Severely handicapped class arrives - The Lowell

Pf Jo. Tbe Una. OclohtrS. 19M
ENTERTAINMENT.
Channing: 'Back where she belongs'
By l« ion Mtatx
Actress Carol Cbanning, timed
tor bet .vh MS Dolly CaBagher
Lcrl In toe muskal comedy "Hdlo
Dotty." is in taws for the currtat
run vl "Jerry** OltH" at the Curran
Theatre. She was iked to
speak at a recent meeting ef the
Sun Frandtco Press Club, where J
proposal %.is made to rename the
Lowed auditorium, the Carol
Chinning Theatre. Channing. a
lovrdl gnduatt. accepted tbepropout,
and was tiked to comment
on her acceptance as well MS her
high school experience MS « JfudcntatLjmttL
The day 1 (spoke at) the San
Francisco Proa Club. Dr. Flbish
was there and they tdd me then:
that m the fint 1 knew of it. It's a
(real hooor for me. Ill tell you.
"You ice. San Francisco Is a
gnat, great town to grow up In
because everything comes to San
Francisco In the way of theatre.
Starting when I was at Apto* Jr.
High School, they had Khoci
bum thai would lake w. out In we
these things. We would go see
whoever was in town. It was
perfectly wonderful. We cojtd buy
studciit Uckrtt a&t* tit way up in
the top two rows of the last bakony
(at the Curran Theatre). Now they
call LSTAC the Carol Channing
•eats, because that's -.here I used
to lit. And they sell (thotc tickets)
for only fire doUan.**
(Current//, the Csrol Channing
teats are available at discount
rates daring all shorn in whkh
ChMcoirf pUys the Curran
Theatre. Channing mentioned
that she would request of Carole
Shoremteuu owner bt the Cumn.
that thce seats be available at discount
rates on a yvar-round batit. J
That's whae 1 grew up: In the
Curran Theatre and on the Lowell
the Lowell auditorium stage. I
Dorr left it. And t I bed for
Fridays, became we would hav?
student body meetings, and I used
to do shows then. We used lo have
a courtyard in the old building (at
Lowell), and Utere wiu a> stage
there, and 1 used to be on that all
the time, doing show*, doing
everything.... things that weren't
juit dumb corned* either. They
were things that made me grow,
loo.
"1 WK M> buty doine shows, that
the only thing 1 Hied (or was those
sltows. Samuel Polland was cur
teacher there, and Mr. Poltand let
me do anything. I could write my
own. and t wrote sketches about
what was going on around the
school. 1 dkl Imitations of the
president of the school, wellknown
people all the teacher*.
and Mr. Stevens who wa.% the principal.
Mrs. Jordan was in? English
teacher, and we were then in the
old location, and the Haighl Street
trolley car. would go clanging by.
and Mrs. Jordan, who was an old
lady, would say. 'Here comes that
damn car!! That strcxlcar!! But
I'm going to keep talking anyway)*
and she would keep talking very,
very loud irid »c notr heard a
word the was saying. We mined
everything. I did sketches of Mrt.
Jordan. And Mr. Schwartz used to
blow up hb chemlstnr class on an
average of once every lerm. and he
wai adorable, and 1 used to do
him. And I'm so grateful to the
whole faculty. They kt me get
away with this, and they would
laugh, and they would enjoy seeing
Imitations of themselves.
•.''-i.XiEfa^awai**^ i f »•• ...,~I£»_EV.. xistBiU'^i,:'-
Actress Carol dunning' one of Lowell's mort famous graduates, p 4>T: -r
plagaritm. but 1 would go back to muscles are trained for (t. You'll feel better.
school and do it. They toted it. never know how grateful I am to "Eight shows a week, twice on
and then they wanted more, so that Lowell auditorium stage. And Wednesday and twice on Satur-
every Friday I did more Fanny here they are naming the theatre day: that's what 1 love to do. I
Brier. I would go back every afler me. I think that is the found It out in Lowell High
weekend and watch her. and then greatest honor. Now, they're nam- School. We couldn't fit Ute entire
do it again. And that's exactly ing a Broadway theatre after Ethel ttudent body in for one show. So
what I'm doing now in this show Merman. I would much rather we had to do three shows to fit
[Jerry's Girfi). I haven't done Fan- hxvc the Lootll auditorium (nam- them all in.
ny Bricc \ince Loxdl. And all of a ed aficr me). I would much
sudden. Jerry Herman wrote this rather... Became it's tntc 1 never
"It's when you're your age (high
song, and I said. *You know who left that itigc. I'm still on ft. If I
school) that you will your life and
should sing this song? Fanny start lo lose the audience. I do just
say. Mil die to do this. I want to do
Brke.' He said. 'You're right, but what 1 learned ia do at LowrU.
tftfv mor- than anything cite in the
can you do her?" And I said. 'I did And they keep saying, 'How can
world.* I knew that what I ihrH for
"Fanny Bricc came lo the Pan-
her m Lowell High School.' So 1 you do all these people?' Well, t
was Fridays; and I wanted to make
ttges Theatre here in San Fran-
walked out on that stage aud did had in. Every Friday 1 ran out of
every day a Friday. When I vu on
cisco. On Saturdays, the did four
her. That muscle was already a people. 1 had lo keep doing
that stage and heard the fint
shows, and 1 went and IAW all four
wcltoUeri machine. I knew Fanny. wnd-otly elir. tloing wmebotly
Uuph In the fourth grade at Com-
shows. I brought A box lunch and
She *it in my metabolism. And new. And 1 had to do it every Frimodore
Stoat grammar school. 1
High School sugc. When I was at there and wrote down
everyone 1 did at Lowell. 1 can do day or else everybody yelled and
suddenly realized that what I
Lowell, h was hard to get me oft emything she said. It was now. like that, because my lcreamcd and iild. •Where's
Uu{£. at... that's whal everybody
- • • * • •_• +_ m_m • « • * # * • • * * ' • » 3. * • • • > * • •_ • •_• •_• « • • • • • • • • • • • • Carol?!!!"
rive lauiths at. I'm exactly like
everjbody else. I'm u pan of the
"Think what I learned! I've
US success for British trio
whole human race, and we're all
witl it all mer the world; when
alike. We lough at the same
I'm in front of audiences, when
things, we cry at the saine thtags.
ByLesteDavy
I'm on Broadway, I'm drawing on
we fall in love with 'he same
"When you walk through an air-
what 1 learned on the Lowell High
things. I thought. "Well, this Is
port and hear somebody singing a
School auditorium stage, t'm
ckxer than touching each oth^r;
verse ol 'Hold Me Now.' >ou know
ilra* ing on it now (in Jerry's
this h closer than affection.' And 1
you've made it.** is how the percus-
Cirh). more than any formal
ran olf the school stage and hid in
slopist of the Thompson Twins.
education in the theatre, because
the cloak room so no one cuuld see
Alannah Curric. describes their
when you study theatre, you study
me. and cried my eyes out for joy
the hbtory of it. and all kinds of
and said. 'Oh Cod. 1 will do
The Thompson Twins, who
theatre. But the experience of
anythhtg. I will crawl across the
rccrnUy played at the Oakland
aand'ng there on the Lowell High
dewrt without water, anything lo
Cotbeum to an almost sold ou:
School auditorium stage and
tret back on that stage and feel that
crowd, which lead singer. Tom
holding the attention of that entire
feeling that we're all alike, that
Bailey described as "elegant and
audience I* what makrs me know 1
we're all laughing simultaneously
noisy.** are definitely popular in
need to concentrate. When they
at the tame thing.
the Bay Ana.
get bored, they throw spitballs at
Fhey started the 2 hour and IS
you. vi erasers, and they heckle
"If anyone aiks. 'Should 1 con-
minute show with their new single
you. and they get tired, and you
tinue in the Ihcare?'.-.. if they
"You Take Me Up" and from
have to keep them going. I've
hate to a\k that question, they'll
there the excitement never came
learned since then that you should
neve make it. They do it beyond
down.
noer think ol yourself. Think oniy
alt waton, bcj'Hid all sense- You
Bailey's powerful yet melodic
of them (the audience). What aie
ju\t Wrrp at it. al it. and noer
voice, backed by Currk and the
you trying to say to them? Keep
\top. People uy, 'Look. \l\
group's Congo player and key boar-
your mind on them. These are
ohnuus you're nor going to make It
dat Joe Leeway, was paired with a
thing* you don't karn unless
in New York.* And you just can't
rhythmic beat that sounded grot
you've been doing *! right through
vtop. you hivte no ch*Jce, Mid
and w« lue to dance lo.
vhool.**
(here's no other excuse for your ex-
Some feel it's their distinctive
Channing has done over 3.000 istence. You'te bent yourself that
look that makes them so appealing.
America
Tom Ba&ey, tad JOB leeway dance their wmy LlUl* performances of "Hello Dolly"
and ncrerplayed to an empty seat.
way from the fourth grade on- and
there's nothing you can do about
Currk with her black ovcrsUed
engineer's cap atop her friuy
blond mohawk, Balk)*; synthetic
pooytail, and the half Irish and
Nlscrian Leeway with his
dreadlocks nuty wltc an isiprcs* ~
In 1°U tee Thompson Twins
settlingoA the present threesome.
"We were into reggae because
we lfrtd ta South London, and
there's a lot of Jamaican people
there." Currk esplained. "and the
more we got interested In percussion.
UK more we got into African
and If tin stuff.**
Thh hard-working trio is currently
finUhlng their U.S. tour and
has also completed the Tint side of
their next album.
"People think we're mad.** explained
Currk. They call us
workaholics, but we love doing it."
Eien more remarkably, she never
missed a tingle show.
"You know what It b* It Isn't
that you're not sick. It's that I
havr to go on. 1 Just hare to. The
funny Uung b. no mattet what is
the matter with you. by the end of
the show It's dtber cured or you
it.
brake into the AmeTJfMfi musk When they were a seven member
iom .hen—In The Name Ol band, their live shows were true
lore" hit miiober one ol tho VS.
Chun. -
exercises In audience participation,
with spectators Joining them
F L O
Since then, the trio has hid on stage to play percussion with
wenl hlB. tacbdiiig "Uc%-
Ibetr fint American Top 40 tonf. This situation usually turned in*
-Low -n Your Side." ud Iron to total chaos, so it was discontinued.
10 Percent Dbeonnt
When You Bring In
ThbAd
Into The Cap. "Hold Me Now"
aod"DoctorlDoctori-
Slnce Ba£ey/a wormcr music
teacher, started tae group in 1977.
The "•'wins, who wanted a name
' that would separate them from
(roups with anrcssivc. heavy
KondsfJIkeTheClash), took their
.-'• .IBICLEMSKTf.-«
* Cor. ol THIRD Av».
PHONE: 421-0424
641 GREEN STREET
the Tlionpion Twins have shifted sane from a BdgUn comic strip.
bom * focr-tnember band to a about two bumbling detective*
SAN FRANCISCO. 94133
scm-iMiBbcr btad before GnaUy named Thompson and Thomson.
I