Welcome to a new Musical Theatre Monday! This month, I’ve got a rarity for subscribers who comment below to alert me of their interest: access to a long out-of-print LP from 1962: Carol Channing In Anita Loos’ Original Story GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (“Lorelei’s Diary”).
No, this isn’t one of the several cast albums Carol Channing recorded of Jule Styne and Leo Robin’s score for the 1949 musical adaptation of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (which she revived in the early ’70s as Lorelei); this is actually a 50-minute record of Channing, in character as Lorelei Lee, reading Anita Loos’ original 1925 text — about one-third of the entire “diary.” It’s a tour de force from Channing, who knows Lorelei better than anyone and gives a sincere, pitch-perfect take on the character in what is esstaitnlly a “straight” dramatic (er, comedic) performance, making it a GREAT supplement to those aforementioned cast albums. Subscribers, let me know if you’re interested. (There may be a few other treats thrown in for good measure, too.) In the meantime, here’s a sample.
Come back next month for another Musical Theatre rarity! And stay tuned Tuesday for more Will & Grace!