Carol Channing’s Tonys, costumes up for auction; Broadway star found ‘home’ in Modesto
The estate of late Broadway icon and former Modestan Carol Channing is auctioning off some of the star’s most prized entertainment memorabilia.
Channing, who won Tony and Golden Globe awards over the course of her storied eight-decade career on stage and screen, passed away at age 97 in January 2019. The musical-theater legend moved to Modesto in 2003 and married her high school sweetheart and longtime Central Valley resident Harry Kullijian.
The entertainer lived in Modesto for the better part of a decade before moving back to Southern California after her husband’s death in 2011. The estate auction is from the collection at her Rancho Mirage home.
The online-only auction begins at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 17, through the Abell Auction Co. in Los Angeles. Included in the estate sale are some of her Tony and Golden Globe awards.
Channing received multiple Tonys through her career, including for lead actress for “Hello Dolly” in 1964 and a special recognition Tony in 1968 followed by a Lifetime Achievement Tony in 1995. She won the Golden Globe for her supporting role in the movie “Thoroughly Modern Millie” in 1968.
Also included in the estate auction will be some of her stage-worn costumes, Broadway memorabilia, and original artwork by the famed caricature artist Al Hirschfeld. Those include Hirschfeld portraits of Channing with George Burns and a solo drawing of the star.
Her 1968 special recognition Tony Award is priced at $20,000 to $30,000 and her Hirschfeld drawings are listed for $10,000 to $15,000 each. A portion of the proceeds from the sale will benefit Channing’s alma mater, Bennington College, and the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS charity.
Channing’s time in Modesto was marked by many public appearances as well as philanthropic efforts. She sang at the popular annual MoBand concerts, as well as with and for different performing arts organizations and venues in the valley.
The actress and singer received an honorary doctoral degree from California State University, Stanislaus, and in 2005 she and Kullijian established the Doctor Carol Channing School of Fine and Performing Arts Scholarship and Endowment at the Turlock university. The couple also established the Carol Channing and Harry Kullijian Foundation for the Arts.
In a 2003 interview with The Bee shortly after moving to Modesto, she said, “I’ve spent my life traveling. I was always on Broadway or touring. This is my first home.”
For more on the Carol Channing auction call 323-724-8102 or visit abell.com.
This story was originally published May 6, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
