Hollywood Reacts To The Death Of Broadway Legend Carol Channing


The death of Carol Channing has rocked the entertainment world. The legendary Broadway actress and singer died on Tuesday at her home in Rancho Mirage, California, of natural causes at age 97, as previously shared by the Inquisitr.

Channing’s Broadway career started more than 70 years ago in 1948’s No For An Answer, and she famously appeared in performances of iconic shows as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Show Girl, Pygmalion, and most notably, Hello, Dolly!, which earned the star her first Tony Award in 1964.

But Channing’s career wasn’t limited to Broadway. The beloved star had many friends in Hollywood and she was a familiar face in both film and television. Channing made film appearances in everything from 1967’s Thoroughly Modern Millie to the Bee Gees flick, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1978. On TV, she logged multiple appearances on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, The Love Boat and even Sesame Street before becoming a voice actress in the 1990s on Where’s Waldo, The Addams Family, and more.

After Carol Channing’s death was announced, many stars from Broadway to Hollywood posted tributes to her on social media. Laugh-In legend Ruth Buzzi posted a poignant tribute to her dear friend, as did other stars of Channing’s era, including Mitzi Gaynor.

Pee Wee Herman, who presented an award with Channing at the American Comedy Awards in 1987, posted a photo of him and the late star to Twitter, writing, “RIP Carol Channing. One of the nicest, sweetest people I ever had the pleasure of working with. What an original, one of a kind, LEGEND! ”

Other TV stars, including Sandra Bernhard and Viola Davis, remembered Carol Channing with sweet tributes, while Broadway superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeted the lyrics to “Before the Parade Passes By” from Hello, Dolly! in his goodbye message to Channing.

“She was show business and love personified,” fellow Broadway star Bernadette Peters wrote of Channing on Twitter.

You can see some of the celebrity reaction to the death of Carol Channing below.

In addition to the celebrity reaction to Carol Channing’s death, the currently touring company of Hello, Dolly! also released a statement revealing they would dedicate tonight’s performance to Channing, Entertainment Weekly reports.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of the one and only Carol Channing,” the statement said. “She was a ‘Dolly’ for the ages and a true icon of the American Theater. Betty Buckley and the cast will dedicate tonight’s performance in San Diego to her memory.”

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