2 Ladies, but It’s Not Broadway

Imagine riding a bus to a different workplace every day, sometimes traveling more than 100 miles from your hotel, which you change every few nights. Imagine doing it for seven weeks all over the country. Now, imagine that’s your reward for doing your job well.

“That’s show biz,” said Carol Channing, who is doing just that with Rita Moreno in “Two Ladies of Broadway,” which lands this afternoon at the Robert Haugh Performing Arts Center at Citrus College in Glendora. When you have a hit, “you’re rewarded with a tour.”

The two veterans of the boards and the silver screen have been going steadily since opening Sept. 28, in New Brunswick, N.J. Stops in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Colorado and New Mexico followed. Today’s performance in the auditorium at 100 W. Foothill Blvd. will be the last of four Southern California shows. The tour stopped elsewhere in the San Gabriel Valley on Saturday night for a show presented by Ambassador at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

“It looks incredible, but it’s not,” Channing said. “I’ve been doing eight shows a week all my life and I’m unhappy when I’m not. I think my metabolism must be set to that.”

The actors are traveling with a company of 30, including orchestra and stagehands.

“We have three cars, just like Clinton and Gore,” Channing said. “And we have a beautiful Art Deco bus.”

Channing and Moreno had worked together over the years in various benefits (“We’ve sold every known disease,” Channing said) but had always wanted to tour together. When their schedules finally jelled, they formulated the revue of Broadway songs--most of which are by the show’s artistic director, Jerry Herman, who wrote Channing’s hits “Hello, Dolly!” and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”

After California, it’s on to Texas, Louisiana and Florida; later, maybe London, maybe Broadway. It all depends on how well they do.

The curtain rises on “Two Ladies of Broadway” at 2 p.m. today. Tickets are $28, $25 for students and seniors.