Charles Pierce, Chandler Pavilion 2

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 1982. Pierce always saved the irreverent Bette Davis impression for last. His devoted audiences would not let him off stage until he smoked at least one cigarette in the nervous and distinctive style of the temperamental star of "All About Eve" and "Now, Voyager." There had to be at least three or four cutthroat remarks made about legendary rival Joan Crawford. His audience always looked forward to Pierce's irreverent scenes adapted from "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane" in which Joan Crawford was teamed with rival Bette Davis. Then there was the moment when he asked the audience to "recite along" with one of the campiest lines in "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane." The musical director is Michael Biagi. Pierce's life story, "From Drags to Riches: The Untold Story of Charles Pierce" was written by a former collaborator and friend, John Walraff. Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies published it in 2002. Before his death, Pierce donated his papers to the Billy Rose Theatre Collection of the New York Public Library at Lincoln Center. For more tributes, go to http://www.bochynski.com/charlespierce.
Pierce's life story, "From Drags to Riches: The Untold Story of Charles Pierce" was written by a former collaborator and friend, John Walraff. Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies published it in 2002. Before his death, Pierce donated his papers to the Billy Rose Theatre Collection of the New York Public Library at Lincoln Center. For more tributes, go to http://www.bochynski.com/charlespierce.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Drag
• gay
• glamor
• movie
• stars
• wigs
• comedy

[TheLeadsupreme]

The fabulous finish

[enosh29472]

flawless!

[himfanatic5]

Amazing guy. I was born on that yr and I never knew him.

But i LOVE drags and female impersonators. and its sad I found this so later in life :(. I would of loved to have seen the shows in my youth. ;)

[janknuckey]

Love his classy dame at the end....he is the spitting image of Judy Parfitt: "Sometimes,Dolores, being a bitch is all a woman has".....Fabulous

[mrspatrickcampbell]

We saw Miss Pierce at the BackLot of Studio One when we were happily married to our ex-husband - the gorgeous blond yuppie with the solid rock hard 9x6 - and after the show we went over to speak with Bea Arthur and Norman Lear, who were at an adjoining table. Bea looked us in the eye and seemed to be weeping with joy at the compliments we gave her.

[darrin1701]

First time I hear from this guy it's just amazing he was damn good, man what a genius

[manasseh41]

He'd let us ride on his shoulders, play down on the ground with us etc. Hed even hold us upside down, really high so we could "walk on the cieling"

Aunt Charles was really fun to be around. Im blessed with some really cool stories thanks to having him in my early life.

I do miss him, and it is comforting in a way to find out that so many others love and miss him too.

Thanks for loving him.

Auntie Charles' favorite

(not really but howd you know?)

J

[manasseh41]

Charles Pierce was a close friend of our aunt Carroll. My two brothers and I were frequent visitors to Charles' home here in California. My aunt Carroll was a close friend and would take us to visit him. I must have been about four at the time. My older brother Sam was 5-6 and Hans the baby was about 2-3. Although we never saw Aunt Charles dressed up. It was quite natural for us to call him "aunt Charles" HE LOVED IT!

[manasseh41]

I never knew Charles as an adult. By the time he passed in '99' it had been years since Id seen him. I was still a child last time Id seen him. Tonight while talking to a friend about him.

I started searching online to try to find some pics or something.

Its a nice surprise to see just how much info, vids etc. are out there about him.

its also nice to see how much he was loved.

Heres something you will not find on a fan site.

[fannycraddock99]

So funny. 5*