Julie Andrews tuned 80 last year! The younger generation will know her as Queen Clarisse Renaldi from the Princess Diaries, or Princess Fiona’s Mother in Shrek, But for me she will always be Mary Poppins, Maria, from the Sound of Music, or Victoria Grant in Victor/Victoria.
Julie’s parents realised when she was very young that she had a good singing voice, and sent her for singing lessons. She could soon easily cover a 4 octave range, and sing notes only a dog could hear. Her big break came in 1964 when she starred in Walt Disney’s “Mary Poppins”. Mary was the Nanny McPhee of her time, and flew in on a magic umbrella to solve the woes of the Banks children. This performance won her an Oscar on Debut. “The Sound of music” followed and included hits of the time like “Edelweiss” and “These are a few of my favourite things”. She was again nominated for her performance in Victor/Victoria, for which she won an Emmy, A Golden Globe and a BAFTA.
In 1997 she underwent surgery to remove a nodule from her vocal chords. The operation was however not a success, and her singing voice was never the same.
In 2001 she took the part of Queen Clarisse in ‘the Princess Diaries’. In 2004 she sang for the first time after her throat surgery in ‘the Princess Diaries 2’. It was a perfect recording one the first take!
Not only is Julie Andrews a phenomenal actress (She has after all been made a “Dame of the British Empire”, she has written children’s books, is associated with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines in 1997 when it won the Nobel Peace Prize. She also has a cutting wit. And although it is not true that she sang a “senior” version of “My Favourite things”, she did chuckle at the lyrics.
Music: “My Favorite Things,” Richard Rodgers
Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting, Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings, Bundles of magazines tied up in string, These are a few of my favourite things. Cadillacs and cataracts and hearing aids and glasses, Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses, Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings, These are a few of my favourite things. When the pipes leak, When the bones creak, When the knees go bad, I simply remember my favourite things, And then I don't feel so bad. Hot tea and crumpets, and corn pads for bunions, No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions, Bathrobes and heat pads and hot meals they bring, These are a few of my favourite things. Back pains, confused brains, and no fear of sinnin', Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin', And we won't mention our short shrunken frames, When we remember our favorite things. When the joints ache, when the hips break, When the eyes grow dim, Then I remember the great life I've had, And then I don't feel so bad.
http://www.biography.com/people/julie-andrews-9184978
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Andrews http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000267/bio
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_USA