John Shearer: Remembering When Carol Channing Reopened Tivoli In 1989

Noted actress and Broadway singer Carol Channing died Tuesday at the age of 97 after a long and decorated career that included winning a Golden Globe for “Thoroughly Modern Millie” in 1967 and a Tony Award in 1964 for “Hello, Dolly!”

 

On March 31, 1989, Chattanoogans said “Hello, Carol!” in a big way when a nearly full house welcomed her to the Tivoli as part of a series of opening acts after the theater had been closed for two years for restoration and stage expansion.

 

And this woman who was born just seven weeks before the Tivoli opened in 1921 gave them quite a show to remember with her variety of entertaining skills and talents.

 

I was 29 years old at the time and had been working at the Chattanooga News-Free Press for nearly five years.

Leading up to the reopening, I had out of personal interest done a series of stories about the history of the theater, and city editor Julius Parker let me cover some of the opening concerts as well.

 

An impressive list of entertainers that included Marilyn Horne, Crystal Gayle, Peter, Paul and Mary and others had been lined up, and I had an opportunity to cover Ms. Channing and, a few days later, Peter, Paul and Mary.

 

Before Ms. Channing’s show, I was familiar with her primarily through “Hello, Dolly!” I assumed she was maybe a one-hit wonder, and she also seemed a little spacey or air-headed when I had seen her on TV.

 

I obviously had not done my homework, because when I had the opportunity to see her that Friday night, I was totally mesmerized by not only her singing talent, but also her ability to dance, invoke humor, change clothes quickly and simply entertain.

 

She had a masterful stage presence that was unlike almost anything I had ever seen.

 

Like Bette Midler, whom I also saw at the Riverbend Festival about 1992, I realized you almost had to see her in person to fully appreciate her gifts.

 

I went back and looked at my story I wrote, and I said that she entertained for 75 minutes straight and sang such songs as “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend,” “Tap Your Troubles Away,” and of course the iconic “Hello, Dolly!”

 

The then 68-year-old entertainer’s actual version of “Hello, Dolly!” was kind of brief, I wrote with obvious disappointment.

 

But that was apparently about all that the audience or I did not like.

 

One of her jokes she told was that she used about four fake lashes on top of each eye, about three below and plenty of mascara. By doing that, she said with a straight face, “I get the natural look.”

 

Among her most entertaining moments, I wrote at the time – and still remember vividly – was how she kept changing costumes quickly and numerously by using two neck-high black partitions on each side of the front of the stage.

 

During one quick-changing session, she looked up and did a double take after realizing the audience members in the upper level box seats to the side of the stage were looking right down on her. Her reaction drew quite a bit of laughter.

 

Although she did not make a reference to the Tivoli and its restoration during her show, I noted, she did make several Chattanooga references. She named some of the WDEF Channel 12 personalities due to their co-sponsorship of the event.

 

Among them was longtime radio host Luther Masingill, of whom she said, “Isn’t he monumental, that Luther?”

 

She had been introduced by Bill Ross and Christy Murphy of Channel 12. She also reportedly attended a reception at the Read House and was to have visited T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital while here.

 

At the end of her show that night, this woman who came from San Francisco, was married four times, never drank alcohol and was a disciplined eater was given a standing ovation.

 

And now, 30 years later, people in Chattanooga and beyond are praising her again and saying goodbye to this woman who knew how to say hello in song as well as anyone.

 

Jcshearer2@comcast.net