PRIDE ENTERTAINMENT FEATURES

Q. When you choose to do a musical how important is the music to you compared to the actual book of the play or lyrics of the songs? When you have creative talents all working together on something, that's what makes a show special. If you’re lucky enough to have a great like Thorton Wilder who wrote The Matchmaker, which was the story that became Hello Dolly, it makes it easier, but then if you’re blessed with a talent like Jerry Herman to then give you words and music … he does both you know … well then you have the best of everything.

 
Q. My favorite Carol Channing movie and I understand it's yours also, is Thoroughly Modern Millie. It was the first time I'd seen you on screen. Why did you enjoy the role? Muzzy was just pure fun, with her green glass ring, but Julie made the experience such a joy. She was so supportive and wonderful to work with. She came in on one of her only days off to read a scene with me. It was a close up of me and anyone could have read the lines to me, but Julie knew how important it was for me and my character to be able to relate to her and her character, She just knew I was going to win the Oscar. Well, I didn't of course, but I did win the Golden Globe.

Q. Why have you avoided viewing Skidoo (I've never seen it either)? Is it that bad? I don't remember. I seem to have put the whole experience out of my mind. [For those who do not know Skiddoo was an all-star 1968 Otto Preminger film that cast Channing as the wife of a mob boss played by Jackie Gleason. The movie was so vilified by the press and the public that Preminger locked it up in his archives and Paramount has yet to issue it on video]

Q. How was it working with Jerry Herman? What made him so special to you? The man is a brilliant talented and dear friend who means the world to me. There is no one thing or incident that made him important to me, but hundreds … no thousands. He is being honored by The Actors Fund on June 10th with the Julie Harris Lifetime Achievement Award at their TONY Awards party in Los Angeles.

 
Q. There is a saying that music speaks louder than words. In what ways does music speak to you? I just saw a concert with a symphony orchestra playing John Phillip Sousa and I cried it was so wonderful. Music can do that to you. It can stir up all kinds of emotions.

Q. You are one among many entertainers who value the performing arts, and providing courses of study in public schools to teach them. What makes them so important and what can people do to increase understanding about the arts? The arts are so very important. It is important to stress all arts are important, not just musical theatre. It increases your ability to do well in other areas like algebra. We are working very hard to raise the awareness of how important nurturing the creative side of a person is to the whole.

 
Q. Why do you think you have become an icon to the Gay community? I have no idea. I'm thrilled that I am. They always seem to know what or who is good and is going to be successful.

Q. In the theatrical community you have met many openly-gay entertainers. ? How did you deal with that realization? I don't. Its just never mattered to me. I never thought oh he's gay or he's straight. Why should it matter?

Q. When did you become interested in theatre? What can you tell me about your earlier experiences? How did your family react? The first time I stepped inside a theatre in San Francisco I was hooked. I didn't even know where I was. My mother and I were taking copies of the newspaper my father worked on around and I had to deliver it to the backstage door of the theatre. I felt like I was in church … as if I was standing on holy ground. My family was always supportive. As a matter of fact, being a newspaper man, he chose a name for me that was specifically designed for the number of spaces required in a standard headline … well at that time. So, maybe he knew something before the rest of us. I was always on the stage in school and Harry was in the band … that's how we met.

Q. What advice would you give to a person who wants to pursue a career on stage? Stay focused. You gotta love it. If you ever find you don't absolutely love it, then find something else that you love to do.

Q. What are your opinions regarding our Gay Community? our strengths our weaknesses? I don't think about an individual that way. They're people. Black, white, tall, short.

Q. What advice would you give to a person who is newly identifying as GLTB? I can't. I'm not gay. I've never been in that position. So, I can't advise someone about something I have never personally experienced. I would hope we've reached a point that we don't have to identify ourselves as anything more than just people all created by God. God doesn't care, why should we?

Q. When you first heard about AIDS, What thoughts went through your mind? I remember the look of fear in the eyes of the Dolly boys when it first started to happen to the theatrical community. Some of them would just come into my dressing room and I would hold them and we cried. I kept thinking that they should be able to find a cure for this soon, but it's been over 25 years now. That is hard to believe. So many brilliant and talented people we've lost. Just think of the legacies that have been taken from all of us!

Q. What has been your involvement in the fight against AIDS? I've lost count of the events, shows, benefits over the last 25 years. Also the Actors Fund has events and fundraisers. I try and participate in as many of those as I can.

Q. What do you think we as people, or as a government, can do that we are not doing to stop the spread of AIDS and to raise funds for US programs? I wish I had the answer. We can't allow ourselves to become complacent about raising awareness.

Q. How do you feel the entertainment industry has changed regarding its involvement in fundraising for AIDS causes? Maybe we've all become more aware, or concerned rather, of our colleagues, more connected to ourselves and our families. Hopefully we've all become more responsible.

 
Q. How can the entertainment industry do more? Just keep doing what we can. I'm doing another AIDS event on June 27th in Concord NH doing a full show to benefit the AIDS Project.

Q. What sort of charitable organizations do you actively support?  There are so many we try and help. I just did a show to help the Lung Association this month and fighting AIDS has always been important. We used to dedicate every Thursdays show of “Dolly” to raising money for those with AIDS.

Harry and I perform for retirement centers across the country. Harry has a thing for women over 90 you know. He just loves them. I can't wait till I'm 90 then he'll be just nuts over me.

Q. I understand that you recently set up a foundation to promote the Arts in the Schools. What can you tell me about the foundation and the work it does? The Foundation that Harry and I started has been formed out of necessity, I do hope you'll check out the website for more details, but it is so important that children or even college students, which are still children really, be continually exposed to the arts. There is proof that students do better in their academics when they have some kind of creative outlet in their life. And I think that includes sports. That's an art too don't you think? It enhances ones life and then it can't help but enhance society. And those who have a healthy dose of the arts growing up tend to be happier and make more money later in life … Wait! That may be too strong of a statement. They definitely tend to be happier.

Harry and I just went up to Sacramento to meet with the newly appointed Secretary of Education Dave Long and other important people about the budget for the arts. I am so honored that they were interested in what we had to say on the topic. We've been appearing at universities all across California. Performing with the students at each and raising money for scholarships and the foundation. In the last year we've raised over two hundred thousand … I think. Or maybe we should check that, but I think that's right. Yeah! OK.

Q. What would be your idea of a 'Dream Project'? What role that you haven't played would you just adore playing? I tend to just enjoy what I'm working on at the moment. The next thing or project always seems to be the “dream project.”

Q. How do you see/Hope for in your life with-in the next 10 years? The same thing I'm doing now ... working. My family has such good genes, I'm going to be around a long time.

Q. How do you observe World AIDS Day? Doing whatever is asked of me, if I can.