Broadway Icon Carol Channing Coming to CSUEB
August 30, 2007
MEDIA CONTACT: Barry Zepel, Media Relations Officer, (510) 885-3884

 

Broadway stage and film legend Carol Channing will visit the Hayward campus of California State University, East Bay on Monday, Oct. 8 and Tuesday, Oct. 9 to perform and offer professional advice to students of the university's Theatre and Dance Department.

The Tony Award winner for her role as Dolly in the long-running Broadway musical production of "Hello Dolly" is visiting Cal State East Bay as part of her support of arts education in California.

Channing will be at the center of two fundraising events in support of scholarships for students of the university's Theatre and Dance Department during both days she is on campus.

She will be honored at a supporter's dinner on Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. in the New University Union on the campus located at 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd. Channing will perform on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. in the University Theatre. Tickets for the dinner are $75 per person and tickets for her performance are $60 per person.

Information about the purchase of tickets and about Channing's visit to Cal State East Bay is available online at http://class.csueastbay.edu/theatre/Carol_Channing.php.

Additional information is available by contacting Tom Hird, chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, at (510) 885-4813 or by e-mail at thomas.hird@csueastbay.edu.

The goal, according to Hird, is to raise $25,000 for a scholarship fund that will be named in honor of the entertainment icon. Her arts education foundation will be donating $10,000 to be used for scholarships at CSUEB.

"Still we have to remember more than these scholarships," Hird said. "Miss Channing wants to raise awareness of the value of a good educational foundation in the arts."

Channing and her husband established the Dr. Carol Channing and Harry Kullijian Endowment for the Arts in support of California public schools to "reestablish art as a prerequisite-not an option-inclusive at all levels and grades." Channing also is performing at, and meeting with students of, other campuses in the California State University system as part of the couple's efforts to support arts education in the state.

"Arts in education enhance the abilities of learning from a very early age," Channing said. "It provides a sensitive relationship for our youth regardless of the form of art, with reading, writing, communicating, observing and creativity being inspired."

In addition to her performance and the dinner, Channing will attend a special class on Oct. 8 where she'll be able to watch students perform and offer advice to them. The next day students will rehearse with Channing in preparation for their opening act of the Oct. 9 show.

"That will give students opportunities in two intimate settings to meet and directly learn from Miss Channing," Hird said.

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