I had the pleasure of seeing Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway in Hello, Dolly! Their version infused life into a show that could easily have closed, were it not for the creative casting. She was with Dolly for nearly two years. During her run with the show, they did "Act III" in which she chatted with the audience and she and Cab Calloway would sing. At one performance I attended a woman in the audience was taking pictures during the curtain calls. Gesturing to the cast behind her, Pearl quipped, "If they had known there was a camera we might never have gotten the show underway." When Pearl circled the Dolly runway during curtain calls, she always shook hands - kissed babies - a real love fest.
She also had a reputation as temperamental. She agreed to extend in Dolly after doing the show a year, on the condition that she be given two weeks off. David Merrick (the Producer) opted to close the show for those two weeks, figuring that an understudy would not draw an audience. When the cast learned of the two week layoff, they held a meeting to air their complaints [this was all reported in Variety]. Pearly Mae learned of the meeting... went to it, and reportedly said, "If you want to do the show without me, go right ahead." She refused to go on... her stand-by began the show... but by the time Dolly arrived in Yonkers, NY... Ms. Bailey had been convinced to go on.
She had a wonderful television program, and I think the clips referenced of her and Ms. Channing were from that show.
Ray is the author of the Brad Frame mystery series, and two suspense novels. He is also the author of a one man play based on Ben Franklin. http://www.rayflynt.com
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