"CAROL" made a comeback this week!Wow, what a week this has been. I did my show, CAROL CHANNING IN CONCERT...STARRING RICHARD SKIPPER! on Tuesday night, July 27th, at ST. LUKE'S.
This far exceeded my expectations on SO MANY LEVELS! Thanks to EVERYONE Who contributed. I was ABOUT to give up on this show. Here are a sampling of the audience comments followed by Sandy Durrell's review. Hope you enjoy this as much as I am right now!
(PHOTOS BY Devin Delano)
CAROL CHANNING IN CONCERT…STARRING RICHARD SKIPPER IS A HIT!
Tuesday night in NY, a special performance of CCiC was presented at St. Luke’s Theatre to a star-studded SRO crowd! Bring this exciting show to your audiences! A definite crowd pleaser!
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COMMENTS FROM TUESDAY NIGHT’S SHOW TAKEN FROM www.RichardSkipper.com!
"Richard, I want to congratulate you on your stunning performance last night ... you were so well researched , that you could adlib with aplomb! I felt like I was seeing Carol the whole time. You were very funny ... a natural born showman...or woman, for that matter! Thanks for the treat."
"Richard! I am awestruck. You are an enormous talent. Your show was so exciting and wonderful. You are so warm, funny, a marvelous singer, a brilliant actor and a master ad libber, you looked the livin' end and you have a true grace. You are so quick and clever and all the time the love within you comes through to us. I love you."
Bravo, Richard! Your show was everything we have come to expect from "your" Carol - warm, witty, worldly, funny, and above all, sublimely entertaining. And that new dress!!
When the lights hit it, you sparkled like the 4th of July! (Editor's note: Gown designed by Steve Epstein)
"Wow, RIchard...a magnificent, polished, effervescent, and commanding performance, and a inspiration & joy to watch your love for the stage. Bravo!! XO"
You and your show were awesome! Caroline Ferenczi, Bayside, NY
I just came back from the Carol Channing Show - or was that the Richard Skipper show - no, wait, it was the Carol Channing Show. Or was that Richard Skipper doing Carol Channing. Well, as far as I am concerned and I think everyone else in the packed- house theatre at St. Luke's, it was Carol Channing.
The dresses, the nuances, the voice, the song, the stories. This was a class act show and Richard Skipper was superb.
I loved every minute of it. A much deserved standing ovation ended a most enjoyable evening. Thank you Richard. It is probably the closest I am ever going to get to seeing Ms. Channing in person.
Wow - what a treat tonight was. Thank you!”
Fantastic performance at ST.Luke's last night.
Richard, you were awesome..
Love, Dana Lorge Sunnyside, Queens
Congratulations to Richard Skipper!! What a smooth, entertaining, elegant performance portraying Carol Channing @ St. Luke's last night.
You had a warm & engaging connection to the audience that was fun & flawless. And you have some pipes!!! This is a show that deserves a long run!!!
Tony Middleton
"You were ABSOLUTELY marvelous last night, Richard!! Brilliant! It was truly a joy and pleasure to see you share your many, wonderful talents!! Thank you & congratulations! XOXO!"
What a WONDERFUL show last night at the St. James, ooooops, I mean St. Luke's Theatre!!! (LOL) You are so talented, well-researched, and you are dynamic with your audience interaction. This was the 2nd time I have seen you perform live, and I will keep coming back!! What a treat!! Thank you Richard.
Fondly,
Mead Margulies, A Fan !!
"What a fun time I had last night, Richard!! The whole show was great.! I love your Carol Channing show, and your singing is grand, and so are your quick responses to questions, and by the way, you looked gorgeous!”
Richard, the show was a complete delight. You were a witty, warm and entirely wonderful Carol, and the new dress made you sparkle like the 4th of July. I especially enjoyed "Widow's Weeds", "Bye, Bye Baby" (only a true vaudevillian like yourself could get so much out of a classic "stooge"), and "Before the Parade Passes By". Brava Carol, and Bravo Richard!! Roy Marcus NY
What a wonderful, wonderful evening! Richard Skipper and the stage are certainly a match made in heaven - even Dolly Levi couldn't have come up with anything better. Thank you!! Jim Lahti,
Riverdale, New York
It was my first time seeing Richard Skipper perform as Carol Channing and it was wonderful. I think he does important work reminding us of the talents and value of stars like Carol Channing who we don't see as often in the public eye as we once did. As Carol, Richard was charming and amusing. I especially liked the cell phone bit. Thanks, Richard. You made the evening a delight.
Deardra Shuler, NY
Debbi and I drove 6 1/2 hours to be at the show last night and WE'RE GLAD WE DID! Congratulations, Richard!
David Schaefer, New York, NY
What a wonderful show, Richard! I had a blast! Your enthusiasm for Carol's life and career was totally infectious! Thank you!! XOXOXOXO
"What a WONDERFUL show last night!! You are so talented, well-researched, and dynamic with your audience interaction.
I absolutely LOVED being in the front row!!
What a treat!!!!
xo
Mead"
"Bravo, bravissimo -- an evening filled to the brim with love, joy, and brilliant badinage."
I had a BLAST last night! Your love and respect for Carol and her work was clear from the moment you stepped onto the stage. On the subway this morning, I was listening to the cast recordings of "Lorelei," "Hello, Dolly!" and "Jerry's Girls," but what I really wanted to listen to was a recording of the show you performed last night! Can't wait till the next time!
What a great night. I can't thank you enough for inviting Ruth and I. We saw Carol Channing, not Richard Skipper. You are truly marvelous. It would have been better for her if she had your voice. When things settle down, I'd like to talk to you.
Thanks again for a delightful time.
Richard Skipper is an entertainer extraordinaire that oozes talent, wit and charm to the delight of us all!! He sparkles and SHINES! As Carol Channing or himself he is marvelous and quite simply, sublime! A MUST SEE!!! Brilliant! THANK YOU, Richard!!!
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Richard, dahling, you were FABulous last night! We had the best, best time! I always knew you were funny, but last night you showed us all your many talents! Impeccable singing, spot-on comic timing, high-larious audience improv, engaging story-telling - the whole shebang! It was a great night of theatre! Bravo or should I say, Brava Carol!
Richard: Just wanted to say that David Star and I thought your performance at St. Luke's last night was just PHENOMENAL! What a joy it was to watch you. Richard, you are just great! Plus it was so wonderful to see your packed house! To quote a performer friend of mine: You are impeccable!
Frank Torren, New York, NY
7/28 Last night's show was absolutely fabulous..Carol
would have loved it and we certainly did too..one of
the very best shows we've seen in a long,long
time..and martina vidmar was a perfect opening act..
the two of you worked so well together.
BARB & ED KIRK, Donna,TX & Chicago, IL
"Richard!
YOU ARE JUST AMAZING! YOU ARE A DYNAMITE ENTERTAINER!!!
I was honored to sing with you last night....
I truly can''t remember when I've had so much FUN!
THANK YOU!
MarTina "
Dear Richard,
I was so blown away by your performance tonight. Your acting was superb. I knew you were funny and could sing but you made me cry too.
Your talent is HUGE and I'm so glad to have experienced tonights magic. LOVE YOU MADLY!!
What a show! Toward the end, I started to wish you would do the "Ephram" speech, and you DID! It made me cry once again. It gets me EVERY TIME. So moving. I love you.
I was one of the lucky ones to attend Richard's magical performance at St.Lukes on Tuesday evening. It was my very first taste of his glorious talent and one I will never forget. What moved me so, what stirs my heart even as I write this now...was the confluence of two souls meeting in this one character. It is not only that Richard is bringing "Carol" to life...but we are also experiencing the beauty and fine-ness of Richard's equally generous and transcended spirit as well. It is a mystical and perfectly symbiotic portrayal of Carol Channing that I am positive is UNMATCHED anywhere in the world. Because it is not built on artifice and props...but is "channeled" through a depth of character and heart and soul that gives true meaning to the term"it takes one to know one".The evening was unforgettable!
Richard,
Congratulations on your great success Tuesday night. Your performance was a lovely example of true showmanship - funny, warm and completely Carol!
Best,
Peter Napolitano
DEAR RICHARD
JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH WE ENJOYED YOUR SHOW
IT WAS TOPS IN ENTERTAINMENT
LOVED YOUR HUMOR LOVED YOUR STORIES
ENJOYED YOUR PATHOS MANY KUDOS TO YOU
HAD A WONDERFUL EVENING
I WANTED TO MENTION THAT FRANCESCA BLUMENTHAL WAS
ALSO IN THE AUDIENCE
LOVE EDIE STOKES
Dear Richard, Your performance Tuesday night,7/27, was captivating. The show flowed so beautifully from the spoken word to singing and it was a rhythm that was perfect all the way through. This is a show that should be brought to many other audiences. I loved it!!!
Nina Grand, Massapequa Park, N.Y.
I can not think of the last time I smiled so much. Richard held us in his hands and in his heart, while teaching and entertaining us the old fashioned way. Carol Channing is so blessed to have this artist pay tribute to her incredible life with such care and integrity. This is a show that should be seen by the world. So many life lessons and good energy to be shared. Thank you, dear Richard. Love, Meg Flather, NYC
Richard or rather Carol. The show was awesome. You ARE
Carol Channing. And that hottie Martina Vidmar, "wow wow fellas..." You both belong on Broadway!
Arthur Goldstein, NYC, NY
Richard: Just wanted to say that David Star and I thought your performance at St. Luke's last night was just PHENOMENAL! What a joy it was to watch you. Richard, you are just great! Plus it was so wonderful to see your packed house! To quote a performer friend of mine: You are impeccable!
Frank Torren, New York, NY
7/28 Last night's show was absolutely fabulous..Carol
would have loved it and we certainly did too..one of
the very best shows we've seen in a long,long
time..and Martina Vidmar was a perfect opening act..
the two of you worked so well together.
BARB & ED KIRK, Donna,TX & Chicago, IL
Richard, dahling, you were FABulous last night! We had the best, best time! I always knew you were funny, but last night you showed us all your many talents! Impeccable singing, spot-on comic timing, high-larious audience improv, engaging story-telling - the whole shebang! It was a great night of theatre! Bravo or should I say, Brava Carol!
Billie Brouse, New York, NY
Richard Skipper is an entertainer extraordinaire that oozes talent, wit and charm to the delight of us all!! He sparkles and SHINES! As Carol Channing or himself he is marvelous and quite simply, sublime! A MUST SEE!!! Brilliant! THANK YOU, Richard!!!
Lisa Raze, Brooklyn, NY
Richard, the show was a complete delight. You were a witty, warm and entirely wonderful Carol, and the new dress made you sparkle like the 4th of July. I especially enjoyed "Widow's Weeds", "Bye, Bye Baby" (only a true vaudevillian like yourself could get so much out of a classic "stooge"), and "Before the Parade Passes By". Brava Carol, and Bravo Richard!! Roy Marcus NY
What a wonderful, wonderful evening! Richard Skipper and the stage are certainly a match made in heaven - even Dolly Levi couldn't have come up with anything better. Thank you!! Jim Lahti,
Riverdale, New York
Carol Channing in Concert - Starring Richard SkipperThursday, July 29, 2010 By Sandi Durell
In a one-night only musical montage at off-Broadway’s St. Luke’s Theatre on Restaurant Row, lovable and talented Richard Skipper (www.richardskipper.com) celebrated the life and times of Carol Channing. (www.CarolChanning.org).
Skipper has been performing as such for a number of years singing not only the familiar Channing standards, but incorporating his distinctive clever ad-libs, along with other material.
As a precursor to the evening, yours truly was at Joe Allen’s restaurant (www.joeallenrestaurant.com) with some friends.
In one of the ladies’ rooms there hung a show poster of the inimitable Ms. Channing as “Lorelei.” I took this as a sign of something special.
The theatre at St. Luke’s was sold out. The audience held its fair share of celebrities present including Celeste Holm, Betsy Palmer, Joe Franklin and songwriter Ervin Drake (www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/C8)with former showgirl wife, Edith. He’s 91, she’s 88.
In a tribute to Mr. Drake, Skipper included one of Drake’s 1967 ditties written for and recorded by Carol Channing, “Widow’s Weeds,” a long story about a lady who’s looking real pretty in her Jefferson City Widow’s Weeds each time another husband bites the dust. There was a buzz and excitement in the air as the evening was being filmed as part of an upcoming documentary based on the life and career of Tony Award winner Carol Channing.
Ms. Channing and Richard had already made a joint appearance at Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Centre in NYC (http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/store/2628)to a packed house a few days prior.
The evening opened with Martina Vidmar, who looks a lot like Bernadette Peters, singing ‘The Best of Times” followed by two additional songs. She’s a bit of a screamer and, I must admit, after one song I was anxious to see Carol take the stage. Finally, the elegantly dressed Skipper, in wig, white sparkly brocade and bejeweled gown, large multi-colored rings on every finger, appeared. Skipper captures the essence of the grand lady of theatre in a way that not only embodies her sound, but spirit. Channing has always remarked how thrilled she is to be shown with such love, respect and polish.
Skipper is good on his feet, as they say, with that ability to ad-lib at a moment’s notice, especially so when he’s engaging audience members in what is always a hilarious interchange. Along the way he provides a running history of Carol Channing from growing up in Seattle, Washington, attending Bennington College, weaving in and through her life personally and in theatre. Many of Channing’s best and well-known songs are sung in her incomparably stylized tradition with on-going dialogue of behind the scenes stories.
The highlights included “Elegance,” “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” (as those sparkly rings on Skipper’s hands disappeared to eager audience members), “Jazz Baby,”
and a medley of songs from “Hello Dolly.”
I did wonder about the inclusion of songs not related to Channing in this presentation and the length, without intermission, is nearly 2 hours. However, the show is solid entertainment and laughter that sparkles in more ways than one. There is talk about a potential off-Broadway run. Skipper was ably accompanied by John Fischer on piano, Jeff Carney, bass and Steve Bartosik, percussion.
Richard,
What an outstanding performance.. Your portrayal of Carol Channing was remarkable. Flawless..
Your quick witted and playful remarks with the audience could only be matched by Carol Channing herself.. You worked the room, which was filled by Broadway and Cabaret's finest, with effortless ease...
Thank you, Richard. I feel as though I finally got to see Carol Channing live in concert!!
Tym Moss, Artists Exposed
(THANK YOU, Devin Delano, for all these photos!)
Support THE ARTS! LIVE THEATRE! Go see a LIVE show this week!
Send me your reviews and suggestions and I will put them in my next blog coming out August 5th (celebrating my 31st year in NY!)
Here's to an ARTS-filled August!
Don't forget to contribute to the DR. CAROL CHANNING & HARRY KULLIJIAN FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS:
http://www.carolchanning.org/Foundation.htmWith grateful XOXOXs for your support!
Richard Skipper
Follow me on Twitter @RichardSkipper
HERE'S WHAT AUDIENCES ARE SAYING ABOUT MY WORK (TAKEN FROM MY GUESTBOOK AT WWW.RICHARDSKIPPER.COMGreat evening last night at BARNES & NOBLE LINCOLN SQUARE (7/23/10)with you, Carol Channing and Harry Kullijian. You did a marvelous job as moderator and kept the questions flowing and allowed Harry to talk about his and Carol's work to promote the arts in schools.It was a very enjoyable evening and enjoyed your work at the event. Paul, NY
Dear Richard,
You were a perfect host for Carol Channing's event this evening. Jim and I brought two friends with us and they thought you were warm and respectful! You have a true skill and you're always thinking of others. For example, you moved your chair back so people on the side could see better and everyone was appreciative. Thank you also for introducing us to Harry. He was a joy to talk to as well as an inspiration. I'm so glad we were able to make it. And we are so glad to know you. YOU need your own talk show!!!
Sincerely,
Mary Lahti, NY
Hi Richard....unfortunately, I'm down in Atlanta,but I've seen you a few times in FL (Jimmy Ferraro/Dee Etta's theatre, and the Palladium in St. Pete). You are AWESOMELY INCREDIBLE!! Anyone who hasn't seen you, NEEDS to go, because they'd be in for a wonderful treat! Maybe if you ever get down here to the Atlanta area, I'd definitely see your show again!
Ron Gross, Lovejoy, GA
If you've seen my work, please add your own comments.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NYC THE AWARD WINNING WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT THE IGUANA STARRING DANA LORGE, RICHARD SKIPPER, AND FRIENDS!
Dana Lorge and I have put our OWN spin on the variety show format and are now going into our second year every Wednesday night in NYC at The Iguana VIP Lounge (http://www.iguananyc.com) in the heart of NYC (240 West 54th Street 8-11PM/with an intermission).
Cover: $12 - no food or drink minimums – but remember – the food is great!
WINNER OF TWO 2010 MANHATTAN ASSOCIATION OF CABARETS AND CLUBS AWARDS (MAC) FOR OUTSTANDING VARIETY SHOW AND OUTSTANDING HOSTS!
or more info, please call 845-365-0720 or visit _www.RichardSkipper.com_
212-765-5454.
Aug 4
8pm
IGUANA VIP LOUNGE, 240 West 54th Street, NYC
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT THE IGUANA
Barry Levitt on keyboard & Saadi Zain on bass.
CELEBRATING RICHARDS 31st YEAR IN NY - Wednesday Night's guests include: Paul and Rochelle Chamlin, Theresa Fischer, Eli Fordyce, Robert Gino, Warren Schein, Andrew Sotomayer ...
...and a few other surprises as well! $12.00 Music Charge/No food or drink minimum!
Reservations a must (212) 765-5454
TILL NEXT WEEK...HERE'S TO A MUSICAL AUGUST!
With grateful XOXOXs for your support!
Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com
Sue Matsuki's a little bit jazzy, and Edd Clark's a little bit legit, and this award winning duo is bringing their annual Christmas show to back to the Laurie Beechman! 
And now a little bit about Ed Clark. I first came to know Ed when I saw him in 3 Tenors in Search of An Act. I saw that show one night with the late great Dottie Burman and Gerta Grunen. Danny, Dottie, Gerta, and myself were the only ones in the audience. We gave them the option of not doing the show that night. But, no, they said we were there to see them and they were going to do their show for us. Wow, were we all overwhelmed. What troopers. Another side note, Edd's life partner happened to do all of the arrangements for the show. I knew then and there that I wanted Paul Stephan to do my arrangements for me. One of the best career moves I ever made. You can hear some of Paul's fabulous arrangements in my upcoming show at St. Luke's. 
What can I say about Sarah Rice? The original Johanna in Sweeney Todd. I got to know Sarah during my run co-hosting WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT THE IGUANA. One of the perks of that run, I might add. Sarah, along with Sue Matsuki, is one of the hardest working people in the biz. Again, I love you, Sarah!
What can I say about Paul Stephan? I owe so much to this man. He did most of my arrangements, he was my musical director for a while, and we've been on the road together! Paul 's vocal works .... 
Phyllis B. Frank (middle), VCS Gay Pride Director, with Juried Art Exhibit & Sale to Benefit Gay Pride Rockland Curator Susan Harrington and Exhibit Chair Hal Parker.
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