As I sat in Michael Childers’ gorgeous Rancho Mirage home—his award-winning photographs adorning the walls—he told me the story of how the hugely successful One Night Only show came to be.

The star-studded annual event, a benefit for Jewish Family Service of the Desert, will return to the McCallum Theatre Wednesday, April 25.

It all started nearly 13 years ago, Childers said, when he approached his dear friend Barbara Keller about putting on a variety show; it was an idea he’d had great success with in Santa Fe, N.M. The concept was simple: Assemble a cast of veteran cabaret performers and a great orchestra; choose crowd-pleasing musical numbers; and raise an impressive amount of money for a local charity. Keller spoke to her board of directors at Jewish Family Service—which provides psychological counseling, food, housing and other services to valley residents, regardless of religious affiliation.

A new Coachella Valley tradition was born: One Night Only premiered in the desert, with Childers’ buddy Lily Tomlin as the mistress of ceremonies. It was a smash, and now the event sells out every year.

It’s a large undertaking that takes a full nine months of planning. When deciding on the theme, Childers thinks about what he and audiences would like. Last year, it was the music of Jerry Herman; this year, it’s the classic music of Rodgers, Hammerstein and Hart. Jason Graae is back for his second year as director, with musical direction by Christopher Marlowe.

Childers and the director sit down with their rolodexes and choose the cast. Because of the show’s stellar reputation, many veteran cabaret performers clamor to be part of it—even though the performers are donating their time. However, being in the show has its perks: Childers says the stars are treated well, with glamorous parties and such—plus a few days in Palm Springs is very appealing if you’ve been dealing with months of chilly weather in New York.

Weary of the traffic and backstabbing in Los Angeles, Childers moved here in 1999 with his partner, Oscar-winning film director John Schlesinger (who later died of a stroke). Calling the valley “a wonderful, very philanthropic community,” Childers quickly became involved in the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and joined the board of the Palm Springs Art Museum.

A world-famous photographer, Childers currently has an Andy Warhol-themed show on display at the Palm Springs Art Museum. His work is also being featured in San Diego and will be on display at Yale University in the summer of 2019. A frequent lecturer on the subject, Childers said a great photographer is consistent and produces a lifetime of work, including iconic photographs.

When asked what makes a great live stage show, Childers’ answer was simple: Fit the show to your target audience, and keep it moving—don’t let it go on too long. This year’s One Night Only is slated to be a compact 90 minutes, with no intermission.

So what’s left on Childers’ bucket list? He’s working on an autobiography, called And I Have the Pictures to Prove It. Music education is one of Childers’ passions—and he’s very proud of One Night Only, calling it an iconic production in the desert.

One Night Only, a show benefiting Jewish Family Services, takes place at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 25, at the McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, in Palm Desert. Tickets are $75 to $175, with a limited number of VIP tickets, including an after-party, available for $495. For tickets or more information, call 760-340-2787, or visit www.mccallumtheatre.com.

The post The Evening the Stars Come Out: Michael Childers’ ‘One Night Only’ Charity Extravaganza Returns to the McCallum Theatre April 25 first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

“Carol Channing Larger than Life” is the title of a documentary by Dori Berinstein and the perfect description of its subject because Carol Channing was born larger than life. Growing up in San Francisco, as a child she helped her mother distribute “The Christian Science Monitor” backstage at the Curran Theater. Overwhelmed by the “church-like” atmosphere in the theater, Carol knew instantly that she wanted to hold court on center stage. The girl with the wispy blonde hair, big eyes and too large mouth knew that she was destined to be a star and a star she became. Carol was Lorelei Lee and Lorelei was Carol Channing, just as much as Dolly was Carol Channing and Carol was Dolly Levi. As Bob Mackie points out in the film, “It doesnâ€t matter who the character is, itâ€s always Carol.”

At the age of 90+, Channing is still performing, which should come as no shock. There has always been sweetness to her persona and it is underscored by her personal love story. Married, unhappily for far too many years to her manager Charles Lowe, she finally divorced. A few years later, she was reunited with her first boyfriend whom she met at Aptos Middle School at the age of 12. She spoke of him fondly in her memoirs and he sought her out despite the fact that they had not seen one another for 70 years. She and Harry Kullijian were married in 2003 and the two octogenarians toured together as Carol played the auditorium circuit. Sadly, Kullijian died in December 2011.

If you are a fan of musical theater, you cannot help but be entranced by her story. Single minded of purpose, she lived a self-focused life that was true to the title of her memoir – Just Lucky I Guess. She acknowledges her inadequacies as a parent to her one son because a life in the theater is all consuming. Tireless, she did not miss a single performance in her signature show “Hello Dolly,” once telling her understudy JoAnne Worley to relax because sheâ€d never be going on, and she never did.

In an on-camera interview, Jerry Herman, creator of “Hello Dolly,” recalled how David Merrick, the producer, had wanted the show created for Ethel Merman. Working tirelessly, Herman wrote all of the songs for Mermanâ€s range and style only to be told after completion that Merman no longer wanted to work on stage. (Ironically, she would be one of the Dollys who followed Channing, a group that even included Phyllis Diller.) Distraught and frantic, Herman didnâ€t know what to do until Channing was brought to him. After talking to her endlessly, something both liked to do, he shut himself in his room and rewrote the entire score overnight. As he squired Channing around town prior to rehearsals, he ecstatically introduced her everywhere to anyone who would listen as his Dolly. For Channing it was the role of a lifetime and she never relinquished it. As Herman pointed out, “When you create a role, it follows you for life.” And indeed it has.

Carol Channingâ€s life in the theater has produced many friends and it is delightful to hear the stories, especially those of Marge Champion, theatrical partner and wife of Gower Champion, director of “Hello Dolly.” It was Marge who had spotted Carol in a revue out of town and brought her to Gowerâ€s attention when he was casting his first Tony Award-winning show, “Lend an Ear,” introducing Carol to New York audiences. So many other entertainment luminaries comment on her influence, from Bruce Vilanch, who wanted to be her, to Betty Garrett, her roommate when they were both performing in the Borscht Belt in the Catskills in the 30â€s. It was there that Carol was fired for the first time, but her resilience got her through the experience, telling a distraught Garrett that “Someday heâ€ll be remembered as the man who fired Carol Channing.” How generous, because whoever he is, heâ€s no longer remembered at all.

Truly a valentine to Ms. Channing, this is not an in depth study of the woman, so donâ€t expect any dark secrets to be revealed. Berinstein glosses over all but the cheery and laudatory, filling out her rapidly paced 87 minute film with commentary by a number of questionable commentators. Figuring most prominently among the head scratchers is Loni Anderson, a bottle blonde (Channing was a natural) with a large mouth and marginal, at best, talent and an even more marginal relationship with Channing who doesnâ€t seem to have met anyone she didnâ€t like (ex-husbands excepted).

If you love theater, especially musical theater (and I know youâ€re out there), then there arenâ€t too many more pleasant ways to spend an hour and a half. Itâ€s pure fluff, but sheâ€s a legend. Itâ€s no surprise that she never really succeeded on television or film because Carol Channing truly is larger than life.

The post Movie Review: Carol Channing Larger than Life first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Theatermania
Carol Channing: Larger Than Life
Reviewed By: Leslie (Hoban) Blake · Apr 25, 2011 · New York

Dori Berinstein’s loving cinematic tribute, Carol Channing: Larger Than Life, now premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival, is a cornucopia of favorite moments from the nonagenarian’s 60-plus years in the spotlight, as well as a glimpse into her current personal life. In both cases, Berinstein shows just how smart, funny, and gracious the star is both on and offstage.

The film’s title has several meanings, from Channing’s height (at 5’9) to her gigantic smile, and outsized personality. She was literally too big for the screen, appearing in only a few films — including her Oscar-nominated role in Thoroughly Modern Millie — but she happily played to generations of theatergoers in such shows as Lend an Ear, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and her own signature magnum opus, Hello Dolly.

Many of Channing’s co-stars and admirers show up in the film, most with illustrative footage. After Jerry Herman, Angela Lansbury, and Chita Rivera speak, there are scenes of the trio honoring Herman at the Kennedy Center in 2010. Lily Tomlin, Bruce Vilanch, Tommy Tune, Barbara Walters, and the late Betty Garrett also share their memories, while Debbie Reynolds commiserates as one wronged wife to another. (Channing’s third husband robbed and left her.)

But most of all, the film is a love story that wouldn’t be believed if it weren’t true. Channing and her fourth husband (and junior high school sweetheart) Harry Kullijian, married since 2003, are like a real-life Romeo and Juliet gone right, holding hands and smiling like the teenagers they were back in the 1930s.

And make sure you stay until the very end: the sublime outtakes during the final credits are not-to-be-missed.

The post Bruce Honors Carol Channing In Cinematic Tribute, “Larger Than Life” first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

HOLLYWOOD—The Tribeca Film Festival (NY) spotlighted the film by multiple Tony® Award winning director/producer Dori Berinstein entitled “Carol Channing: Larger Than Life” last month in Manhattan.

Among those who appear in the film are (partial list only) – Barbara Walters, Lily Tomlin, Tommy Tune, Chita Rivera, Sam Harris, Bruce Vilanch, Debbie Reynolds, Jerry Herman, Bob Mackie, Angela Lansbury, Loni Anderson, Tyne Daly, Tippi Hedren, Phyllis Diller, Rip Taylor, etc. There is also a very special moment with Carolâ€s former roommate, the now late Betty Garrett.

On Monday, March 14, the Tribeca Film Festival announced their 2011 Spotlight Film, their invitation-only section that features screenings of an eagerly anticipated film before they hit theatres. “Carol Channing: Larger Than Life” is a TFF 2011 Spotlight Feature Film.

If Carol Channing didnâ€t exist, no one could have made her up. One in a billion, Carol, at 90, remains an unstoppable, megawatt dynamo. Broadway diva extraordinaire is just the icing. Carol Channing hovered at the pinnacle of the entertainment world from the late-1950s through the 1970s and beyond, living life sensationally large. As Carol has observed, “if youâ€re lucky enough to have two hit shows, the world passes through your dressing room.” Carolâ€s incomparable stage life is just the appetizer. This is the story of a survivor, a woman who overcame endless obstacles, struggles and sacrifices to pursue her dreams of stage stardom.

The career of Carol Channing is varied and continuing. At 90, she performs with the gusto of a young aspiring actress. She has recently committed her life to bring the Arts back in the public educational system. From teaching, lecturing and performing in school rooms of CA to meeting members of Congress in D.C., she and her husband, Harry Kullijian, hope to engage the public support through the Channing/Kullijian Foundation for the Arts.

The post Bruce To Appear In “Carol Channing: Larger Than Life” first appeared on We Got Bruce!.