Carol Channing's spirited warmth, blonde looks and distinctive baritone voice, coupled with her two signature roles of Lorelei Lee and Dolly Gallagher Levi, established her as the First Lady of Musical Comedy. From the late 1940s, she was noted for her Lorelei Lee, the "Little Girl from Little Rock" for whom diamonds are a girl's best friends in "Gentleman Prefer Blondes". In the 60s, she became forever linked with the uniquely endearing matchmaker in "Hello, Dolly!", a role she has played in three productions spanning more than thirty years and nearly 5,000 performances. But, ironically, she