And I had the pleasure of working with Ms. Channing when she was on the last national tour of 'Hello Dolly'. Pearl Bailey was always heard in my childhood home, and much admired. However, Carol Channing. "Dolly." The one, the only, even into her 80's.

Jakeornot Thats right and she is!!! And shes also Black !!!

Oh, please.

Chuck Cissel wowwwww

Are you "Cisslen' Hot" Chuck Cissel?

Two Great African American Women who broke boundaries!

YOu just like her because she's black.

​@@eistrenunlimited613you dislike her because she's African American.

Seeing this cast on Broadway as a young teenager remains the one and only show I've been to in NYC...I remember every single thing...and now I am 64...it was electrifying.

Completely!

That's real!!

I second!!

Hell yeah! She played Bessie beautifully.

I concur wholeheartedly.

WOW!

What a story! 😍😍😍

What a great story. One of my first real shows was when my mom took me to see Pearl Bailey in hello dolly at the Los Angeles Shubert theater. Definitely cemented a lifelong love of musical theater for me.

AT THE TIME IT WAS THE ONLY BROADWAY MUSICAL TO HAVE TWO ORIGINAL CAST ALBUMS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT

It was so beautiful. Alongside Ethel Merman, Pearl Bailey is my fav Dolly Levi!!!!!!!!! Wish I could been alive for this. Who else has the sudden urge to dance “Put on Your Sunday Clothes?”

We did know. YOU didn't.

I saw Pearl in her "Dolly" production, and it was just so wonderful. She was so genuine and terribly funny! The show was beyond entertaining, but then I'll bet the pit orchestra could have spit bullets as she comes out after the show to do yet another act of her just talking/singing/joking with the audience. She had everyone totally in the palm of her hand. Truly a memorable evening. I communicated with her at a later time where she told me she simply wanted to get that degree from Georgetown University, and she did. It wasn't all that long after this that she passed. She got her wish, her dream, but in return she gave us, her viewing public, such wonderful and happy remembrances. May she rest in peace!

I smile every time I see Miss Bailey. She was one of my dad's favourite ladies, as he called them. He liked character and this lady had it. And it isn't just her beautiful voice and song.

It actually started with Carol Channing, thus her introduction about her "dress." This was a fantastic revival with an all-black cast, but still before the movie was released.

Actually I'm wrong $26.00

Jack Crowder , aka Thalmus Rasulala.

But unfortunately, her politics, which were on the hawk side, cast a bit of a pall for me.

MY ‘PERIL’ BAE: LEAN ON ME O, there’s nothing wrong With being a hawk - Everything’s relative - Methinks: “We should talk”...

Thank u...I miss and loved my Aunt Dick...that was are family nick name for her...I was one of the pallbearers at her funeral 😞😞😞

A screenplay! How marvelous! 😍

@@curtisck813 💜💜💜 What a beloved treasure your bloodline is 🤗

Lol Riiiight, I had no ideal he was a song and dance man!

Hi rose

Me too. She's so talented!

Jack Benny appeared to the public as a whimpy milk-toast. The man had a backbone of iron. Once while staying in a hotel, there was this "certain gentleman" from a southern state that objected to the presence of a "colored man" who was a hotel guest, and wanted that man to leave. The "colored man" in question was Eddie Anderson (aka "Rochester"). Jack Benny responded by checking out of that hotel, and taking his entire staff with him.

My mom & aunt went to see it also. My mom always said it was one of the greatest moments of her life.

+Monisa Montoya You'd think she would be. But I remember when she played Motormouth Maybelle in the remake of "Hairspray," and I expected her to make Ruth Brown look timid and submissive by comparison. Instead she was too subtle.

+Monisa Montoya I had the same thought watching this.

Monisa Montoya that's cause that is her lol

They do look similar in facial features only, Latifah's voice is nowhere near as deep. But Pearl was definitely a treasure. Anytime the Tony's are so impressed with you they create a special award just to honor you says a lot.

I like Queen Latifah, but let's be honest...no one holds a candle to Pearl Bailey

YES! this is key!!!

Doesn't she? I would love to see Queenie take on this role. I bet she'd blow the roof off.

I too had the privilege of seeing this production. I can honestly say that I have seen many great Broadway shows and great performers, but I have never seen anyone command a stage the way Pearl Bailey did. There will never be another like her.

I agree, there are only a handful left and a few with potential that my never be realized

When was Angelou her understudy? Must have been on tour or in a different show. When Bailey performed this role on broadway as a replacement during the original run (1964-1970) from Nov 1967 to Dec 1969, Thelma Carpenter would perform Dolly when Bailey couldn't, which was quite often according to what I have read. Then the brief revival in 1975 had Birdie M. Hale as Bailey's Dolly understudy.

I saw her amazing performance in NYC as a teenager with standing room tickets. She was famous for her so-called "third acts", where she came back and entertained after the show. The perforance we were at, Tony Bennett was in the audience and sang I Left My Heart, Cab Calloway tapped, sang and told jokes, and Ms. Baily took her shoes off her famously tired feet, enaged in story telling and song. Truly an experience of life-long memories.

@@jaydefelice9895 she was considered for Bailey's understudy but didn't get the part...apparantly according to Angelou's son because Bailey vetoed it ..ok..that happened to so many performers, I don't think that makes her a monster....but I'm sure it was painfull for Angelou at that time

Carol Channing please read her autobiography .

Mia Nicole

Bailey played Dolly as the 4th replacement in the original broadway run. The order goes this way Carol Channing (1/64 to 8/65), Ginger Rogers (8/65 to 2/67) Martha Raye (2/67 to 6/67), Betty Grable (6/67 to 11/67), Pearl Bailey (11/67 to 12/69), Phyllis Diller (12/69 to 3/70) and Ethel Merman (3/70 to 12/70 closing). Despite Bailey being on for a little more than 2 years, Thelma Carpenter actually played all matinees during Bailey's tenure as well as subbed more than 100 times for Bailey outside the matinee alternate situation. Bailey returned to the role on broadway in a brief 42 performance revival in 1975 as well. I don't know the dates, but I've heard that Ms. Bailey also toured with the show as well. I've had the 60's cast recording with her for a while and just love the little Bailey touches she adds everywhere. Puts a HUGE smile on my face!