Photo Coverage: Carol Channing at SFSU

Carol Channing, the legendary star from the Golden Age of Broadway, paid a special visit to the theatre students of San Francisco State University, Sept. 14.  She and her husband, Harry Kullijian, are currently touring the over 20 campuses of the California State University system promoting her new scholarship fund to develop fulfilling arts programs in every school.  Channing was also headlining two evenings of comedy at the 9th Annual Veterans of Comedy show on SFSU campus Sept. 15 and 16.

In addition to SFSU theatre students, a group from San Francisco's Lowell High (Channing's alma mater) were entertained by Channing's fascinating life stories...like stepping onto a stage for the first time as a girl in San Francisco!  She also shared when she spent much of her small allowance to see revolutionary theatre events at San Francisco's Curran and Geary Theatres.  She remembers stepping onto the stage at the Curran and realizing it was "hallowed ground...a monument to the great creative forces."

Channing is most famed for her over 5000 cumulative performances as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly, for which she won the 1964 Tony Award for Best Actress.  Channing has also starred in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, received the 1968 Special Tony Award, and the 1995 Life-Achievement Tony Award.  She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in the film "Thoroughly Modern Millie," and has appeared in several Emmy-winning television programs like "The Carol Burnett Show."

Dolly Levi resurfaced for the afternoon when Channing gifted the crowd with a rendition of "Before the Parade Passes By."  She also sang the old "Dipsy Doodle" song, a verse from her high school vice-president campaign song, and pantomimed an entire three-person Russian dance routine! Plus Channing impersonated countless celebrities and memorable individuals she has met in her lifetime, including Julie Andrews, Dustin Hoffman, Sophie Tucker, Ethel Waters, Nikita Balieff, Winston Churchill, and even grade-school teachers!

By the end of the afternoon, the students were very grateful for a not-so-average school day and to have been in the presence of a real living legend!

Photos by Eugene Lovendusky

Carol Channing

Carol Channing

Carol Channing with her husband, Harry Kullijian

Harry Kullijian

Carol Channing presented with flowers by Yukihiro Goto,
the Theatre Arts Department Chair at San Francisco State University

Carol Channing

Carol Channing and Harry Kullijian