Museum of Performance & Design Hosts Channing Celebration

The Museum of Performance & Design is proud to present HELLO, CAROL! A Celebration of Carol Channing, the first major retrospective exhibition ever mounted on the life and work of this Broadway and Hollywood legend beginning Friday, September 26, 2008 and running through March 14, 2009.

A special kick-off concert will be held on Thursday, September 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Herbst Theatre (401 Van Ness Avenue, 1st floor) and will feature Carol Channing, as well as special guests Carole Cook and Rita Moreno, in an evening of song accompanied by the California Pops Orchestra (Kim Venaas, Musical Director). A post-concert VIP reception will immediately follow at the Museum of Performance & Design (401 Van Ness Avenue, 4th floor). The concert will also serve as the formal launch of a major fundraising and public awareness campaign by the Dr. Carol Channing & Harry Kullijian Foundation for the Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving arts education in California schools (www.drchanningfoundation.org). All proceeds from the concert will benefit the Foundation. For tickets please visit www.cityboxoffice.com

With unparalleled access to Ms. Channing's personal collection, the Museum of Performance & Design's exhibition will include stunning original costumes ranging from the original 1964 Hello, Dolly! dress, which has become an icon of American musical theatre, to one-of-a-kind outfits created by Hollywood legend Bob Mackie, rare photographs, video and audio clips from throughout Ms. Channing's career, posters, programs, scripts, original drawings by Al Hirschfeld and such distinctive memorabilia as her Tony and Golden Globe Awards.

Both a longtime San Franciscan and a world-class treasure, Carol Channing's sixty years in show business defines the kind of career that simply isn't seen anymore. Starting at the age of 19 as a star of Marc Blitzstein's seminal musical, No for an Answer, Ms. Channing's achievements range far beyond her Broadway triumphs in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Hello, Dolly! She has also found success in everything from Borscht Belt comedy to Las Vegas revues, from radio and television to records and movies. In September 2007, Ms. Channing was personally honored by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for her numerous contributions in promoting arts education in California. She was also presented with the PTA's highest honor, the National PTA Life Achievement Award, in June 2008 for the work she and her husband, Harry Kullijian, have made through the Dr. Carol Channing & Harry Kullijian Foundation for the Arts.

HELLO, CAROL! A Celebration of Carol Channing will run Friday, September 26, 2008 through March 14, 2009 at the Museum of Performance & Design in San Francisco. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 12 -5 p.m. Admission is free. The special kick-off concert, featuring Ms. Channing and friends, will be held on Thursday, September 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Herbst Theatre (401 Van Ness Avenue, 1st floor). A post-concert VIP reception will immediately follow at the Museum of Performance & Design (401 Van Ness Avenue, 4th floor).

Tickets for Carol Channing & Friends in Concert go on sale Friday, August 1st and range in price from $30 - $65. VIP tickets are available for $125 and include access to the post-concert reception. Tickets are available through City Box office by calling (415) 392-4400 or online at www.cityboxoffice.com.

The Museum of Performance & Design - formerly the San Francisco Performing Arts Library & Museum - is the first international arts institution devoted to the celebration of the performing arts and theatrical design. The Museum produces world-class exhibitions, lectures and presentations by and about leading artists; provides conservation and archival services to performing arts institutions; and offers extensive youth education programs (www.mpdsf.org).

Photo by Mark Rupp.

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