Carol Channing originated the role of Dolly Levi in the original Broadway production of Hello, Dolly!.
Hello, Dolly! opened at the St. James Theatre on January 16, 1964, with Channing in the title role. The musical has a book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. Its plot follows the matchmaking widow Dolly Gallagher Levi as she attempts to arrange a marriage for the wealthy, miserly Horace Vandergelder.
Channing’s performance became one of the defining star turns in Broadway history. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and the production won ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Barbra Streisand played Dolly in the 1969 film adaptation, while Pearl Bailey later led a successful Broadway revival. Those later performances are why several names can be associated with the role, but Channing was the original Broadway Dolly.