BROADWAY CARES-EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS INC – 33rd Annual Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction
Auction Ends: Sep 20, 2019 04:00 PM EDT

Live Auction

The First Ever Broadway Bear: Carol Channing

Item Number
P-62
Leading Bid
6700 USD
Number of Bids
27  -  Bid History

Live Event Item

After the online close, this item went to a Live Event for further bidding. Absentee Bidding offered.

Item Description

You can own the first ever Broadway Bear: the legendary Carol “Bear-ol” Channing as Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi. For 15 years, Broadway Cares auctioned hand-crafted, museum-quality teddy bears honoring legendary theatrical characters and autographed by the stars who made those characters famous. The final edition of Broadway Bears was in 2012.


Wearing the infamous pink and red satin gown in which she descended the staircase at The Harmonia Gardens, this bear is signed by Channing, who passed away earlier this year. The fabric is the actual material used for the dress Channing wore in the 1995 Broadway revival, as are the jewels in the choker. The pink overlays have been hand-beaded and sequined, and have authentic red fringe, also from the 1995 Broadway run. The red feathered headpiece tops off “the second Mrs. Vandergelder’s” blonde tresses in an original creation by hairdresser Kevin Maybee. The mouth is the third designed for this particular bear, as Channing didn’t feel the previous two were accurate enough in size. Be sure to grab this charmer “Before the Parade Passes By!”


Original Costume Designer: Jonathan Bixby

Bear Costume Designer: Charles C. Crutchfield with the assistance of Jean Evans and Kevin Maybee