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Tuesday, August 30, 2022
Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton Talk About Taking Their Children’s Book Empire to the Stage
Observer: Sometime after Victor/Victoria opened on Broadway in 1995, a small, solitary mouse made its way up from the bowels of the Marriott Marquis Theater and into the theater’s wardrobe room. Julie Andrews, then inhabiting both title roles, got the word from her hairdresser, who told her traps were set.
Julie Andrews is a multi-award winner and is arguably one of the most beloved female entertainers of our time, gracing the world with so many characters in varying art forms. I hadn’t even known that she, unsurprisingly because he is iconic and multi-talented, is also an author. The thought of Andrews writing a children’s book fills me with delight and comfort, as she often portrays such calming and wonderful characters that I am sure many would like to hear a story from. The Great American Mousical, which is just the cutest and most fitting title for a Julie Andrews original children’s musical, was held back due to COVID-19, but is now on track for production in 2023. Andrews will be directing this piece and it has an amazing cast lineup, and I know I will definitely now be among the fans in anticipation of its opening night.
I am a big fan of Julie Andrews; her tremendous talent, and her warm, joyful image. What inspires and fascinates me most about this article is that Julie Andrews never stops telling stories - and furthermore, feels the need to tell them. She says that as a child, she “[u]sed to make up things all the time,” and that when she was in between jobs, she felt she “must do something!” I actually didn’t know that Julie was involved in publishing children’s books - let alone so many of them - I only knew of her work as an actress. I am actually curious how The Great American Mousical was staged and/or costumed - was it figurative mice (a la Seussical), or literal mouse costumes? On another note, as someone who has a very close relationship with my mom, their consistent mother-daughter partnership meant a lot to me.
I am a huge fan of Julie Andrews, as I find everything she does inspiring. I had no idea she was writing children's books and as I read more about what Andrews is doing with her daughter for children’s communities around the world I became increasingly fascinated. Theatre is so important to all children, as it teaches us life lessons through a wide range of characters and stories. But oftentimes, theatre is overlooked in our elementary school teachings and it becomes a shadow of what it could be. I find joy that the older generations of the theatre community are doing their best to include and teach the younger generations about what theatre is and what theare could be, through children’s books like this. Even more so, the fact that this book is being produced into a musical makes the theatre kid in me happy, because younger me would have loved the opportunity to see one of my favorite children’s books on stage. What Julie Andrews has managed to accomplish is her lifetime is incredible, and now with her creating a children’s book and endorsing the theatre community to younger generations gives me hope for the future of the theatre industry.
3 comments:
Julie Andrews is a multi-award winner and is arguably one of the most beloved female entertainers of our time, gracing the world with so many characters in varying art forms. I hadn’t even known that she, unsurprisingly because he is iconic and multi-talented, is also an author. The thought of Andrews writing a children’s book fills me with delight and comfort, as she often portrays such calming and wonderful characters that I am sure many would like to hear a story from. The Great American Mousical, which is just the cutest and most fitting title for a Julie Andrews original children’s musical, was held back due to COVID-19, but is now on track for production in 2023. Andrews will be directing this piece and it has an amazing cast lineup, and I know I will definitely now be among the fans in anticipation of its opening night.
Mairon Mongello
I am a big fan of Julie Andrews; her tremendous talent, and her warm, joyful image. What inspires and fascinates me most about this article is that Julie Andrews never stops telling stories - and furthermore, feels the need to tell them. She says that as a child, she “[u]sed to make up things all the time,” and that when she was in between jobs, she felt she “must do something!” I actually didn’t know that Julie was involved in publishing children’s books - let alone so many of them - I only knew of her work as an actress. I am actually curious how The Great American Mousical was staged and/or costumed - was it figurative mice (a la Seussical), or literal mouse costumes? On another note, as someone who has a very close relationship with my mom, their consistent mother-daughter partnership meant a lot to me.
Jordan Pincus
I am a huge fan of Julie Andrews, as I find everything she does inspiring. I had no idea she was writing children's books and as I read more about what Andrews is doing with her daughter for children’s communities around the world I became increasingly fascinated. Theatre is so important to all children, as it teaches us life lessons through a wide range of characters and stories. But oftentimes, theatre is overlooked in our elementary school teachings and it becomes a shadow of what it could be. I find joy that the older generations of the theatre community are doing their best to include and teach the younger generations about what theatre is and what theare could be, through children’s books like this. Even more so, the fact that this book is being produced into a musical makes the theatre kid in me happy, because younger me would have loved the opportunity to see one of my favorite children’s books on stage. What Julie Andrews has managed to accomplish is her lifetime is incredible, and now with her creating a children’s book and endorsing the theatre community to younger generations gives me hope for the future of the theatre industry.
-Abby Brunner
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