8/17/05 at 11:23 PM