A once in a lifetime live concert, unseen for over 30 years! Carol Channing starred in the original Broadway cast of "Hello Dolly!" opening at the St. James Theatre on January 16, 1964. A few years later, Pearl Bailey played Dolly on that same stage and brought her own magical personality to the role. On March 16, 1969, ABC-TV aired a one-time-only concert on Broadway by these two very special stars. In a memorable medley of great showstoppers that were originally written for men, Carol gets to perform "If I Were a Rich Man" as Tevye, and Pearl sings a medley as "The Music Man." They team up for "The Oldest Established (Permanent Floating Crap Game)" from "Guys and Dolls" and "There is Nothing Like a Dame" from "South Pacific." The show builds to a grand "Hello, Dolly!" finale.
Originally aired as an ABC-TV special, this 1969 concert brings together the singular voices and personalities of Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey. The two veteran musical comedy stars share the stage with friendly banter and easy choreography, starting off with duets of "A Little Girl from Little Rock" from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and "Won't You Come Home?" Bailey delivers a strong "If They Could See Me Now" from Sweet Charity, then softens the mood for "Little Green Apples." Bailey's smooth vocals contrast beautifully with Channing's distinctive warblings, and they use their varying comedic stylings to play off one another. They team up for a medley of show tunes usually sung by male vocalists beginning with a duet of "The Oldest Established (Permanent Floating Crap Game)" from Guys and Dolls. Bailey sings a medley of tunes from The Music Man, giving Robert Preston a run for his money. Channing follows with a dreamy version of "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof. Her Dietrich impression, thickly German and fraught with pratfalls, is very funny. Though Channing set the bar for portrayals of the matchmaker Dolly in Hello, Dolly!, Bailey put her own mark on the role and the two actresses perform, in red sequined gowns, the famed title song together. Because this was a TV special, the production quality isn't very exciting, focusing straightforwardly on the actresses' singing and dancing. Luckily both women are larger than life and fill the small screen with the combined force of their considerable talent. --Dana Van Nest
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