Ms Andrews is currently touring Australia with a one-woman show about her life: “An Evening with Julie Andrews”. Her press conference, held at the Park Hyatt Hotel yesterday, was to enable the press to photograph Ms Andrews and to also ask questions about her life, work and her forthcoming show.
For those millions of fans out there, like myself, this will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear Ms Andrews talk about her life, her achievements and her interests – but sadly, not sing.
An operation that went wrong a few years ago robbed us of her beautiful voice prematurely. Fortunately, she has an exceptionally large recorded oeuvre, both film and music, which we can continue to enjoy forever.
In answer to a question I asked her about how she coped, Ms Andrews talked about the difficulties she had in reassessing her image of herself after her voice was damaged. However, out of this difficult time has come a new direction – setting up a publishing house with her daughter and writing children’s books which incorporate strong story telling and music. I had not come across them yet so will have to road test them with my grandchildren!
Ms Andrews briefly spoke about the people who had mentored and inspired her, but left further details for her upcoming show. I was particularly struck by her emphasizing that her advice to young people wanting a career in the performing arts was to work hard and be prepared, which I have taken the liberty of paraphrasing as: Luck = Hard Work + Opportunity.
It was wonderful to hear Ms Andrews talk and realise that the person behind the screen and stage persona is such an intelligent and articulate woman with a lifetime of wisdom to share.
If you are lucky enough to get tickets to one of the two shows she is giving in Sydney, on either the 24th or the 25th May, I am sure that you will experience a wonderful evening.
© Toni Adams
17 May 2013